As traditional religions strive to maintain their flock, emerging cult-like groups are taking root across the country.
Leaders have, however, warned followers against being brainwashed by cult leaders, some of whom are allegedly engaging in suspicious activities.
In districts like Sembabule, Maracha, Buvuma, Mbarara, Mbale, Terego and Jinja, local authorities banned the cult groups, but members continue to practise these faiths secretly.
The Gospel Church Volunteers, popularly called The Triple Six cult sect in Kamuli District, has been accused of sabotaging government programmes, especially Universal Primary Education and Immunisation.
The sect allegedly forsakes their children and followers from accessing education, health, and bathing.
Lead pastor Sam Tefula of Bugulumbya Butefula Zone in Kamuli District says the devil is using government programmes like vaccination to enter people’s bodies and to imprison them to its evil vices.
Bugulumbya Sub-county council speaker Frank Nsiina warns that they are monitoring the suspicious activities of the religious sect.
“You know religious fanaticism is dangerous and it is blindly followed and driven by poverty and ignorance,” Mr Nsiina says.
“People who deprive children of accessing health services and education have to be arrested and prosecuted,” Mr Moses Ddumba, the Kamuli Resident District Commissioner (RDC), who is also the chairperson of the security committee, warns.
Busoga region overseer of the Born Again Christian Churches, Bishop Eddie Munene, warns against misinterpretation of Bible and theological teachings literally saying there is a need to counsel followers of mushrooming religious groups with conflicting doctrines.
Mr Arkangelo Yoga, an elder in Arikia Village, Oluvu Sub-county in Maracha District, West Nile, says a cult-like group that was started by the late Yosefua Joseph 10 years ago is still very active with a few followers.
In the quest for expansion, the group leader recruited followers from the sub-counties of Oluffe, Oluvu, and some parts of DR Congo.
Mr Yoga says a good number of Catholics and Protestants joined the group, but after the death of their leaders, some reverted to their original religions and very few followers are still professing this faith.
“The introduction of this cult group created a lot of hatred between us and the followers and it almost led to the collapse of one of the small Christian communities under Arikia Chapel by then in Oluvu Parish, but now Kamaka Sub-Parish,” he says.
In the tradition of the group, the followers are prohibited from eating pork, mushrooms, cultural food, taking medication, and barred from attending funerals among others.
Mr Joel Candia, the chairperson of Oluvu Sub-County, says they are concerned about the issue of the cult group, but they are trying their best to ensure such groups don’t thrive in the sub-county.
He says human beings have a right to food, but this group exempts its members from eating food and its followers are malnourished.
Some of these cult groups such as Enjiri Ya Yesu oppose government programmes like immunisation and census and get away with it. They also deny children formal education, describing it as ‘evil’ and prefer homeschooling.
In Terego District, the leaders had to act promptly to curtail “Etota” group of people who had emerged in Wandi Trading Centre in Katrini Sub-county with the practice of cultism.
Ms Bessie Ajilong, the Terego Resident District Commissioner, says her office will continue to crack down on religious groups with characteristics of a cult.
“In April 2021, we arrested a group of people who called themselves “Etota” whose activities were of cultism and since then, the practice has stopped. Whoever would wish to engage in the practice should know that it is illegal and we shall deal with them decisively,” she says.
In Nebbi District, in some parts of Parombo and Erussi, there are many religious sects that have sprung up and some of them discourage followers from seeking medication and certain foods.
In Teso Sub-region, one of the pastors attached to Christ Disciple Church (CDC), Vincent Ocen, insists their faith is not a cult as some residents claim.
A week ago, more than 101 followers of CDC from the districts of Bukedea, Ngora, Kumi, and Serere were repatriated back to Uganda after Kenyan authorities intercepted them in Nakuru on their way to Ethiopia.
Police reports indicate that the first set of CDC members who left are estimated to be 210, while the second group that was intercepted was 101.
Mr Oscar Ageca, the police spokesperson for East Kyoga region, says the CDC followers were intercepted enroute to Ethiopia where they were going to “preach the gospel permanently”.
“They [CDC followers] had illegally crossed over to Kenya, but then abandoned by the leadership of the Church,” he says.
Mr Ageca says police were yet to conclude the general inquiry into the disappearance of members of the same Church who reportedly travelled to Abyssinia in Ethiopia and it’s upon this background that the second group was sneaking out of the country.
In Mubende, residents and leaders in Mugungulu Village, Bageza Sub-county, are worried about a new religion locally known as “Nyanga Kabbo”.
Mr Godfrey Bakunzi, the chairperson of Mugungulu A Village, says the new religion has more than 1,000 followers who always go for prayers on Saturday. The group, according to Bakunzi, was brought to Mubende by a man from the neighboring Sembabule District only identified as Anthony.
“The followers are not allowed to own mobile phones and computers, they oppose government programmes including immunization. Pregnant mothers don’t get antenatal care and they don’t get injections whenever they fall sick, but rather take tablets. The followers are also not allowed to take their children to school,” he says.
Mr Steven Nuwamanya, the district councillor of Bageza Sub-county, says as leaders, they have tried to sensitise residents to shun the religious group, but many have refused to take heed.
“We managed to arrest a good number of their leaders, but after one month, they were released under circumstances we all don’t understand. Today, some are congregating in their gardens,” he adds.
Mr Abubaker Birungi, the deputy RDC of Mubende, says denying children education is illegal and the cult leaders will be arrested.
When this publication reached out to the religious leader only identified as Kizza, he declined to talk, saying he will only be available on May 27.
In Namayingo, the Resident District Commissioner, Ms Deborah Mwesigwa, says she has put everybody on alert to report any suspected evil acts in places of worship.
RISE OF CULTISM
Cult-like religious groups have over the years earned a bad reputation in Uganda following the infamous 2000 incident in Kanungu District. At least 700 people died in Kanungu District on March 17, 2000 after their leaders locked them inside a Church and set it alight. The dead were members of the Movement for the Restoration of the 10 Commandments of God-a doomsday cult which was led by Joseph Kibwetere that believed that the world would come to an end at the turn of the millennium. To date, Kibwetere’s whereabouts remain a mystery and it is not clear whether he is dead or alive. In neighbouring Kenya, pastor Paul Mackenzie who runs the Good News International Church in Shakahola Village, Malindi, last month hoodwinked his followers to starve themselves so “they could meet Jesus”. People were shocked days later after the Kenyan Police found more than 200 followers dead after undertaking the doctrinal ritual of fasting. Some dead followers were found without their body organs. In 2014, there was also another cult commonly known as the ‘Palace of Peace’ in Masaka District whose members refused to take part in the National Population and Housing Census. In June 2019, residents of Kanyagoga Parish in Bardege Division, Gulu City, burnt down a Church which was known as Jesus the Living Stone Ministries or Yecu aye Got Makwo belonging to a self-proclaimed pastor, Bataringaya Okumu, accusing him of cult worship. He had reportedly banned his followers from accessing medical treatment from hospitals and clinics, claiming that they heal them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
