Is witchcraft on the rise or is the press blowing it up?

Feb 11, 2009

The issue of human sacrifice is at the helm of the press agenda. Bodies are mutilated while children are buried alive. Recently, 10 witchdoctors were arrested for the ritual sacrifice of a woman. One wonders, therefore, whether there is a difference betwe

The issue of human sacrifice is at the helm of the press agenda. Bodies are mutilated while children are buried alive. Recently, 10 witchdoctors were arrested for the ritual sacrifice of a woman. One wonders, therefore, whether there is a difference between witchcraft (kuloga) and ancestral worship (kusamira)? Is witchcraft on the increase or has this been the usual norm only that the media is exposing it now? Last December, Gladys Kalibbala sought the views of religious leaders and traditional healers on the rampant ritual sacrifices.

Mama Fina, head of traditional healers in Uganda
We have a big problem in the country. About 90% of traditional healers are fake. Whenever I arrest them and hand them over to the Police, they are released within a few days. They have made friends with government leaders and unless government acts, things will get worse. Once we agree with the Government on methods to curb the fake pratitioners, I would be able to drive the system of traditional healing back onto the right track. Kusamira and kuloga are two different things. Those who perform kusamira mainly do it to settle family problems. Cases where you continue losing children, fail to conceive or behave like a mentally disturbed person are matters that can be eradicated by kusamira. However, with kuloga, someone gives you medicine which will kill you. It is only 10% of traditional healers who are genuine. They are the only ones who made oaths before the misambwa (gods) to treat people. These must have gone through a burning fire of lubaale Kiwanuka. We call this exercise ‘okuuza lubaale. A true jjembe (medium) works in the open, not in the dark. The people who are working for financial gain are the ones who will demand human heads when in fact they do not have any use for them. The fact that you can produce it shows that you can pay any amount of money they demand from you. Human blood does not bring any luck and that could be the reason we now see some buildings collapsing, because heads, and not architectural genius, has taken precedence.

Pastor Martin Sempa, Makerere University Community Church
There is no difference between kuloga and kusamira. Whether it is mayembe, mizimu, misambwa or lubaale, they all demand sacrifices.
It is only bad that the educated are living in denial and pretending they do not know these cultures exist.
Witchcraft has tremendously increased, becoming socially acceptable in the last 10 years. The witches have worked terribly hard to dupe the public and government in believing that they are harmless. You have seen how they dominate almost all radio airwaves to deceive people that they can help.
They deceive the Ministry of Health that they only deal with herbs. We need very strong and strict laws to curb witchcraft as well as more faith in Jesus Christ.
Do you think these witches really need human heads? Every altar is strengthened by its sacrifices. So the moment you produce such sacrifice, then you will have to pay a lot of money for the services the healer will claim to offer you.

Paul Luzinda, Bishop of Mukono Diocese
It is very unfortunate that people have failed to accept religion. When it was introduced here, it was categorised as belonging to the British and Romans. The challenge we have as church leaders is to bring back the lost sheep by reminding them of the love of God and the temptations of Satan, who draws them to witchcraft. We need the Government’s support in places like Mukono, where witchcraft is rampant. One time I argued bitterly with the Police, who were blocking me from chasing away the witches from our church land at Ssezzibwa. Our lake Nalubaale (Lake Victoria) got the name from the many Baganda lubaale’s (gods) believed to live there. Mukono, having many landing sites has many shrines for these spirits. The Government should have come up with strong laws against witchcraft. Let the Government use religious leaders and district leaders like the LCs to monitor what goes on in these shrines and get hold of the culprits who are killing people.

Prof. Livingstone Walusimbi of Makerere Institute of Languages
Kusamira and kuloga are different. In the Kiganda culture, kusamira used to be like the current praying in churches before Christianity came. People had needs like rain, children and cure from diseases, and would go to their saabo (shrine) and ask their gods for help. Around 1927, the colonial government abolished the masabo and kusamira in Buganda, forcing people to hide them behind their homes. Before that, kusamira was done during the day and ended late in the night while the ssabo was on the sides or in front of the house. With kuloga, someone will have intentions of killing you or incapacitating you. People who demand people’s heads have no good motives.

Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala
Little faith among Christians and lack of morals has contributed a lot to what we are witnessing now.
Witchcraft is not new in Uganda. We have had the practice for decades. However, it has increased rapidly over the years.
It is now being practised openly without any shame. Who could ever believe that human life would lose value as we see it today? I am soon turning 82 years old, but child sacrifice is a new phenomenon. We are now witnessing children being abducted and disappearing. When I was young, two boys got lost in the big forest after they had been sent to deliver a message to some relatives. Drums (Ggwanga Mujje) were sounded. People, including the Police, quickly came and joined the search for the children. I appeal to Christians to turn back to God and let all of us get involved in fighting witchcraft and what comes with it instead of putting all the blame on the Government and local leaders.

Brother Anatoli Wasswa of Banakalooli Brothers, Kiteredde
There is a difference between kusamira and kuloga. Kusamira is a traditional way of worship, where people ask their gods to help them overcome problems.
With kuloga, someone gives you a drink or food in which medicine is applied with intentions of killing you. It can also be intended to make one submissive like in love affairs or marriage. The problems we are facing now with human sacrifices are a result of people who are money-minded mixing the two. Whereas in the past they were practised separately, currently, with little faith, many Christians have psychologically fallen sick just because they suspect either the co-wife or neighbour to be bewitching them. Many non-believers can easily fall sick when they find a dead cat tied in a barkcloth and thrown on their doorstep, yet a believer would not be scared of witchcraft.

Sheikh Sulaiman Kakeeto
Witchcraft is, indeed, on the rise. People now fear Satan more than Allah the Almighty! We have many problems like poverty, marital conflicts and sickness. These situations lure people to witchdoctors with the hope that their problems would be solved.
As religious leaders, we have done our part, preaching to those who come to us. The problem today is that the witchdoctors and those who believe in them do not have time to visit the places of worship. There are also very weak laws to the fight against witchcraft. The evidence can be seen in the increase in mob justice as people take the law into their hands. Members of Parliament have not helped the situation either.

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