Uganda's Supreme Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Muhammad Galabuzi, has distributed Zakat funds to vulnerable members of the Muslim community to support economic empowerment and self-reliance through the Zakat Department at his office. The distribution provided beneficiaries with motorcycles for boda-boda transport businesses, sewing machines for tailoring, welding machines for metal fabrication and cash to establish or expand small enterprises.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Galabuzi said the initiative reflected Islam's emphasis on work and self-sufficiency rather than dependency. "Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Its purpose is not to make people remain dependent but to uplift them from poverty to self-sufficiency. Today, we are not just giving charity. We are giving our brothers and sisters the means to work, earn, and live with dignity," he said. He added that Zakat should create opportunities for beneficiaries to eventually become Zakat contributors themselves, describing the equipment as sources of daily income and hope to start businesses.
The Zakat Department identified and vetted beneficiaries based on their needs, vulnerability and readiness to use support productively, according to officials. This year's distribution targeted young people, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups willing to engage in productive work but lacking tools or capital. Beneficiaries underwent orientation in entrepreneurship, savings and Islamic business ethics to prepare them to manage their enterprises. The department established a monitoring mechanism to track how equipment and funds were used and provide business management guidance.
One beneficiary who received a sewing machine said she had tailoring skills but lacked equipment to practise her trade, and the machine would enable her to establish a workshop and support her family. Another said the motorcycle would help him earn income and pay school fees for his children, while a young man who received a welding machine planned to establish a small metal fabrication workshop in his village.
Galabuzi called on Muslims in Uganda and the diaspora to fulfil their Zakat obligations through recognised and accountable institutions to ensure contributions reach eligible beneficiaries. He also urged development partners to work with his office to expand programmes and reach more communities across the country. The Office of the Supreme Mufti has supported orphans, widows, older people and other vulnerable groups with education, healthcare and livelihood assistance through its Zakat and social services departments.
For vulnerable entrepreneurs in Uganda, this initiative provides access to productive equipment and business capital that would otherwise be unavailable, enabling them to generate income and reduce dependence on poverty relief.