Family killed over ritual murder
Mar 24, 2009
AN ANGRY mob in Rukungiri lynched a man and his son after a boda boda cyclist was murdered in a suspected ritual sacrifice. The second son survived by running to a Police station.
By Caleb Bahikaho And Anne Mugisa
AN ANGRY mob in Rukungiri lynched a man and his son after a boda boda cyclist was murdered in a suspected ritual sacrifice. The second son survived by running to a Police station.
John Manziyabo, 64 and Polly Mukamata of Kakoni Bwambara were beaten to death by residents and boda-boda cyclists on Monday following the discovery of the mutilated body of Julius Atwijukye, their colleague who had gone missing a week earlier.
The Police rescued Manziyabo’s second son, Remegio Duniya, 33, also implicated in a spate of suspected ritual killings. The irate mob also razed the three houses belonging to the family and killed their 10 pigs.
Atwijukye allegedly disappeared after he was hired by Duniya to take him home.
The riders mounted a search and stumbled on the grave near Duniya’s house.
Enraged, the mob grabbed both Manziyabo and his son Mukamata and beat them to death. At the time, Duniya was in Rukungiri town, 35km from Kakoni.
The boda boda rode to the town to hunt for him.
Duniya was the driver of Can. Fred Beyongyera. Sensing danger, Duniya drove towards Buyanja trading centre, 10km away, but the riders pursued him. They alerted their colleagues to block the road.
When Duniya encountered the roadblock, he abandoned his vehicle and ran. He handed himself to the Police as his pursuers closed in on him. The mob set his vehicle ablaze.
Residents said Manziyabo had practiced witchcraft for 30 years and had allegedly been taking bodies to his home for rituals.
He also offered sacrifices in new buildings. Rukungiri Police chief Stanley Tibakanya said Duniya had been implicated in a number of murders, some of which are still under investigation.
He said one case involved the murder of a boda-boda cyclist, Bright Kameso, who disappeared last August.
The Police said Duniya was arrested in connection with the murder but released for lack of evidence.
“It was reported that he (Duniya) hired him and up to now nobody has seen his body,†Tibakanya said.
He said there were six suspicious graves near Duniya’s home that the Police planned to open up.
Duniya told journalists at the Police station that his father has been burying human body parts in buildings in Rukungiri town.
In Kampala, the Police recorded one suspected ritual murder last week. The victim was identified as Sylvia Kangume, 12, who was killed in Kiboga. Four suspects have been arrested.
Six adults and 21 juveniles were reported missing compared to the previous week when 50 people could not be traced, the Police added. They said two girls were found and appeared not to have been in danger of being sacrificed.
The Police arrested a witchdoctor, Abdul Malinzi, in Katabi, Entebbe who had been treating clients in a dug-out grave.
Several cases of ritual murders have been reported, causing fear, anxiety and anger across the country.
The Police recently set up a special unit to handle the cases.
AN ANGRY mob in Rukungiri lynched a man and his son after a boda boda cyclist was murdered in a suspected ritual sacrifice. The second son survived by running to a Police station.
John Manziyabo, 64 and Polly Mukamata of Kakoni Bwambara were beaten to death by residents and boda-boda cyclists on Monday following the discovery of the mutilated body of Julius Atwijukye, their colleague who had gone missing a week earlier.
The Police rescued Manziyabo’s second son, Remegio Duniya, 33, also implicated in a spate of suspected ritual killings. The irate mob also razed the three houses belonging to the family and killed their 10 pigs.
Atwijukye allegedly disappeared after he was hired by Duniya to take him home.
The riders mounted a search and stumbled on the grave near Duniya’s house.
Enraged, the mob grabbed both Manziyabo and his son Mukamata and beat them to death. At the time, Duniya was in Rukungiri town, 35km from Kakoni.
The boda boda rode to the town to hunt for him.
Duniya was the driver of Can. Fred Beyongyera. Sensing danger, Duniya drove towards Buyanja trading centre, 10km away, but the riders pursued him. They alerted their colleagues to block the road.
When Duniya encountered the roadblock, he abandoned his vehicle and ran. He handed himself to the Police as his pursuers closed in on him. The mob set his vehicle ablaze.
Residents said Manziyabo had practiced witchcraft for 30 years and had allegedly been taking bodies to his home for rituals.
He also offered sacrifices in new buildings. Rukungiri Police chief Stanley Tibakanya said Duniya had been implicated in a number of murders, some of which are still under investigation.
He said one case involved the murder of a boda-boda cyclist, Bright Kameso, who disappeared last August.
The Police said Duniya was arrested in connection with the murder but released for lack of evidence.
“It was reported that he (Duniya) hired him and up to now nobody has seen his body,†Tibakanya said.
He said there were six suspicious graves near Duniya’s home that the Police planned to open up.
Duniya told journalists at the Police station that his father has been burying human body parts in buildings in Rukungiri town.
In Kampala, the Police recorded one suspected ritual murder last week. The victim was identified as Sylvia Kangume, 12, who was killed in Kiboga. Four suspects have been arrested.
Six adults and 21 juveniles were reported missing compared to the previous week when 50 people could not be traced, the Police added. They said two girls were found and appeared not to have been in danger of being sacrificed.
The Police arrested a witchdoctor, Abdul Malinzi, in Katabi, Entebbe who had been treating clients in a dug-out grave.
Several cases of ritual murders have been reported, causing fear, anxiety and anger across the country.
The Police recently set up a special unit to handle the cases.