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- Dec 16, 2025
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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has sponsored 150 Muslim pilgrims for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, under a fully funded State House arrangement conducted in partnership with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
📸: Image Courtesy of UBC TV.
According to the President’s press team, the pilgrims will travel in two groups between May 8 and May 12, 2026. The first batch of 90 pilgrims was flagged off at the Office of the Prime Minister Conference Hall in Kampala by Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Mobilisation, Moses Byaruhanga.
Byaruhanga said the sponsorship demonstrates Museveni’s commitment to supporting religious communities and promoting inclusivity across the country. He added that State House worked together with the UMSC to ensure transparency in the selection of beneficiaries from different regions.
“We gave a chance to Muslim leaders in each region to select eligible pilgrims, and the programme has been transparent,” Byaruhanga said. He also warned beneficiaries against paying money to anyone claiming to facilitate their pilgrimage, stressing that the trip is fully funded by the President.
Officials said the number of sponsored pilgrims was increased from the usual 100 to 150 this year. Byaruhanga noted that each Hajj trip costs about Shs21 million on average, bringing the total government expenditure to more than Shs3 billion.
The delegation will be led by Faruk Kirunda, the Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilisation and Deputy Presidential Press Secretary. Kirunda urged the pilgrims to observe discipline and respect Saudi Arabian laws during their stay.
During the flag-off event, Byaruhanga also spoke about government efforts to support Muslim communities economically through Islamic banking and interest-free SACCO funding for Muslim leaders, including Imams across the country.
Source: Daily Monitor UG
According to the President’s press team, the pilgrims will travel in two groups between May 8 and May 12, 2026. The first batch of 90 pilgrims was flagged off at the Office of the Prime Minister Conference Hall in Kampala by Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Mobilisation, Moses Byaruhanga.
Byaruhanga said the sponsorship demonstrates Museveni’s commitment to supporting religious communities and promoting inclusivity across the country. He added that State House worked together with the UMSC to ensure transparency in the selection of beneficiaries from different regions.
“We gave a chance to Muslim leaders in each region to select eligible pilgrims, and the programme has been transparent,” Byaruhanga said. He also warned beneficiaries against paying money to anyone claiming to facilitate their pilgrimage, stressing that the trip is fully funded by the President.
Officials said the number of sponsored pilgrims was increased from the usual 100 to 150 this year. Byaruhanga noted that each Hajj trip costs about Shs21 million on average, bringing the total government expenditure to more than Shs3 billion.
The delegation will be led by Faruk Kirunda, the Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilisation and Deputy Presidential Press Secretary. Kirunda urged the pilgrims to observe discipline and respect Saudi Arabian laws during their stay.
During the flag-off event, Byaruhanga also spoke about government efforts to support Muslim communities economically through Islamic banking and interest-free SACCO funding for Muslim leaders, including Imams across the country.
Source: Daily Monitor UG
