Luweero cult members arrested
Mar 18, 2009
LUWEERO district Police on Saturday stormed a makeshift church at Mpeeka in Bamunanika sub-county and arrested 14 cult members.
By Frederick Kiwanuka
LUWEERO district Police on Saturday stormed a makeshift church at Mpeeka in Bamunanika sub-county and arrested 14 cult members.
The newly-formed cult, whose extremist biblical ‘666’ belief bars them from being identified with a mathematical digit, took their children out of school.
They also do not use cell phones or keep their money in banks.
The cult members said they took their children out of school because they were given identification numbers under the universal primary and secondary education programmes. After a series of warnings, the Police stormed their church.
The district Police commander, Justus Tindigarukayo, who paraded the suspects before journalists on Monday, said they would be charged with holding an illegal assembly and sabotaging government programmes.
However, the suspects, all residents of Bamunanika, appeared unmoved as they talked to journalists.
The leader, Ronald Sunday, 45, said the cult, which has no name, had over 200 followers. He said it based its teachings on the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation.
Both books talk of the ‘666’ figure, which is associated with the biblical devilish beast.
“We cannot allow our children to carry number tags like the devil which will destroy mankind,†Sunday said.
The resident district commissioner, Geoffrey Kyomukama, said the cult was operating illegally because it was not registered.
“We do not want to have another Kibwetere in Luweero,†he said.
Kibwetere was a cult leader, who was accused in 2000 of murdering over 500 members of his cult in Kanungu district.
LUWEERO district Police on Saturday stormed a makeshift church at Mpeeka in Bamunanika sub-county and arrested 14 cult members.
The newly-formed cult, whose extremist biblical ‘666’ belief bars them from being identified with a mathematical digit, took their children out of school.
They also do not use cell phones or keep their money in banks.
The cult members said they took their children out of school because they were given identification numbers under the universal primary and secondary education programmes. After a series of warnings, the Police stormed their church.
The district Police commander, Justus Tindigarukayo, who paraded the suspects before journalists on Monday, said they would be charged with holding an illegal assembly and sabotaging government programmes.
However, the suspects, all residents of Bamunanika, appeared unmoved as they talked to journalists.
The leader, Ronald Sunday, 45, said the cult, which has no name, had over 200 followers. He said it based its teachings on the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation.
Both books talk of the ‘666’ figure, which is associated with the biblical devilish beast.
“We cannot allow our children to carry number tags like the devil which will destroy mankind,†Sunday said.
The resident district commissioner, Geoffrey Kyomukama, said the cult was operating illegally because it was not registered.
“We do not want to have another Kibwetere in Luweero,†he said.
Kibwetere was a cult leader, who was accused in 2000 of murdering over 500 members of his cult in Kanungu district.