Pastor dies performing exorcism in Nakasongola District

The Nakasongola District police are investigating the sudden and tragic death of a pastor who was performing an exorcism. The deceased, identified as Pastor Daniel Naheirwe, aged 40, had gone to Wanjuki village in Lwabyata Sub-County to engage in spiritual prayer and attempt to rid Jessica Kyohairwe’s home of alleged witchcraft.

During the exorcism process, which involved the burning of items believed to be fetishes, the unexpected occurred. Pastor Naheirwe suddenly collapsed and tragically lost his life on the spot. This shocking incident took place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, causing panic among the witnesses present.

It was known that Pastor Naheirwe had claimed to possess extraordinary abilities for banishing malevolent spirits from people’s homes. This was a practice he had been engaged in for several years prior to this fateful event.

The Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, Sam Twiineamazima, confirmed the incident and noted that the body has been transferred to Nakasongola HC IV for a postmortem examination. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death remains ongoing.

This incident has reignited discussions regarding the prevalence of shrines in the region compared to churches and other places of worship. In February of last year, His Grace Paul Ssemogerere, the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, expressed his concerns about this issue.

He pointed out that many Christians appeared to demonstrate disloyalty to their faith by attending churches during the day while secretly visiting shrines at night.

Herbert Mutyaba, the Chairman of the ‘Uganda N’eddagala Lyayo Luwero’ branch, declined to reveal the number of shrines under his jurisdiction in Kamira Catholic Parish, stating that it was a closely guarded secret. He emphasized that as traditional herbalists, they did not impose any restrictions on their clients’ religious choices, asserting that individuals were free to make their own decisions regarding matters of faith.

The concern over the high number of shrines in the Luwero area is not a new one. In 2013, during the handover of office to his successor, the former Luwero District Police Commander (DPC), Samuel Bamuzibire, highlighted the significant challenge of combating witchcraft during his tenure.

Numerous cases in the district were associated with witchcraft, including incidents of mob justice, murder, and attempted murder, all stemming from accusations of witchcraft. The belief in witchcraft was particularly prevalent in the Ziroobwe sub-county.

Via URN