The Uganda Muslim Lawyers’ Association (UMLAS) has condemned the release and circulation of a video in which one of the convicts in the Susan Magara kidnap and murder case linked the crimes to Islamic teachings.
In a statement signed by UMLAS president Rashid Ssemambo, the association questioned why the recording was released after the court had delivered its judgment and subsequently circulated on social media.
“We wish to express our displeasure and condemn in the strongest terms the manner in which such a video recording was released post-judgement, and circulated on social media platforms, yet the convicts had undergone due process before a court of law,” Ssemambo said.
The High court on August 3, 2026, convicted nine people over the 2018 kidnap and murder of Magara. A video subsequently circulated on platforms including X, TikTok and WhatsApp, showing one of the convicts, Hajarah Nakandi, appearing to confess and alleging that the crimes were motivated by teachings of the Quran.
Nakandi reportedly claimed that the Quran permits kidnapping people for ransom and killing them if the ransom is not paid within the required time. UMLAS rejected the claims, saying the statements in the video do not represent Islamic teachings.
“The convicts’ statements in the video recording are not founded in Islamic teachings nor are they to be found anywhere in the Holy Quran,” Ssemambo said.
The association said the video risked creating a false impression that Islam condones murder and kidnapping for ransom, which it warned could fuel Islamophobia.
UMLAS has called on security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recording, including how and why it was made and subsequently released.
“We appeal to all the security agencies in Uganda to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this occurrence to understand its objectives and the agenda it seeks to promote,” Ssemambo said.
The association’s position comes amid similar condemnation from other Muslim leaders, including Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, Deputy Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, Deputy Director of Sharia Sheikh Ssalim Bbosa and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council national chairperson Prof Muhammad Lubega.
The Muslim leaders have rejected attempts to associate the alleged actions of the convicts with Islam, stressing that murder and kidnapping are not sanctioned by Islamic teachings.
UMLAS also warned that allowing what it described as false and dangerous narratives to go unchecked could fuel hatred and undermine peaceful coexistence among Ugandans of different faiths.
