Business magnate Hassan Basajjabalaba’s bid for a seat on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee, (Entrepreneurs league) has come under sharp criticism and stirred political undercurrents.
The businessman, best known for his vast investments in the hides-and-skins industry and real estate, declared his candidacy for one of the influential CEC positions last month.
However, his campaign has met vocal resistance from rival NRM factions, some of whom question both his political loyalty and the ethics of his business record.
Despite facing stiff competition from other opponents, Bassajjabala has recently come under sharp criticism from a section of leaders of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
On Friday August 8th 2025, during the Juma prayers at the Gaddafi National Mosque in Old Kampala, the group warned members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Entrepreneurs League not to vote for Basajjabalaba in the upcoming Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections.
They told worshippers that Basajjabalaba was “untrustworthy in both religion and business” an unusual attempt to influence politics from the pulpit.
In their submission, UMSC want NRM Delegates not to entrust Basajjabalaba with the CEC position fearing that he will use the position to carry out his dubious activities to the detriment of NRM and the country at large, a claim he that has not been justified.
In 2013, Basajjabalaba was arrested after being accused of tax evasion scandals including one that saw him being remanded to Luzira Prison on the directive of the Directorate of Public Prose.
The taxes in question amounted to 20billion Ug Shillings not paying taxes arising out of the 142 Billion Shillings they had received from the government as compensation to Hassan’s companies under HABA Group Ltd over City markets for the botched contract taking over Kampala markets.
When he was arrested and presented to the Anti-Corruption Court, he was charged with three counts pertaining to the offence committed between 2010 and 2011 including conspiracy to defeat tax laws, forgery of a judicial document and uttering the same document.
The judgment was purportedly entered into by Haba, as a plaintiff, and the Attorney General as the defendant, agreeing that the latter’s payments to the former of Shs 142bn would not be subject to any levies, whereas the award was subject to tax laws.
However the case had dragged for long, DPP later dropped the charges after several legal battles against Bassajjabala.
Bassajabala has reportedly questioned the intention of the mosque to campaign against his CEC race describing it as politically motivated.
While speaking to NRM members at his Western Campus in Ishaka, Bushenyi District, over the weekend, Basajjabalaba directly accused UMSC leaders of hypocrisy and dragging mosques into dirty politics.
Three people including King Caesar Mulenga, Sanjay Tanna and Bassajjabala are battling for the position of NRM Entrepreneurs CEC seat.
