Theme: “Uncovering Gaps, Exploring Solutions”
Host: Muslim Arbitration and Mediation Centre Uganda (MAMC(U)
Venue: Islamic University in Uganda Boardroom
Date: 29th October 2025
Why This Conference Matters
Justice is not an abstract ideal. It is:
- A mother fighting for custody.
- A prisoner seeking representation.
- A trader resolving a debt.
- A young lawyer navigating faith and law.
For Uganda’s Muslim community, approximately 14% of the population, these struggles unfold across formal courts, faith-based institutions, and community spaces, yet too often the system fails them.
We live at a critical turning point:
- Parliament allowed Hon. Asuman Basalirwa to table the Qadhi Courts Bill.
- The recent National Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR Policy 2024 is changing how
disputes are resolved in Uganda. - Article 28 of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Constitution has been subject to several litigations.
- Communities demand dignity, fairness, and culturally sensitive justice.
- The Muslim voice must be heard in shaping national justice policies.
- The 2022 Succession Amendment Act has left many estates in limbo.
- Muslims in prison need faster, accessible justice.
Purpose of the Summit
- Examine the real gaps in justice delivery for Uganda’s Muslims.
- Debate how laws and policies from the Qadhi Courts Bill to UMSC arbitration clauses impact daily lives.
- Highlight solutions: mediation, arbitration, conciliation, and digital access to justice.
- Forge practical, implementable recommendations for policy and legislative reform.
- Produce Uganda’s first Muslim Justice Policy Brief, translating voices from the ground into actionable reform pathways.
Target Audience
- Judiciary
- Policymakers: Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs,
- Parliament of Uganda
- Muslim community leaders: UMSC and Office of the Supreme Mufti, representatives from the various muslim sects in Uganda
- Lawyers: Uganda Law Society, Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association, private practitioners, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Administrator General’s Office, Alternative Dispute Resolution specialists
- Justice consumers: men, women, traders, prisoners, SMEs
- Civil society, human rights actors, development partners
- Academic and research institutions
Conference Format & Panels
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Keynote: Faith, Law, and the Future: Rethinking Justice for a Changing Uganda.
By Hon. Musa Ssekaana, Justice of the Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court/ Chair
Board of A forward-looking address connecting constitutionalism, human rights, and the moral authority
of faith traditions in shaping Uganda’s next chapter of justice delivery.
Global statistics
Include Hiil Justice Needs Reports 2024.
National ADR Policy
Arbitration and mediation are on the rise in the muslim community -
Special Address: The Untapped Power of Qadhi Courts in Dispute Resolution.
By Dr. Umar Oseni, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation Arbitration Centre (OIC-AC)
Panel 1: Qadhi Courts Unwritten: Turning a Constitutional Promise into Practice
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(i) Constitutional history of Qadhi Courts in Uganda
(ii) Informal Qadhi courts and unchecked practices leading to absurd consequences
(iii) Opportunities & challenges of the Qadhi Courts Bill
(iv) Preparedness for the Qadhi Courts in Uganda.
Panelists
- Hon. Asuman Basalirwa, MP Bugiri Municipality
- Dr. Hafiz Walusimbi, Associate Professor, Sharia Studies, Islamic University in Uganda, Co-Founder MAMC(U)
- Dr. Ziyad Lubanga, Director Shariah, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
- Moderator: Zakiia Badr Wanjui, Advocate, Founding partner, Wanjui & Partners Advocates & Secretary General: Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association (UMLAS)
Panel 2: Succession
Topic: Bridging Two Systems of Legacy: What the Succession Act Means for Muslim
Estates
- (i) Muslims and the Succession Act
(ii) Backlog in the Family Division, 2022 amendment, expiry of letters of administration
(iii) Administration of estates under Islamic law
Panelists:
- Hon. Nagawa Celia, Judge of the High Court of Uganda (Family Division)
- Dr. Sowedi Mayanja, Associate Professor and Imam Makerere University.
- Robert Ali Bogere, Senior State Attorney, Office of the Administrator General, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
- H/W Faisal Mulalira, Deputy Registrar, Wakiso High Court
- Moderator: Saniah Namugerwa, Co-Founder, MAMC(U)
Panel 3: Harmonising Sharia and State ADR Frameworks
- (i) National ADR Policy 2024 & Judiciary’s stance
(ii) The role of MAMC(U) in faith-aligned ADR
(iii) Bridge training: Dispute Resolution Continuum – mediation, arbitration, conciliation
(iv) Article 28 of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Constitution
Panelists:
- Barbara Kilei, MCIArb - Country Director, International Development Law Organisation (IDLO).
- Zubedah Namugenyi, MCIArb – CEO, MAMC(U)
- Nominee from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
- Moderator: Mariam N. Iga
Unique Features
- Bilingual Delivery: English & Luganda with simultaneous translation
- Storytelling & Case Studies: Anchoring discussions in human realities
Expected Outcomes
- Uganda’s first Muslim Justice Policy Brief capturing voices from the ground
- Strengthened collaboration between formal courts, faith-based actors, and community structures
- Actionable recommendations for the contents of the Qadhi Courts bill, ADR policies, and estate administration reforms
- Digital and practical solutions to improve equitable access to justice
- A roadmap for advocacy, policy, and legislative reform