Lwengo Villagers Storm Home Over Alleged Grave Exhumation

Panic spread in a Kyazanga village after residents accused a man of exhuming a corpse for ritual purposes, but no body was found, with leaders urging calm amid fears of mob justice fueled by unverified claims.

Tension gripped Bizo Village in Kyazanga Sub-county, Lwengo District, after residents stormed the home of a man accused of exhuming a corpse with alleged intentions of ritual practices.

The residents, led by Local Council One Chairperson Paul Wasswa, descended on the home of Paul Ssempijja, demanding that he open his house for inspection following claims that he had dug up the body of a deceased villager.

The allegations stem from the burial of Sereverio Kakyakya Byakatonda, who was laid to rest on April 8 in Busumbi Village. Residents claim that shortly after the burial, Ssempijja allegedly exhumed the body and took it to his home.

“We received information and decided to come and verify it ourselves. As leaders, we asked residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands,” Wasswa said.

During the search, residents reported finding suspicious items inside the house, including bones, a hoe, a spear and knives, which they suspected could have been used in exhuming graves. However, no human remains were recovered.

“We saw items that raised serious suspicion. This has left the entire community in fear,” some residents said.

Claims of strange voices allegedly linked to the deceased further heightened panic, with some villagers interpreting them as supernatural signs. However, no independent verification of such claims was provided.

Relatives of Ssempijja dismissed the allegations, explaining that the bones found in the house were from animals slaughtered during Easter celebrations.

“Those are not human remains. They are from animals we roasted during Easter and kept for later use,” they said.

At the deceased’s home, his son Erineewo Mugenyi said the family had heard reports that unknown individuals had exhumed the body, but dismissed claims that the deceased was “demanding” cattle and money as false.

“We believe this is meant to confuse us. We buried our father and the rest is not up to us,” Mugenyi said.

Ssempijja denied the accusations, attributing them to political rivalry. He said the claims were being used to tarnish his name following a contested LC1 chairperson race.

“These are lies meant to destroy my reputation. This is not the first time I am being attacked. I was even assaulted before and reported the matter to Bijaaba Police,” he said.

Local leader Ismail Kafeero cautioned residents against spreading unverified information, warning that such claims could incite violence.

“People should verify information before spreading it. Some of these claims can easily lead to mob justice,” Kafeero said.

Authorities had not yet issued an official statement by press time, but the incident underscores growing concern over mob action and fear driven by unverified allegations in rural communities.