The bizarre tree stump of Kagadi

A strange happening has got the locals of a remote village Kibaale district talking: the stump of a tree that fell and got uprooted two years ago is back upright, apparently overnight.

The tree that once stood in that very spot for some 35 years was felled by a ruthless hailstorm on February 2014 that also left several houses destroyed.

That's according to Koroneri Kwerwanaho, the current head of the family on which the massive tree thrived.

He says it was planted three decades ago as a symbol of their fallen grandfather.

 "It is beyond our understanding, because how can a tree that fell down two years ago rise and stand in its original position?" he says.

In their culture, when an old person in the clan dies, they plant a tree so that the descendants can be reminded of his/her existence, adds Kwerwanaho.

But after nature brought down the tree, some relatives and local women put it to good use - for timber and firewood.

So when they woke up on Friday to find the stump back in an upright position, their disbelief was understandable.

A neighbor of the family, Swaleh Masudi, told New Vision that one of the grandsons - identified as Bwambale - said he had had dream in which the old man (for which the tree was planted) complained that the sun was hitting him directly and wanted to be covered.

Bwambale then reportedly told his father about the dream but he did not take it seriously - until the Friday morning discovery.

The odd occurrence has ignited debate around the village, with different people offering varying theories about it.

Some argue that it is the spirits of the people who were buried in this area that moved the tree stump to its original position.

"This must be supernatural power that did this, so people must be careful as they visit this place," said an old man found on site.

Another theory is that the tree stump rose due to reduced wait on top compared to the lower part that had soil.

Joan Kabonesa, a resident of the area, said they had been getting firewood from this very tree and was surprised when she found it had risen.

"How could this happen because even last evening [Thursday] I got some firewood from this tree," she said.

A local pastor said that very spot is a burial site for the family.

Pastor Steven Bikomi of Mount Zion Church said that the person who was buried in this area passed through dreams, asking for shelter but the relatives did not take it serious.

He said that such ‘miraculous' acts happen to show God's power so that people can turn to him. "This is a clear sign of God's power so that people can repent and return to Him."

Some of the old people in the area claim that this is the second such incident in the area.

Mzee Benon Byamukama said that in 1969, a similar incident occurred in Kenga village Kagadi sub-county under unclear circumstances. But he could not tell what could have caused such an incident.