MPs want tough law for herbalists

 

The MPs on the gender and labour and social development committee want media houses to stop commercial adverts of herbalists and traditional healers’ works, which promotes child sacrifice.

 

Committee chairperso,  Margaret Komuhangi said, “Lack of a punitive law to regulate the roles and works of the herbalists and traditional healers has escalated the vice."

 

She cited the Tanzanian government which suspended herbalists and traditional healers until a policy was put in place.
 

The Mps were meeting the National Association of Broadcasters headed by Francis Babu. 

The committee contends that such uncontrolled publicity is responsible for the increased cases of child sacrifice in the country.

 

Last week the leader of traditional healers in Uganda, Sylvia Namutebi also known as Maama Fina under her organization ‘Obuwangwa n’eddagala lyaffe’   appeared before the committee to answer queries relating to child sacrifice and the rampant increase of ritual murders in the country.

 

Namutebi said the current Witchcraft Act lumps them together with witches, yet their work is different in nature.

 

“The cases of child sacrifice have been tagged to traditional healers on several occasions but our practice does not allow us to spill human blood but animal sacrifice,” Namutebi said.

 

The committee also quizzed the acting Executive Director of the ‘Uganda Communications Commission’ (UCC), Jonas Muhoozi for allowing radio and TV stations to publicize witch doctors contrary to UCC Act. 

 

Muhoozi told the committee that they lack technical support and equipment to monitor over 300 radios across the country.