Assistant Mufti Calls for Dialogue After Disputed Elections

Sheikh Musa Khalil, the Regional Assistant to the Mufti of Northern Uganda, has called for dialogue to heal political wounds after the just-concluded elections.

Without mentioning former Presidential candidate Robert Kyaguanyi Ssentamu, Sheikh Khalil said there is no need to flee the country after an election.  

Kyagulanyi fled the country in March, saying he feared for his life following January’s disputed election. He had spent two months in hiding, fearing that he would be eliminated by the regime. “It was clear that the regime wanted to eliminate me” in a video posted on X. 

Khalil has called on the government to urgently embrace reconciliation and dialogue as Uganda grapples with political divisions. He urged those who have fled the country to return home. 

Khalil says the country stands at a critical moment where mediation and forgiveness could pave the way for lasting peace.

There is a need for government to think about reconciliation as an alternative, because after mediation, reconciliation is always holistic. The result is restoration of relationships, and once that happens, peace becomes everlasting,” Khalil said.

Khalil welcomed the recent effort to empower courts to adopt alternative justice mechanisms, including mediation.

Cue in:..There is a need…………………… //Cue Out:…. an everlasting peace.// He, however, said the move reflects years of advocacy by religious and cultural leaders, particularly under the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda.

“These efforts are not new, and we have long pushed for national dialogue, especially after learning from the painful divide between northern and central Uganda,” Khalil noted.

According to him, alternative justice could also help address the mounting backlog of cases, particularly land disputes that continue to clog Uganda’s courts.

Khalil’s remarks come in the wake of a highly contested election that, he says, “tore the country apart.”

He pointed to widespread dissatisfaction across regions, with many Ugandans feeling cheated or excluded from the democratic process.

“From central to north, east to west, many citizens believe they were deprived, but this is exactly why dialogue is needed now more than ever,” he said.

He also urged the government to open channels for opposition figures in exile and those currently detained, stressing that reconciliation should not exclude any group.

Cue in:….The recent elections………… Cue Out:..home is best.//   

Khalil highlighted Uganda’s existing amnesty framework as a tool that could foster national healing, even suggesting it could apply broadly, including to political leaders.

“We are tired of seeing former leaders flee the country, and Uganda must reach a point where leaders feel safe to stay, transition, and even return home,” he said.

He praised the government for its humanitarian efforts but warned that sustaining such a role requires internal stability.