The Uganda Police, in partnership with the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) and various intelligence agencies, are currently probing the horrific massacre of eight individuals in Kagadi district.
This tragic event unfolded on October 29 at approximately 9 a.m. in Mizizi A Village, located in Kyeterekera Sub County.
According to reports, two brothers Obedi Baguma, 33, and David Munyirambe, 36 launched the gruesome attack on their family members after they reportedly refused to join their newly formed “God, Holy Spirit, Son of Man” religious formation.
The deceased are Boniface Rogers Nyirambe, 41, Isakara Yokononia, 76, Norah Kabuwere, 64, Praise Muhindo, 7, Anitah Kabugho, 44, Masika Kabagenyi, 3, Ferdinandi Baluku, 13, and Kabugo Olive, 13.
Julius Hakiza, the spokesperson for the Albertine Region police, confirmed that the police and UPDF are working together on this investigation. He also mentioned that the injured individuals are receiving treatment at various medical facilities and clinics.
In a statement, police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma revealed that during the operation, the two brothers were killed while attempting to assault the forces.
“They managed to encounter two suspects Baguma Obedi, 33, and Munyirambe David, 36 who were put out of action. We are investigating the incident and will provide updates in due course,” he noted.
Reports suggest that the two individuals accused their parents and siblings, who are members of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, of adhering to a “Satanic religion.”
Major Billal Katamba, spokesperson for the UPDF Mountain Division, stated that the information gathered indicates that the enraged brothers, allegedly armed with pangas, attacked their family, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals and injuries to eight others.
Among the injured are Christine Biira, 24, Joy Bambi, 28, Rogers Nzabara, Nipola Kakimwa, Isaac Zakaria, Biira Birungi, and two other young children whose identities have yet to be confirmed.
The bodies of the deceased were transported to Kagadi Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations and will subsequently be returned to their respective homes for burial.
According to local residents, tensions have been escalating for approximately two years since the brothers departed from the SDA Church to establish their own formation, during which time they have threatened to kill those who do not join their movement.
It is about 24 years since more than 700 followers of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God were allegedly burnt in church. This horrific event was precipitated by the alarming predictions of their leader Joseph Kibwetere, who proclaimed that the world would end with the arrival of the new millennium.
