Pupil,11, killed in suspected ritual sacrifice after leaving home to hawk maize

Police in Kiboga District, central Uganda have detained a 42-year-old traditional healer after an 11-year-old pupil who left her home to hawk boiled maize at night was found dead.

Police said on Thursday that some of the body parts of Oliver Namanda, a pupil at Fairway Nursery School and a resident of Buzibwera cell Kiboga District were discovered by a boy who had been sent to collect some grass for animals on a piece of land owned by one Sekandi in Kirurumba cell.

“Preliminary findings indicate that on June 10, 2024, at about 10 pm, the victim left home to Kiboga town vending boiled fresh maize dressed up in a yellow T-shirt and black skirt and from then did not return home. The case was reported to police on June 11 and search efforts immediately started. On June 12, 2024, at around 11:30 am body parts of Namanda were seen by a young boy who had gone to collect some grass for animals in kibanja (piece of land) of Mr Sekandi in Kirurumba cell and informed the parents. We were later informed about the incident by LC1 of the area and immediately our task team led by DPC Kiboga responded to the scene of crime,” said Wamala region police spokesperson, Rachael Kawala.

Police said internal organs such as the lungs and heart, among others, were found missing from the girl’s body.
“The abdomen was cut off from the legs and taken away. However, the two legs were all abandoned at the crime scene. The body parts have been recovered and taken to Kiboga Hospital mortuary pending postmortem. Exhibits including a knicker, and black skirt suspected to be for the deceased have been recovered,” she said.

The police’s canine dog led detectives to a shrine at Kirurumba cell belonging to one Madinah Nakyeyune.
She was arrested and is currently detained at Kiboga police station as inquiries continue.

“Search efforts are on to recover missing body parts. Our task teams are doing all it takes to have more suspects arrested and brought to justice. We urge parents to be cautious about their children’s safety in and outside the home,” Ms Kawala said.

This comes just two months after two young siblings were beheaded in the same district in a suspected ritual sacrifice.
Five-year-old Easter Nakasumba and her two-year-old sister, Sylvia Nantongo went missing on April 3, 2024, after their parents whom they had accompanied to their farm asked them to return home for lunch.
Their mutilated bodies were later discovered near a brick-laying site.