A portion of the Muslim community has strongly opposed the decision, claiming it is unconstitutional, but UMSC confirmed on March 13, 2025, that Mubajje, who is now 70, and his deputy, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, 72, had been granted a five-year extension in office.
Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, Uganda’s Mufti, has requested that TikTok, a social media site where users make and share brief videos with music, be banned.
He claims that many users are abusing the platform by disseminating content that is intended to sow discord among the populace.
On Sunday, March 30, 2025, Sheikh Mubajje spoke at Idd-ul-Fitr prayers at the Old Kampala mosque. He said Tik Tok is a pointless platform for content seekers, idlers, and people who are witch-hunting others for various reasons, and it can incite violence at any time.
“TikTok has grown problematic, and I believe that violence will eventually break out on the platform. The Ugandan government shut down Facebook when it was available, but in my opinion, TikTok is worse than Facebook. According to Sheikh Mubajje, TikTok is not being regulated.
“I, for one, was recently in a country where TikTok is nonexistent,” he continued. Then I thought, “Oh, this is good,” since TikTok is for people who are idle, content seekers, or simply lack the ability to express themselves. Therefore, I would ask that the government investigate this. TikTok isn’t useful.
5.5 million Ugandans use TikTok, according to the Uganda Communication Commission’s (UCC) Annual Communications Sector Report 2023.
The platform is being used by the wrong people, including Muslim sheikhs, to mislead, disorganize, and sow discord among the Muslim community, Sheikh Mubajje stressed.
Since TikTok is pointless, I would be appreciative if it were banned. Even the Sheikhs who use it are deceiving people; in addition to mistreating others, they also introduce trivial matters that sow discord among Muslims, Sheikh Mubajje stated.
The recent contentious five-year extension of Sheik Mubajje’s term as Mufti caused a legal and religious dispute with the Muslim faithful, who do not trust him as their leader.
While some social media users rushed to the courts to try to stop the new tenure, others used TikTok to denounce and criticize Sheikh Mubajje.
As of December 2024, there were rumors that Sheikh Mubajje’s term would come to an end on March 12, 2025, when he would reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 years, as stipulated by the constitution of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).
A portion of the Muslim community has strongly opposed the decision, claiming it is unconstitutional, but on March 13, 2025, UMSC confirmed that Mubajje, who is now 70, and his deputy, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, 72, had been granted a five-year extension in office.
State Minister for National Guidance Mr. Godfrey Kabyanga Baluku responded to questions about social media regulation in Uganda by saying, “I think the law is very clear now.” The Computer Misuse Act is in place in case someone misuses a computer. Simply click the link, locate the individual, and bring them before the court.
He disclosed that a large number of people are currently being charged with computer abuse, whether via TikTok or another social media site.
“The rule is in place already. Mr. Kabyanga continued, “We are regulating in the form of a law that can be used to discipline anybody who misuses the computer.”
He did, however, stress that the Mufti can raise a specific case if he has one, and the government will assess the extent of the abuse before taking appropriate action.