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Census nightmare rears ugly head in Busoga
Some of the Triple Six cult members arrested in Kamuli District by Police for allegedly resisting census on May 13, 2024. PHOTO/SAM CALEB OPIO
What you need to know:
- The Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Ms Diana Nandaula, under whose jurisdiction Mayuge and Namayingo districts fall, said she is yet to get a full report on what both suspects did.
- Lead Pastor Sam Tefula says: "Census is Satanic, and Satan has been infiltrating us, first through medication, immunization and recently National Identification Numbers in which it was using vaccination to enter the bodies and monitor its realm, take people away and imprison them to its evil vices."
The National Population and Housing Census' worst nightmare has reared its ugly head in Busoga Sub-region through Njiri Nkalu a religious sect in Mayuge District.
The sect was in the late 2000s famous for undermining government programmes, including withdrawing their children from primary schools in the Kityerera sub-county and blocking its followers from accessing medical treatment.
During a visit to Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV at Igenge Palace in Bugembe, Jinja North City Division, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) Executive Director, Dr Chris Mukiza, made his concerns about the activities of Njiri Nkalu known to the monarch.
Dr Mukiza said he was in Busoga to rally the Kyabazinga to become the census champion for the Sub-region, but also to demystify myths within his Kingdom, citing Njiri Nkalu as one of the census’ nightmares.
“With your word, they (Njiri Nkalu) will listen to you,” Dr Mukiza said on May 6, adding that they want to have 100 per cent coverage.
But a week later, suspected Njiri Nkalu members have been arrested for allegedly sabotaging the census exercise which started on May 10 and ends on May 19.
Abbey Musamali, a resident of Musubi village, Bukabooli sub-county, Mayuge District was on Monday arrested after reportedly telling enumerators that he is of the Njiri Nkalu sect which prohibits them from being counted.
The Bukabooli sub-county LC3 chairman, Mr Hamza Isabirye, said initial efforts to have Mr Musamali enumerated were futile as he is said to have insisted that he was already “counted by God”.
Mr Isabirye says residents of Musubi Village, most of whom subscribe to the Njiri Nkalu sect, are against the ongoing census exercise, which they have referred to as “satanic”, and for which they seek an “apology” from the government.
According to Mr Isabirye, the Njiri Nkalu sect operates in four blackspot areas, including; Musubi, Tikunu, Bukabooli and Bugoto ‘B’.
“As local leaders, we ask Ubos to massively sensitise residents in those four areas, so that they accept to be counted so that they can be planned for as far as service delivery is concerned,” Mr Isabirye said, adding that arrests aren’t the solution.
In Namayingo District, Dominic Omollo, a 70-year-old resident of Semis village in Mutumba town council, allegedly refused to be enumerated, while reportedly telling enumerators to “go away”, claiming his (Njiri Nkalu) religion does not allow him to be counted.
He, too, was arrested on the orders of the deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Solomon Baleke, who said his acts “interfered with a government programme”.
Mr SamTefula explains the concept of the Triple Six, which he says is derived from the book of Revelations 13:16. PHOTO/SAM CALEB OPIO
The Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Ms Diana Nandaula, under whose jurisdiction Mayuge and Namayingo districts fall, said she is yet to get a full report on what both suspects did.
“I have heard of that cult in Mayuge, but I’m not well conversant with its activities; I will have to get a full brief before I can comment on the matter,” she said in a telephone interview.
In Kamuli District, security led by the RDC Rose Birungi on Monday stormed Nawanende-Butefula Zone in Bugulumbya sub-county and arrested 10 people belonging to the Njiri Nkalu sect.
They include; the lead pastor Nabirye Tefula, 85, Joel Mwesigwa, 35, and seven girls aged between 13 and 17 years of age.
Lead Pastor Sam Tefula says: "Census is Satanic, and Satan has been infiltrating us, first through medication, immunization and recently National Identification Numbers in which it was using vaccination to enter the bodies and monitor its realm, take people away and imprison them to its evil vices."
The Triple Six cult insists that the Bible and God do not encourage adoring other gods in seeking protection from diseases because He is capable of protecting them: therefore, immunization is testing and challenging God's ability to protect.
Ms Birungi said the government cannot tolerate "fanatics" sabotaging its programmes in the name of secular state and freedom of worship because such cults intend to mislead, distract and exploit the unsuspecting public.
Other lead pastors fled and are still at large, but in a new twist, Police say they have landed on a clue pointing to child trafficking by the cult under the guise of education and are investigating.
Kamuli District Police Commander, Rebeca Ayeta, said although they are giving them time to open up and get counted or they will be taken to court.
However, she says they are following some clues that children were lured from Buvuma and now indoctrinated into the cult beliefs
Busoga North Police Spokesperson, Michael Kasadha, confirmed the arrest, adding that the girls are being subjected to medical examination to rule out any sexual offences and thereafter suspects shall be charged with sabotaging government programme, an offence he says carries a punishment of six months in jail.
President Museveni last December launched the NPHC 2024, whose outcome will be crucial in guiding planning, policy formulation, and programme implementation as well as monitoring development progress in line with the national goals and objectives.
