The Mpigi District Police has in custody a 39 year old businessman and traditional healer identified as Ivan Muwanga, a resident of Lunyerere village over alleged multiple ritual killings in the area.
Muwanga who also operates a liquor business in the area was arrested following a security raid on his home on Sunday that unearthed decomposing human remains mostly believed to be of children in shallow graves.
According to police, the raid followed a tip off from a 12 year old girl who allegedly escaped a kidnap attempt by Muwanga and alerted her mother, who in turn informed the police.
Following the alert, the police sealed off Muwanga’s home and returned the following day, where upon inspection, found the home to have a number of unmarked graves and 10 grass thatched shrines in which one was found containing buried bodies.
“Some of the remains, believed to be those of children, were so badly mutilated and decomposed that identification was immediately impossible” said a detective.
The Area Chairperson Abdul Ssenoga revealed that there have been at least six reports of missing children filed with the police over the last three years.
“A red flag was first raised on December 4th, when the headless body of 12-year-old Betty Nabuyungo was recovered. She went missing after picking up her third-term school report. The following day after search efforts by residents, her headless body was discovered dumped in Kalungi swamp, the victim’s hands, legs and private parts were also missing” he said.
Residents noted that they had suspected Muwanga in the mysterious disappearance of children in the area, though he had never been directly linked to the cases before the discovery.
The Katonga region police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe confirmed the case is being investigated as suspected murder and human sacrifice.
