Last month, I posted twice on this gruesome ritual killing case in Uganda, see my posts of February 17 and February 12. The brutal murder of the victim, Joan Faith Apio, a five-year-old pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School, shocked Soroti City. Read the following report. (webmaster FVDK)
Protesters Set Soroti School on Fire Over Delayed Justice in Pupil’s Murder
In February, Faith Apio, 5, was found in a pool of blood at the school just three days into her enrollment.
Angry residents in Soroti City set Jozan Nursery and Primary School ablaze on Thursday, protesting the delayed justice in the murder of five-year-old Joan Faith Apio.
The violent unrest followed a court decision to adjourn the high-profile case to March 20, 2025, sparking outrage among community members who accused authorities of frustrating the legal process.
Apio’s body was found on February 5 in a pit latrine at the school, her throat slit in what many suspect was a ritual killing.
The gruesome discovery shocked the community, leading to calls for swift action.
However, tensions flared when Grade One Magistrate Kibirige Apollo Kasuja adjourned the case during a virtual session, with the suspects—including school administrators, cooks, and two juveniles—appearing in court via video link.
Believing the delay was a ploy to deny justice, an irate crowd stormed the school, setting fire to the administration block, dormitories, and food store.
The mob also tore down the school’s fence, looted property, and vandalized offices.
Security forces fired live bullets into the air and used tear gas to disperse the protesters, but firefighters struggled to contain the flames as resistance continued.
Thick smoke billowed over the city, and panicked residents fled as the chaos escalated.
“We are tired of waiting. A five-year-old was murdered in cold blood, and now they are playing games with justice,” one protester shouted.
Authorities have yet to issue a statement on the situation, but local leaders condemned the violence, urging patience as investigations proceed.
Despite the destruction, protesters remain adamant that they will keep pressing for justice until Apio’s killers are held accountable.
The unrest in Soroti comes at a time of heightened tensions across Uganda, with similar concerns about justice and security playing out in the upcoming Kawempe North by-election.
Opposition leaders have accused security forces of intimidation and violence, raising fears about the broader political climate as the country moves toward the 2026 general elections.
As announced in my previous post covering this tragic murder – now beyond doubt a ritual murder – dated February 12, Uganda: Wife of school director arrested over suspected ritual sacrifice in pupil’s murder, more news on the last moments of the victim, Joan Faith Apio, a five-year-old pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School, whose brutal murder has left Soroti City in shock.
When will it end? Will there ever be a day that ritualistic killings will have ceased to occur?
As the article below describes, outside the cathedral, emotions ran high as thousands of mourners stood in sorrow and solidarity, demanding justice. The pictures tell all. (FVDK)
Emotions Run High As Thousands Bury Ritual Murder Victim Apio in Soroti
Joan Apio had only attended the school for two days when she was brutally murdered
Published: February 16, 2025 By: Eddy Enuru – Nile Post, Uganda
On Sunday, February 16, mourners gathered at St. Immaculate Catholic Parish to pay their last respects. Rev. Fr. Michael Omaria offered condolences to Apio’s grieving family, urging them to seek solace in faith.
Tension ran high at the requiem mass for Joan Faith Apio, a five-year-old pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School, whose brutal murder has left Soroti City in shock.
Her lifeless body was discovered locked inside a staff pit latrine on February 5, sending waves of grief and fear through the community.
The tragic incident has raised urgent concerns over the safety of children in private schools.
On Sunday, February 16, mourners gathered at St. Immaculate Catholic Parish to pay their last respects. Rev. Fr. Michael Omaria offered condolences to Apio’s grieving family, urging them to seek solace in faith.
He strongly condemned the ritualistic nature of the crime, calling it abhorrent.
Outside the cathedral, emotions ran high as thousands of mourners stood in sorrow and solidarity, demanding justice.
As public pressure mounted, police intensified their investigations, leading to multiple arrests. Soroti Resident City Commissioner Peter Pex Paak addressed mourners, confirming that several suspects had confessed and would soon face trial.
“Joan’s murder was like a movie. It was carefully planned, and several people played a role in killing her,” Paak stated.
According to investigators, the murder was premeditated and involved at least seven individuals.
Apio and her twin sister, Achen, had only recently joined Jozan Nursery and Primary School after their mother, Evelyn Akol, was reportedly manipulated into enrolling them.
On February 3, Akol unknowingly left her daughters in the hands of those who would later be implicated in the crime.
Two days later, Apio was lured into the staff latrine at around noon, where she was murdered.
Authorities believe one accomplice waited inside the latrine while another led the child in. A third suspect allegedly washed away the evidence immediately after the crime.
Apio’s blood was reportedly collected, wrapped in black plastic, and handed to an unidentified individual who fled the scene.
“We are now hunting for the person who received the blood from behind the school fence and escaped with it,” Paak added.
Police confirmed that all primary suspects were in custody and had provided statements detailing their roles. Meanwhile, authorities are actively pursuing the individual who took the blood.
Investigations also suggest that the director of another school in Soroti played a role in persuading Akol to enroll her daughters at Jozan.
East Kyoga Regional Police Commander Damalie Nakyuha confirmed the arrests of five individuals, including Joseph Okedi, the director of Jozan Nursery and Primary School, his wife, Suzan Vivian Okedi, and head teacher David Kadimba.
She assured the public that more arrests were expected as the probe continued.
Joan Faith Apio, born on December 17, 2019, was laid to rest on February 17, 2025, at her family home in Ateuso, Kapelebyong District.
As the city mourns, the demand for justice grows louder, with parents and authorities calling for greater oversight to protect children from similar tragedies.
Warning: the following post may upset readers as it contains graphic details of a heinous crime (FVDK)
Strictly speaking we are dealing here with a suspected case of ritual murder. In judicial terms, the violent death of the 5-year old girl, Joan Faith Apio, may be labelled murder – not a ritual sacrifice. The reason why I present the case here nonetheless, is that (quote) “The tragedy has reignited public debate on the rising cases of ritual sacrifices in Uganda, with activists calling for tougher measures against individuals involved in such heinous crimes.” (unquote)
The incident occurred in Soroti, in the Eastern Kyoga Region.
Unfortunately, murder for ritualistic proposes and child sacrifice are no unknown crimes in Uganda. In the past I have reported numerous cases of real and suspected cases of ritual murder or ritual sacrifice. (See previous posts using the dropdown menu under ‘African countries’.) Wikipedia even offers a special page on the phenomenon of child sacrifice in Uganda.
As more news emerges on this particular case I will keep you informed. (webmaster FVDK)
Wife of school director arrested over suspected ritual sacrifice
Published: February 1, 2025 By: Eddy Enuru – Nile Post
Police are investigating suspected ritual sacrifice after a 5-year-old nursery pupil was brutally murdered
Police in Soroti have arrested Suzan Vivian Okedi, the wife of the director of Jozan Nursery and Primary School, as part of an ongoing investigation into the suspected ritual killing of 5-year-old Joan Faith Apio.
East Kyoga Region Police Commander (RPC) Damalie Nachuha confirmed the arrest on Monday, February 10.
Ms Okedi was taken into custody alongside her brother, who was apprehended at the school premises.
Their arrest brings the total number of suspects in police custody to five.
Jozan Nursery and Primary School, which has since been closed and sealed off by Police, became the centre of investigations following Apio’s gruesome murder last week.
Authorities believe key evidence related to the incident may be found within the school.
RPC Nachuha assured the public that Police are diligently gathering more evidence to ensure that justice is served. She urged patience as investigations continue.
“This is a sensitive case, and we are working closely with forensic experts to uncover the truth. The public should remain calm as we handle this matter with the seriousness it deserves,” Nachuha stated.
Apio, a twin, had only spent three days at the school’s boarding section before she was found dead under horrifying circumstances.
Her throat had been removed, and her lifeless body was discovered locked inside the staff pit-latrine. The gruesome discovery was made by the school matron, Ms Osula Adong, who described the scene with deep distress.
The incident has sent shockwaves across Soroti and beyond, with parents and community members demanding justice for the young girl.
Many have also raised concerns about the safety of children in boarding schools, calling for increased security and stricter regulations.
As investigations continue, the police have vowed to leave no stone unturned in establishing the motive behind Apio’s killing and identifying all those responsible.
Meanwhile, parents whose children were enrolled at Jozan Nursery and Primary School are in distress, with some calling for permanent closure of the institution.
The tragedy has reignited public debate on the rising cases of ritual sacrifices in Uganda, with activists calling for tougher measures against individuals involved in such heinous crimes. (bold letter type and italics aded by the Webmaster FVDK)
Police intensify search at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in Apio murder case
Published: February 12, 2025 By: Eddy Enuru – Nile Post
The arrest of Suzan Vivian Okedi, wife of the director of Jozan Nursery and Primary School, has intensified investigations into the gruesome murder of 5-year-old Joan Faith Apio.
Apio, a Primary One pupil, was found dead in horrifying circumstances, her body discovered locked inside a staff latrine with her throat slit.
The shocking incident has sent shockwaves through the Soroti community, prompting calls for justice and enhanced safety measures for children in boarding schools.
A team of Scene of Crime officers and senior investigators from the East Kyoga Regional Police, led by Regional Police Commander Damalie Nachuha, continues to gather evidence.
“Police have once again revisited Jozan Nursery and Primary School to search for physical evidence that could shed light on this disturbing incident. The school has been closed and sealed off as investigations continue,” Nachuha stated.
As the probe unfolds, police have arrested four other suspects, including the school director, Joseph Okedi, school matron Osula Adong, a head teacher, and a relative of Okedi.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to thoroughly investigating the case while ensuring public safety.
The incident has sparked widespread concern among parents and community members over the security of children in educational institutions, particularly in boarding schools.
Many have called for stricter regulations to protect children from potential harm.
Beyond the immediate tragedy, the school’s closure has also raised economic concerns.
Local business owners who supplied food and other materials to the institution worry about potential financial losses due to uncollected payments.
Public outrage over Apio’s murder has also reignited discussions on ritual sacrifices in Uganda, with many demanding stricter laws and stronger enforcement against such crimes. (bold letter type and italics added by the webmaster FVDK).
As investigations progress, the community remains in mourning, and police continue working to ensure justice for Apio and her grieving family.
Grief, Outrage as Family of Murdered Twin Seeks Justice for Joan Apio Faith
Published: February 12, 2025 By: Eddy Enuru – Nile Post
The family of five-year-old Joan Apio Faith is engulfed in profound sorrow following her brutal murder at Jozan Nursery and Primary School.
Their home in Malinga Cell, Nakatunya Ward, Soroti City West, is filled with mourners, yet their hope for justice remains dim.
They are now focused on arranging a befitting burial at their ancestral home in Otela Ikiliok, Akoromit, Kapelebyong District.
Apio’s twin sister, Achen Angela Faith, is deeply traumatized and now fears returning to school.
Through tears, she recounted their last moments together in the dormitory before an unidentified man took Apio towards the latrine.
Later, she saw a man and a woman carrying Apio’s lifeless body into a car before it was transported to the hospital.
Margaret Akol, one of Apio’s grandmothers, expressed profound sorrow, recalling how she had lived with the twins in Gulu before they went to school.
Sobbing, she demanded, “We want total justice for our little Apio.”
Apio’s other grandmother, Agayo Mary Among, tearfully recounted how the family was initially informed that the child was sick and receiving treatment in the hospital’s outpatient department.
However, upon arrival, they were met with the devastating reality—Apio’s lifeless body locked in the mortuary.
Apio’s mother, Evelyn Akol, broke down as she recalled the moment she found her daughter dead.
“I first reported with my children on February 3rd and paid three-quarters of the school fees. The bursar assured me of their safety. On Tuesday morning, I spoke to the matron, and she assured me the children were fine. On Wednesday at 6:50 PM, while at work, I received a call from the bursar saying one twin daughter is sick and has been admitted at the hospital. I immediately jumped on a boda-boda because my children had never been in such a situation. I thought she was receiving a blood transfusion. We rushed from Katakwi to the hospital, arriving in less than an hour. I moved around the hospital like a mad person, ward to ward, I wasn’t seeing my child. I heard some people talking about mortuary, mortuary… I had to rush there only to find the mortuary locked but through the glass, I saw my daughter lying lifeless on the school uniform on the mortuary bed,” Akol narrated before collapsing in grief.
Apio’s aunt, Mary Among, is now demanding that authorities demolish the latrine where the murder reportedly occurred and conduct a thorough investigation into what might be hidden beneath it.
As part of an ongoing investigation into the suspected ritual killing, police have arrested five suspects in connection with the murder.
Among those arrested is Suzan Vivian Okedi, the wife of the director of Jozan Nursery and Primary School. East Kyoga Regional Police Commander (RPC) Damalie Nachuha confirmed the arrest on Monday, February 10.
Okedi was taken into custody alongside her brother, who was apprehended on the school premises.
The others in custody are the school director Joseph Kedi, school headteacher David Kadimba, deputy headteacher, and the matron.
Joan Apio Faith was born on December 17, 2019, and was tragically killed on February 5, 2025. Her grieving family now clings to prayers, hoping that justice will be served for their little girl. The deceased body is still lying at the hospital mortuary, according to the family.
I was triggered and started searching the internet for the Crime Report after reading a recent article in the Monitor, an Ugandan online newspaper, entitled: The grim badge of human sacrifice. Unfortunately, the access to the article is restricted to subscribers (click here).
Readers interested in the article’s full contents may register and thus obtain access. The article’s beginning is quite revealing and stimulated my interest:
“The discovery of huge number of human skulls in shrines across the country shows how widespread the use of body parts is in ritualistic practices.
The police 2023 crime report show that ritual killings nearly doubled from 46 cases in 2021 to 84 cases in 2023, and increased at around 17 per cent …”
Published: February 21, 2024 By: Mpalangi Ssentongo, Depuy Photo Editor – New Vision, Uganda
The article contains a large number of photos but unfortunately hardly any relevant information.
The Inspector general of the Uganda Police Force, J.M. Okoth-Ochola (Esq), stated in his introductory remarks:
“It is my pleasure to present the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report for 2023 so as to account to the population on how the Uganda Police Force is fulfilling its mandate as stipulated under Article 212 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
In 2023, we note that there was a 1.5% decrease in the number of crimes reported to Police from 231,653 cases reported in 2022 to 228,074 cases. I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to those who were able to lodge their complaints at various stations of the Uganda Police Force in the year 2023. It is these reported complaints that enable us compile Annual Crime Reports.
Relatedly, the force has focused on strengthening discipline and adherence to human rights by introducing disciplinary courts in all districts across the country. The introduction of disciplinary courts marks a significant milestone for the Uganda Police Force. These courts aim at enforcing discipline within the force, ensuring that officers adhere to professional standards and human rights. For instance, out of 933 complaints of human rights violations by the police, 794 were thoroughly investigated.”
It is a very interesting report. I will focus here on the crimes with ritualistic motives. Readers interested in other issues are advised to consult the report.
The population of Uganda by mid-2023 was estimated at 45,562,000 people. The reported number of homicides between 2019 and 2023 varied between 4,718 cases in 2019, 3,912 in 2021 and 4,248 in 2023 (Table 6, p.33).
Table 16 on p.47 gives us more details:
Here I single out two crime categories: murder by mob action (number 2) and ritual murders (number 10).
Paragraph 1.3.4.2 provides more details with respect to murders by mob action (Table 19, p.49). Unfortunately, no details are provided with respect to ritualistic crimes. On p.117 mention is made of ‘Disturbing the peace of the dead’ which may refer to a kind of criminal activities related to witchcraft and ritualistic practices but the report does not provide further details. Appendix I: Crimes by crime analysis, however, gives us some insight in ritualistic murders and the number of persons taken to court (p.130).
So we notice that in 1.8% of the reported cases of mob action witchcraft triggered the action: 18 out of 1,039 cases. Interestingly, more men than women were killed in such ‘jungle justice’ actions: 11 respectively 5. However, it cannot be ruled out that the category ‘Any other’ (Number 6) which represents more than 20% of all reported cases – and took the lives of 228 persons – also includes actions triggered by accusations of witchcraft.
We have seen above (Table 16) that the number of reported murders for ritualistic purposes in the 2021 – 2023 period were 46 (2021), 72 (2022) and 84 (in 2023) which means it nearly doubled between 2021 and 2023.
Appendix I shows that only 11 cases out of the 84 reported cases in 2023 led to the trial of the suspected ritual killers. In all, 18 accused stood trial: 14 men and 4 women. All trials were pending in court at the time of publication of the 2023 crime report.
The Ugandan authorities are to be commended for publishing such a detailed report providing insight in the motives and background of crimes committed in the country. As fas as ritualistic murders are concerned more research and analysis is needed to get a full picture of these outdated and horrific crimes which have no place in a modern society.
The following article is a painful read. It is a horrifying murder, a child sacrifice.
In Kiboga District two witchdoctors have been seized suspected of murdering a 11-year old girl, Oliver Amanda, for ritual purposes. The girl had been missing since June 11. She was found dead, mutilated, with body parts missing.
This is not the first suspected ritualistic murder in the region. Recently, in April, police arrested a witchdoctor, Sulaiman Ssentongo, on suspicion of having murdered for ritual purposes two siblings, two-year old Esther Nakasumba, and five-year Sylvia Nantongo. The headless bodies of the victims were discovered the day after they had disappeared. See my April 25 post on this ritual murder case.
When will it stop? How to stop child sacrifice and other criminal ritualistic acts – in Uganda and elsewhere on the African continent? (FVDK)
Two witchdoctors remanded over Kiboga girl killed in ritual sacrifice
Madina Nakyeyuna (in pink) accompanied by a prison warder as she appeared at the Kiboga Chief Magistrate Court where she was charged with murder alongside her colleague Hamimu Luyombya (not pictured). Photo/ Courtesy
“Perhaps it is time to debate whether there are situations that require the death penalty” – says Miriam Wangadya, chairperson Human Rights Commission Uganda.
The chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Uganda, Miriam Wangadya, is devastated and despairing. The gruesome ritualistic killing of innocent victims often young children is heartbreaking, she says. The mutilated bodies found are disgusting witnesses of a violent death.
She cites a number of well-known recent ritual murder cases including the ritual murder of a four-year old girl in Jinja district in 2021 and the ritualistic murder of two young girls, sisters, by their mother, also in Jinja district in 2023. Statistics release by Uganda National Police indicate that ritualistic sacrifices are on a steady increase from 22 cases in 2019, to 45 in 2020, to 46 in 2021 and 72 in 2022.
The chair of the Human Rights Commission Uganda makes a plea for harsher punishment.
Since Uganda observes a moratorium on the death penalty she suggests to have a national debate whether indeed there are situations which require the death penalty. The law must take its full force, she argues, and murderers who kill innocent and helpless children deserve the capital punishment. Punishment should match the crime. A stern message is to be sent out that murder in al its forms is totally unacceptable and is met with the strongest deterrent, she insists.
But will the capital punishment, ‘an eye for an eye’, really act as a deterrent for the greedy and ruthless criminals who are willing to sacrifice the life of a human being for more money, power, or prestige? (FVDK)
Murderers of innocent children deserve harsher punishment
Due to time constraints I haven’t posted much recently. The ritual murder reported below dates from early April. A witchdoctor killed two childen for ritual purposes in Kiboga District, approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi), by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The headless bodies of the victims were discovered the day after the two children, siblings, got missing.
The police and authorities in Uganda are to be commended for their swift action. The witchdoctor, Sulaiman Ssentongo, and an accomplice, Maureen Namuleme, were arrested. More arrests are not excluded. (FVDK)
Witchdoctor arrested over murder of two siblings in ritual sacrifice
Published: April 9, 2024 By: The Observer, Uganda
The directorate of crime intelligence (DCI) has arrested a witch doctor, Sulaiman Ssentongo, suspected of having killed two children in Kiboga on Wednesday last week for ritual sacrifice.
After committing the crime, Ssentongo reportedly fled to Kireka, Kira Municipality, in Wakiso district. Shock engulfed residents of Kasega parish, Kapeke sub-county, when the siblings; Sylvia Nantongo aged five and Esther Nakasumba aged two mysteriously went missing. Locals launched a search for the siblings on Wednesday night and their headless bodies were discovered the next day.
Upon finding the bodies, police in Kiboga launched investigations using sniffer dogs which ended up at Ssentongo’s shrine. It was later established that Ssentongo aged 32 had fled the area with the help of his accomplice Maureen Namuleme, aged 41.
Kiboga police quickly alerted DCI and the police’s cyber unit which started tracking the duo’s movement using a mobile phone until they were found hiding in Kireka township, one of the busiest suburbs of Kampala.
Detectives have revealed that Ssentongo has confessed that he was given transport money to run to safety after committing the crime by Namuleme – something which he later denied. The duo has been transported back to Kiboga where they allegedly committed the crime. SP Racheal Kawala, Wamala regional police spokesperson, has confirmed Ssentongo and Namuleme’s arrest.
“Our crime intelligence operatives have apprehended two suspects in connection with the double murders that occurred in Kasega parish, Kapeke sub-county, Kiboga district. The suspects have been identified as Sulaiman Ssentongo, 32 years old Namuleme Maureen, 41 years old,” said Kawala.
Ssentongo is a resident of Kirinda village, Kasega parish, Kapeke sub-county, in Kiboga district while Namuleme is a resident of Kisingiri cell, Namiremebe Bakuli ward, Rubaga division, Kampala.
Kawala said Ssentongo was tracked using his mobile phone. She also said that Ssentongo alleges that Namuleme is the person who helped him with money to flee the scene.
“The suspects are currently detained at Kiboga CPS for interrogation, bringing the total number of arrests to three. Preliminary findings suggest that on April 3, 2024, at 10:00 pm, two children, were reported missing. Unfortunately, their torsos were discovered on April 4, 2024, in Kirinda village, Kasega parish, Kapeke sub-county,” Kawala explained.
However, it is not yet clear whether the children were alone at the time they were abducted by the witch doctor or whether there was assistance from a close relative since they went missing in the night hours.
The article presented below, written by the famous Nigerian human rights activist and humanist Dr. Leo Igwe, is a must-read. His manifesto is highly recommended to all readers. It is more than a reflection, it is more than a plea, it is more than a cry – for change or for understanding. As Dr. Igwe writes: “Africans must begin to think freely in order to ‘emancipate themselves from mental slavery’ and generate ideas that can ignite the flame of an African enlightenment.” And Dr. Igwe is not alone, he is not the only one who firmly believes this approach is the only way for Africa and Africans to move forward – as can be concluded from the list of African endorsers and other endorsers from around the world, presented at the end of his article.
Enough words written to recommend a piece that you shouldn’t miss! Enjoy the reading, and … spread the word!
PS Unfortunately, a few links in the original article are broken and/or not working properly (webmaster FVDK).
A Manifesto for a Skeptical Africa
What are the prospects for a more secular Africa, more skeptical Africa, more scientific Africa, i.e., a more humanistic Africa?
For too long, African societies have been identified as superstitious, consisting of people who cannot question, reason or think critically. Dogma and blind faith in superstition, divinity and tradition are said to be the mainstay of popular thought and culture. African science is often equated with witchcraft and the occult; African philosophy with magical thinking, myth-making and mysticism, African religion with stone-age spiritual abracadabra, African medicine with folk therapies often involving pseudoscientific concoctions inspired by magical thinking. Science, critical thinking and technological intelligence are portrayed as Western — as opposed to universal — values, and as alien to Africa and to the African mindset. An African who thinks critically or seeks evidence and demands proofs for extraordinary claims is accused of taking a “white” or Western approach. An African questioning local superstitions and traditions is portrayed as having abandoned or betrayed the essence of African identity. Skepticism and rationalism are regarded as Western, un-African, philosophies. Although there is a risk of overgeneralizing, there are clear indicators that the continent is still socially, politically and culturally trapped by undue credulity.
Many irrational beliefs exist and hold sway across the region. These are beliefs informed by fear and ignorance, misrepresentations of nature and how nature works. These misconceptions are often instrumental in causing many absurd incidents, harmful traditional practices and atrocious acts. For instance, not too long ago, the police in Nigeria arrested a ‘robber’ goat which they said was a thief who suddenly turned to a goat. A Nigerian woman was reported to have given birth to a horse. In Zambia, a local school closed temporarily due to fears of witchcraft. In Uganda, there are claims of demonic attacks in schools across the country. Persecution and murder of alleged witches continue in many parts of the continent. Many Africans still believe that their suffering and misfortune are caused by witchcraft and magic. In Malawi, belief in witchcraft is widespread. Ritual killing and sacrifice of albinos and other persons with disabilities take place in many communities, and are motivated by paranormal belief. Across Africa people still believe in the potency and efficacy of juju and magic charms. Faith-based abuses are perpetrated with impunity. Jihadists, witch-hunters and other militants are killing, maiming and destroying lives and property. Other-worldly visions and dogmatic attitudes about the supernatural continue to corrupt and hamper attempts by Africans to improve their lives. Even with the continent’s ubiquitous religiosity, many African states are to be found at the bottom of the Human Development Index and on the top of the poverty, mortality and morbidity indices.
Recently Africa was polled as the most devout region in the world, and this includes deep devotion to the continent’s various harmful superstitions. Devoutness and underdevelopment, poverty, misery and superstition co-exist and co-relate. It should be said that the dominant religious faiths in the region are faiths alien to the continent. That means African Christians are more devout than Europeans whose missionaries brought Christianity to Africa. African Muslims are more devout than Muslims in the Middle East, whose jihadists and clerics introduced Islam to the region.
Meanwhile, whatever good these foreign belief systems may have brought to or done in Africa can only be unfavorably compared to the damage and darkness they have caused and are still causing in the region. Some paranormal or supernatural claims of the two main religions of Christianity and Islam are part of the factors holding Africans hostage. Most Africans cannot think freely or express their doubts openly because these religions have placed a huge price on freethinking and critical inquiry. Because these belief systems rely on paranormal claims themselves, Africans feel they cannot speak out against superstition as a whole, or they will be ostracized or even killed by religious zealots. Belief in demonic possession, faith healing, and the “restorative” power of holy water can have deadly consequences for believers and whole communities. Africans must reject superstitious indoctrination and dogmatization in public institutions. Africans need to adopt this cultural motto: Dare to think. Dare to doubt. Dare to question everything in spite of what the superstitious around you teach and preach.
Africans must begin to think freely in order to ‘emancipate themselves from mental slavery’ and generate ideas that can ignite the flame of an African enlightenment.
The two dominant religions have fantastic rewards for those who cannot think, the intellectually conforming, unquestioning and obedient, even those who kill or are killed furthering their dogmas. They need to be told that the skeptical goods — the liberating promises of skeptical rationality — are by far more befitting and more beneficent to Africans than imaginary rewards either in the here and now or in the hereafter. Today the African continent has become the new battleground for the forces of a dark age. And we have to dislodge and defeat these forces if Africa is to emerge, grow, develop and flourish. To some people, the African predicament appears hopeless. The continent seems to be condemned, doomed and damned. Africa appears to be in a fix, showing no signs of change, transformation and progress. An African enlightenment sounds like a pipe dream.
But I do not think this is the case — an African Age of Reason can be on the horizon! The fact is that there are many Africans who reason well and think critically. There are Africans who are skeptics and rationalists1. But active African skeptics are too few and far apart to form the critical mass the continent needs to experience a Skeptical Spring. Nonetheless, the momentum is building slowly and steadily. And one can say that an African skeptical awakening is in sight. As it is said: the darkest part of the night precedes the dawn. So there is no need to despair for humanity in Africa. There is every reason to be optimistic and hopeful. After all, Europe went through a very dark period in its history, in fact, a darker and more horrible phase than that which Africa is currently undergoing. Still the European continent survived to experience Enlightenment and modern civilization. Who ever thought that the Arab Spring would happen in our lifetime? So, African enlightenment can happen sooner than we expected. But it will not happen as a miracle. African enlightenment will not fall like manna from heaven. It requires — and will continue to require — hard work, efforts, sacrifice, courage and struggle by Africans and other friends who are committed to the values of enlightenment. In Europe, skeptics spoke out against harmful superstition, and unfounded dogma and caused the dawn of a new awakening. African skeptics need to speak out against the forces of dogma, irrationalism and superstition ravaging the continent. Skeptics need to organize and mobilize — online and offline — to further the cause of reason, science and critical thinking. They need to speak out in the media and to politicians about the harm resulting from undue credulity and challenge and confront the charlatans directly to put up or shut up. Skeptics can no longer afford to keep quiet or remain indifferent in the face of a looming dark age. They need to campaign for a reform of the educational system and encourage the teaching of critical thinking in schools.
Many charlatans operate out there in their communities. They ‘mine’ popular fears and anxieties, exploiting desperate, misinformed folks. We need to expose them and free our people from their bondage. African skeptics cannot remain passive and inactive and expect skeptical rationality to thrive and flourish or expect the forces of dogma and superstition to simply disappear. The situation requires active engagement by committed skeptics. That was how the much-talked-about skeptical tradition in the Western world was established and is sustained.
That is how we are going to build and leave a skeptical legacy for Africa.
This is a call to duty to all African skeptics in Africa and in the diaspora. History has thrust on us this critical responsibility which we must fulfill. Let us therefore marshal our will to doubt, to advance skepticism in the interest of Africa. Let us marshall other intellectual resources and cause this new dawn — this skeptical awakening to happen early in this 21st century.
African skeptics arise.
1 Skeptical and rationalist groups are gaining ground in Africa. Here are a few worth supporting:
African Endorsers George Thindwa, Executive Director, Association for Secular Humanism, Malawi Mandla Ntshakala, Activist, Swaziland Jacques Rousseau, Lecturer, University of Cape Town, South Africa Ebou Sohna, Gambia Secular Assembly, Gambia Graham Knight, Humanist Association of Ghana, Accra Ghana Olajide Akeredolu MD, Lagos, Nigeria Jes Petersen, Director, Springboard Humanism, Botswana Wilfred Makayi, Humanist Activist, Zambia James Ibor, Attorney, Basic Rights Counsel, Calabar, Nigeria Robert Bwambale, Founder & Executive Director, Kasese United Humanist Association, Uganda Kato Mukasa, HALEA, Kampala, Uganda
Other Endorsers from Around The World
James Randi, Founder, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA Michael Shermer, Executive Director, Skeptics Society, USA Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, USA D.J. Grothe, President, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA Paul Kurtz, Founder, Institute for Science and Human Values, USA Toni Van Pelt, Policy Director, Institute for Science and Human Values Hemant Mehta, Blogger, Friendly Atheist Susan Sackett, Writer and Vice President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, USA Sonja Eggerickx President, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Belgium Josh Kutchinsky, founder and co-moderator Hummay, International Humanists Support egroup Ophelia Benson, Author and Blogger, USA Guy P. Harrison, Writer, USA Ike Francis, Human Rights Activist, USA Lorann Sims-Nsimba, Africa Awake Freethought Alliance, USA Matt Cherry, International Representative, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) Bob Churchill – International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), UK Norm Allen, International Outreach Director, Institute for Science and Human Values, USA Dr Bill Cooke, Director of International Programs for the Center for Inquiry, USA Canberra Skeptics Inc, Australia Australian Skeptics (Victorian Branch) John Perkins, The Secular Party of Australia
Human sacrifice is a widespread phenomenon in Uganda while some specific regions are notoriously known for their ritualistic killings. Yesterday, November 5, I posted an article on the sentencing of a man from Mayunge District who had killed his son for personal gain in 2017, and the day before, on November 4, I posted an article on a mother in the Kiira region who had killed two of her children, also for ritual purposes. These are not isolated cases as the following demonstrates.
Two witchdoctors in the Kamuli District were arrested earlier this year, suspected of a ritual child sacrifice while in Luwero District on January 7 an 8-year boy was kidnapped from his family’s courtyard and found back without head, fingers and toes. In November 2022 two men from Kayunga District were found guilty of child sacrifice committed in 2009. Within Uganda the Kayunga District has earned the dubious reputation of being one of the most notorious killing places.
Kayunga District shares this reputation with the Kiira region (Wakisi District, Central Region). The most recent ritual murder case in this region is the one reported above but also in August 2022 a man and his wife in Jinja District were arrested for killing their child in a ritual practice. In May 2021 police in Kayunga District had to protect a man from a mob threatening to kill him after he had allegedly killed two of his children for rituals purposes.
In July 2022 a spike was reported in human sacrifices. I’m afraid that the child sacrifice and other ritual murder cases mentioned in this report (see my July 11 posting) and the above mentioned murders are just the tip of the iceberg. After all, it is only logical to assume that not all ritual killing cases are being discovered or reported. An unknown number of children or elderly people, victims of ritualistic practices, may have disappeared without leaving traces.
Since 2021 convicted ritual murderers in Uganda may face the death penalty. In May parliament enacted the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill, 2020, which includes the capital punishment or life imprisonment for any person found guilty of human sacrifice. The bill inspired me to some reflections – see my May 7 posting.
Since the enactment of the bill a number of convicted ritual murderers have been sentenced to heavy sentences and many years in prison, but the ugly phenomenon has not been eradicated. It’s a sad reality.
Law enforcement officers as well as the High Court Judge are to be commended for the bringing to justice of a father who brutally killed his own son believing that would bring him wealth. Greed and superstition were the ingredients for a repulsive act. Hopefully the 52-year prison sentence for the convicted murderer will act as a deterrent for others who might be tempted to engage in this practice of child sacrifice for personal gains.
Warning: the following article contains graphic details of a cruel crime which may upset some readers (webmaster FVDK).
Father jailed 52 years for son’s ritual sacrifice, witch doctor set free
The accused persons arrive at court. COURTESY PHOTO/URN
Published: November 1, 2023 By: Michael Wandati – DISPATCH, Uganda’s News Monthly
Iganga, Uganda | In a significant legal ruling, High Court Judge, Justice David Batema, has handed down a verdict resulting in a 52-year prison sentence for Hassan Kafudde, a father convicted of the murder of his son in a ritual sacrifice. The case also involved lengthy sentences for one accomplice, while the witch doctor implicated in the case, who had spent six years in remand, was released.
The proceedings unfolded within the High Court of Uganda Circuit located in Iganga. The prosecution’s case contended that Kafudde sacrificed his son in a ritual murder with the belief that it would bring him wealth.
According to the prosecution’s account, on the 6th of June 2017, the convicted individuals, situated in Musita village within the Mayuge District, gruesomely beheaded and mutilated a child known as MJ in a ritualistic act.
Earlier in the legal proceedings, one of the accused, Issa Muyita, entered a guilty plea, reached a plea bargain agreement, and offered to testify as a prosecution witness. Consequently, he received a 25-year prison sentence. The trial continued against Kafudde and Kabaale Mubaraka, both of whom pleaded not guilty.
During the trial, Muyita confessed that he had accompanied Kafudde from Musita trading center to a sugarcane plantation, where Kafudde presented his son MJ. The child was tragically murdered in the sugarcane plantation near a stream. Kafudde collected the child’s blood in a polythene bag and transported the severed body parts in a bag. Additionally, he dug a shallow grave to bury the decapitated remains of the sacrificed child.
As a result, Kafudde was found guilty of the ritual murder of the child MJ and convicted as charged. It was subsequently established in court that Mubaraka did not actively participate in the commission of the offense.
However, the court determined that Mubaraka, identified as a witch doctor with shrines in Musita village, had been informed of the criminal act by Hassan Kafudde. Mubaraka subsequently went into hiding after the incident and was subsequently found guilty of being an accessory to the murder, as per section 394 of the Penal Code Act.
At the conclusion of the trial, Justice Batema, presiding over the High Court of Uganda Circuit in Iganga, convicted and sentenced the accomplices, Muyita, Kafudde, and Mubaraka, on the charge of trafficking in persons, in violation of section 4(a) and 5(c) of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act. Hassan Kafudde was sentenced to 52 years in prison, while Mubaraka received a 3-year prison term.
In his judgment, Justice Batema strongly denounced the heinous practice of ritual child sacrifice, the dismemberment of children, and the illegal trade in body parts, emphasizing the gravity of such offenses.
Justice Batema justified the lengthy custodial sentence for Kafudde by pointing to his lack of remorse throughout the court proceedings and his failure to demonstrate regret for the crime. Accordingly, Kafudde was sentenced to spend 52 years in Kirinya prisons, which includes the six years spent in pretrial detention.
The judge found Kabaale Mubaraka guilty of being an accessory to the crime but observed hesitancy on his part to report the incident to the police. Consequently, Mubaraka was sentenced to three years in prison, but given his prior six-year remand period, he was ordered to be immediately released.
Jacqueline Okui, the spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), commended the court for its landmark judgment, asserting that it will serve as a deterrent to individuals involved in such criminal acts.
Okui further challenged parents to take a proactive role in safeguarding their children’s well-being, emphasizing that engaging in child rights abuses such as ritual murders, whether directly or indirectly, would result in significant custodial sentences.
The investigation of this case was led by Aliwali Kizito, Chief State Attorney, with the prosecution being conducted by Racheal Bikhole, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Division, along with Nyanzi Gladys, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Biira Peace, Chief State Attorney, and Arap Malinga, a Senior State Attorney within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
