Native doctors take over Kony hill
Sep 22, 2011
Traditional healers from Uganda and Kenya have begun paying homage to Awere hills, where the fugitive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader, Joseph Kony, had a shrine.
BY CHRIS OCOWUN
Traditional healers from Uganda and Kenya have begun paying homage to Awere hills, where the fugitive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader, Joseph Kony, had a shrine.
Northern Uganda Bishop Johnson Gakumba made the disclosure as he climbed the isolated hills on Sunday.
Gakumba also baptised four children whom he found playing on the hills.
He had gone to Odek sub-county to supervise the construction of Awere St. Peter’s Church, which he said, would help transform the area spiritually.
Gakumba said he was told that many traditional healers were paying homage to the hills to get powers from the “big snakes and spiritual water†which Kony used to sprinkle on his forces.
“I am told a witch doctor came all the way from Kenya to the hills, saying he wanted to get powers from the big snakes that Kony used to get his powers from. When I reached the top of the hill, I saw no sign of the powers that people talk about,†Gakumba said on Monday.
He said he cleansed the hills and diffused the evil spirits.
Gakumba said he saw nothing on the hills apart from grass, flowers and water gathered in several spots. He said the hills are surrounded by gardens of simsim, cabbages, maize and beans.
“Christians should pray hard to defeat beliefs that the hills have spiritual powers that Kony used to honour,†Gakumba said.
Traditional healers from Uganda and Kenya have begun paying homage to Awere hills, where the fugitive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader, Joseph Kony, had a shrine.
Northern Uganda Bishop Johnson Gakumba made the disclosure as he climbed the isolated hills on Sunday.
Gakumba also baptised four children whom he found playing on the hills.
He had gone to Odek sub-county to supervise the construction of Awere St. Peter’s Church, which he said, would help transform the area spiritually.
Gakumba said he was told that many traditional healers were paying homage to the hills to get powers from the “big snakes and spiritual water†which Kony used to sprinkle on his forces.
“I am told a witch doctor came all the way from Kenya to the hills, saying he wanted to get powers from the big snakes that Kony used to get his powers from. When I reached the top of the hill, I saw no sign of the powers that people talk about,†Gakumba said on Monday.
He said he cleansed the hills and diffused the evil spirits.
Gakumba said he saw nothing on the hills apart from grass, flowers and water gathered in several spots. He said the hills are surrounded by gardens of simsim, cabbages, maize and beans.
“Christians should pray hard to defeat beliefs that the hills have spiritual powers that Kony used to honour,†Gakumba said.