Police seal off Nakayima shrine after the death of five pilgrims

Police in Mubende District, working with district leaders, have blocked access to the mythical Nakayima Tree Shrine, saying it poses danger to the pilgrims. 

This comes after a branch from the legendary tree, which is believed to have been in existence for about 400 years, fell on pilgrims who had gathered at the site on Wednesday, killing five people, three who died at the site and two others who died on December 4 after succumbing to their injuries. Five pilgrims injured at the site are admitted to Mubende hospital.

The majority of those killed and injured were women from districts in the Greater Masaka area, according to Mubende Resident District Commissioner Umar Lule Mawiya.

Mr Mawiya yesterday told Monitor that security personnel have been deployed at the site to keep away pilgrims and tourists for safety reasons.

“We have ordered all pilgrims who were still at the site to go back to their homes. For safety purposes, we are also preventing people from sitting under other trees at the site,” he said.

Mr James Wabwire, a tour guide at the site, said the pilgrims had gathered to pray to their ancestors in preparation for an annual thanksgiving, which was scheduled for yesterday. 

The event was indefinitely called off after the tragedy.

“The pilgrims were sleeping at the site as they usually do and the tragedy struck, the number [of victims] could have been bigger, but some had woken up,” he said.

Deputy Resident District Commissioner Abubaker Birungi said caretakers at the site had visited his office on Tuesday to inform him about the planned event.

“I instructed the District Police Commander to inspect the site. The inspection revealed that the site was unsafe due to the presence of dry tree branches that could fall and cause harm. Despite these warnings, some people chose to sleep under the tree, which led to the tragic incident,” he said.

The tragic incident has sparked widespread speculation in Mubende, with some residents questioning whether it was a natural accident or an offering demanded by the spirits associated with the Nakayima tree.

“Being a cultural site, anything can happen, the spirits sometimes take blood by killing those who believe in them,” Mr Samuel Ssekitto, a resident in Mubende Town, claimed.

ABOUT NAKAYIMA SITE

Also known as Embuga ya Nakayima or Nakayima witch tree, it sits on 10 acres of land and is believed to be between 350 and 400 years old.

It is a revered cultural and spiritual site, attracting numerous pilgrims and tourists. The pilgrims flock to the site to pray and pay homage to the matriarch Nakayima of the Bachwezi Dynasty. Legend has it that the Bachwezi were demi-gods with supernatural powers.

During the rituals, the faithful claim that Nakayima appears to them through dreams dressed in white clothes with instructions on what to do to overcome their problems and have their wishes fulfilled.

The believers only leave the site after the gods have appeared to them and this could happen between three days to a month.

It is believed that the Bachwezi spirits disappeared in the trees at the site and their branches are not cut for cooking, or other purposes. The branches that fall are left to rot.