Mubende leaders divided on banning traditional healers

Mubende- Local leaders in Mubende Municipality have disagreed over the expulsion of traditional healers from the area. Although leaders in South Division, Mubende Municipality, have already banned the traditional healers from operating in the area, their counterparts in other divisions want them to pay an annual tax of Shs100,000 after being screened.
The ban, according to local leaders in South Division, was prompted by the increasing number to traditional healers duping people through adverts on radio stations that they possess super natural powers to make people rich.

According to Ms Beatrice Kasigazi, the mayor for South Division, they had also discovered that many traditional healers in the area are masterminds of evil acts such as human sacrifice and their shrines serve as hideouts for criminals.

“Traditional healers and witch doctors have no place in my area, we have already instructed the village chairpersons in the division to stop issuing licences to them,” she says.

However, Ms Kasigazi’s counterpart in East Division, Denis Kyatule, says they will only allow a few traditional healers to operate in the area, after being vetted by their umbrella body Uganda ne Eddagala Lyaayo.

“At the moment, they [traditional healers] are not many in our area, but those who wish to operate will do so after being cleared by their umbrella body and each must agree to new terms and ready to pay an annual fee of Shs100,000,” he says.

Ms Lydia Nassimwa, the town clerk of West Division, explains that her council has already passed a resolution to charge Shs100,000 from each traditional healer in the area.

About 100 traditional healers are operating in Mubende Municipality.
“We would have preferred to expel them [traditional healers], but we also need taxes to deliver services to our people. It is true some have conned residents of their hard earned money under the guise of treating them but through their leaders, we will screen them and weed out the wrong elements,” she says.

However, Mr Mpunguteryabire Ssesanga, the chairperson Mubende Traditional Healers Association, protests the decision taken by the municipal leaders, saying they were never consulted.

“I strongly condemn the decision our leaders. We don’t really know why they arrived at that without involving us. Expulsion or ordering us to pay an annual tax is not the solution. We know ourselves better and if we are given a chance, we can clean our own house and get rid of wrong elements who have infiltrated us,” he says.