The locals in Mpenja sub-county are concerned about the constant excavation and theft of the remains of the deceased in Gomba district.

The disturbing complaints were made in a village meeting at Buwanguzi village in Mpenja sub-county, Gomba district, after the remains of a deceased person called John Sekikubo were stolen from the grave and all the clothes and coffin were left on the open ground.

They added that they believe that the people who are behind this despicable act are witch doctors who are digging up the remains of the deceased to use in their rituals and scams.

In an interview with journalists on November 4, 2024, Matia Karamazi, an elder brother to deceased Sekikubo, revealed that the graveyard where they stole his younger brother’s remains has many people who are dead; however, it is weird that they only took his brother’s remains.

Karamazi added that the trend of stealing the remains of the deceased has got the villagers worried because it shows that the witch doctor’s activities are still there, making them concerned, especially for their children.

‘’My brother was buried two years back in this graveyard; however, after digging him up, they left behind two hundred shillings, a coin, a gourd of local brew, coffee beans, and a stick on top of his grave, beside which shows that this act was done by witch doctors as a ritual before or after taking his remains,’’ Karamazi noted.

Ssalongo Rashid Lumu, the head of witch doctors in Gomba, said that their committee is going to sit down and investigate this matter because it is already tarnishing their images since the locals are now looking at them as the culprits.

Ssalongo Lumu added that people who do such things are scammers who use bones to scare and scam their customers into thinking that they know what they are doing.

“Whoever is behind this should stop because we are going to carry out operations and you are going to be caught soon,’’ Lumu said.

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The above incident highlights the community’s anxiety about safety and respect for the dead, as well as the broader implications of witchcraft practices in the region.

In July 2024, police and local leaders in Mpigi district, which borders Gomba, discovered 17 human skulls from a shrine belonging to Lujja Bbosa Tabula, and this discovery raised alarms about the historical and cultural implications of such findings, as well as potential criminal investigations related to the remains.

As investigations proceed, it is imperative that both local leaders and law enforcement work collaboratively to ensure that such heinous acts do not continue to disrupt the fabric of their community.