MBALE — The Rector of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Professor Ismail Simba Gyagenda, has strongly warned community leaders and beneficiaries against selling meat donated for Eid al-Adha celebrations, urging them instead to prioritize the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
The Rector’s message was delivered by a university official during the annual Eid animal slaughter and meat distribution exercise at the university’s main campus in Mbale. The event drew diplomatic representatives, local administrators, and staff members from various countries including Turkey, Nigeria, Syria, Tanzania, and Sudan.
”A kilo of meat now costs Shs 20,000, but do not sell this meat. The meat must be given directly to the intended beneficiaries,” Prof. Gyagenda warned, emphasizing that transparency must be maintained. “Tell the people the truth. If you are given 30 kilos, distribute them transparently and only take the share that you are legally entitled to have.”
The university management confirmed that to ensure strict compliance and prevent diversion, this year’s distribution exercise would be conducted directly through local neighborhood mosques.
Call for Responsible Parenting
Beyond the charity drive, Prof. Gyagenda expressed deep concern over what he described as a breakdown in parental guidance, warning that a failure to nurture the next generation could leave leadership spaces empty in the future.
”The word is parenting,” the Rector emphasized. “We do not want this field to be empty in the future. When you come for prayers, carry your children, guide them, and show them the straight path. Tell them that performing prayer is an obligation, not a luxury.”
He challenged parents to establish clear generational targets, encouraging them to push their children to attain higher academic thresholds than they themselves reached.
”If you have an O-Level certificate, your son should be able to get a degree. If you have one degree, tell them they have the potential to have two or three. That is how we ensure a generation that does not die out,” he noted.
Defending the Value of Education
In a sharp critique directed at public leaders who undermine formal education, the Rector noted that the country continues to face public embarrassments caused by uneducated individuals appointed to high offices.
”You have heard people swearing in, mentioning things they do not even know. That is the pain you go through when you undermine education. By the time they tell you that you are a cancer, you regret because you are just tossing around words and getting embarrassed,” he remarked.
He noted that while Muslims historically struggled to find spaces in national leadership when IUIU was founded in 1988, the university’s consistent educational output has successfully shifted the numbers, placing a highly qualified majority into key decision-making roles today.
The event concluded with an appeal to heads of households to maintain a “unity of command” and train children to respect their elders. The Rector also announced that IUIU has established specialized programs at the campus designed to teach the Quran to young children who have not yet entered formal schooling system.