The main campus of the university is in Mbale, about 222 kilometres (138 mi) north-east of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.

The main objective of the university is to serve the higher education needs of the English-speaking Muslim community in Southern and Eastern Africa.

The first West African student to be admitted to the university was Mr. Abdul Ishaq Hussein from Ghana between 1989 and 1990.

He was later followed by Mr. Ahmed Gedel, also from Ghana and four other Nigerians including Imam Rufai, Ismail, Dr. Uba Inuwa and Dr. Taufik.

There were students from Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, South Africa, Djibouti and Eritrea as of July 1998.