Church of Uganda school closed over demons
A policeman guards some of the pupils of Mityana Junior School who were reportedly attacked by the demons. PHOTOS BY JESSICA NABUKENYA
MITYANA- Mityana Junior School in Mityana Municipality has been indefinitely closed following reports that demons have been attacking and tormenting pupils at the school.
The school was established by the Church of Uganda.
According to school administrators, since the beginning of the term on February 4, pupils have been unable to attend lessons complaining of a strange sickness which health workers in the area failed to diagnose.
On Monday, about 30 pupils spent the day demonstrating and refused to attend classes.
They accused some of their teachers of planting witchcraft at different points in the Christian school compound.
The accused staff, according to some pupils, allegedly brought the witchcraft to retain their jobs.
The head teacher, Rev. Wilberforce Sseguya announced the closure of the school following a meeting with Mityana Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Issa Ntumwa.
“ Since there have been no lessons for several days because pupils refused to go to class, I find it more meaningful to send them home to enable us resolve this problem,” Rev. Sseguya said .
He said some of pupils, whenever they enter classrooms, they scream and fall in rapid succession.
“Some [pupils] appeared like they had mental problems. Shouting and jumping, while others were physically very weak,” Rev. Sseguya said. “We have tried all the means like taking the affected pupils to hospital and praying every day, but the problem has persisted.”
Residents gathered at Mityana Junior School where suspected demons attacked pupils
He said the school intends to invite priests to pray and exorcise the demons from the school.
“Some pupils and parents asked us to hire traditional healers to do the work, which idea I refused,” Rev Sseguya said.
One of the pupils only identified only as Samuel claimed that dozens of his colleagues, who are reportedly attacked by demons, become unconscious whenever they go to a particular spot in the school compound.
Mr Ntumwa, said the school will be reopened when the situation stabilises.
“We have noticed that residents in this area believe in witchcraft, we have been told that behind the school there is a man who bought evil spirits to become rich and residents suspect these might be the ones attacking the pupils,” Mr Ntumwa said.
Alleged demonic attacks are a common phenomenon in Mityana District and the demons are reportedly brought by some civil servants purportedly to retain their jobs.
Usually, some residents mobilise some money and give it to witch doctors who claim to have demonic powers to cleanse the affected places.
In November last year, pupils of Kiwawu Church of Uganda Primary School suffered suspected demonic attacks shortly after they had started writing their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
The 20 affected pupil out of 80 candidates missed the exams.
