The district Security Committee, in Luuka district is investigating 10 cases of arson in which nine traditional shrines and one church were torched following violent altercations between a group of Born Again/Pentecostal Churches and traditional healers.

Reports indicate that at the beginning of December 2023, several pastors carried out a religious campaign and burnt down eight traditional shrines in the villages of Buwaiswa, in Luuka Town Council.

After the incident, the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said the traditional healers also ganged up and burnt the church of Pastor Mark Paul Kyagadha of Buwaiswa Foundation Ministries.

“It’s alleged that the attacks began after Pastor Kyagadha, labelled traditional healers, as a dark religion, and warned the community to desist from going to the shrines. It’s against that background that the traditional shrines started getting burnt,” he noted.

He said this led to the intervention of the district security committee, where both parties, were ordered to work within their boundaries.

However, on December 16, 2023, the leader of the traditional healers in the district, Paul Kugeta mobilized over 300 traditional healers in Luuka, to purposely carry out a revenge attack on Born Again churches, after the shrine of Waibi John got burnt.

Enanga noted that a sniffer dog was used to track the arsonists, thus leading up to the church of Pastor Kyagadha.

“The security committee is now investigating 10 cases of Arson, (9 traditional shrines and one church), and further investigating whether all the churches and shrines in the area are registered with operating licences,” he added.

He stressed that after thorough investigations, only licensed churches and shrines will be allowed to operate.