Mwanga talking to one of Ssali’s children in front of his father’s house

By Ali Mambule

Residents of Kijjomanyi village in Kalungu sub-county, Masaka district, on Tuesday attacked a man they accused him of practicing witchcraft.

The residents also accused Felix Ssali of killing his enemies just by pointing at them.

“If he pointed at you saying he would ‘light you up’, you would not take two weeks before you are dead,” Kasanje LC2 chairman George William Sembatya said.

Sembatya said Ssali was suspected to have killed about 15 people from the neighbouring villages.

He cited a resident, Annet Namwanje and her brother, saying: “Namwanje was bitten by a snake, which no one else could see. Her brother was knocked dead by a car. Both reportedly had a quarrel with Ssali over a piece of land.”

The officer in charge of Kalungu Police Station, Richard Punguha, said he was nearly killed when he tried to solve the wrangles between Ssali and the residents early this year.

On Tuesday, the residents saw Ssali, who had been expelled from the area, visiting his children.

They attacked his children, Sylvia Nassali and Francis Tamale, and destroyed their property.

The residents also cut down a big tree in which Ssali had allegedly placed witchcraft items.

The officer in charge of Kaliiro Police post, Godfrey Elyebu, said by the time he arrived in the village, the residents had already killed Ssali’s goats and cows.

“They were trying to set Ssali’s house on fire. They left at around 1:00am when they learnt that the Police had arrived,” Elyebu said.

Masaka district Police commander Moses Mwanga blamed Ssali for going back to the village without informing the Police.

“The residents had earlier threatened to lynch him and he knew it.”

“I had warned him against going back to the village,” Mwanga said.