Two witch doctors have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and 35 years in jail respectively for the ritualistic killings of three children in separate cases in Kiboga District.
Kiboga High Court Judge Jamson Karemani on August 27 convicted Sulaiman Sentongo and Madina Nakyeyune after finding sufficient evidence linking them to the killings of the children, whose bodies were found mutilated and missing several organs.
In the first case, two children, Nantongo Sylvia, two, and Nakasumba Esther, five, disappeared on April 3, 2024, after leaving their mother in a garden at about 1pm.
Despite searches and public announcements, the children could not be traced.
The following morning, schoolchildren discovered human remains along the Busunju-Kiboga Highway and alerted local authorities, who notified police.
Investigators visited the scene with a trained police dog, which led them to Sentongo’s shrine.
When Sentongo saw police officers and residents approaching his home, he fled from Kiboga. A search of his shrine led to the recovery of several items associated with witchcraft practices.
The trained dog later helped investigators locate the victims’ heads, which had been concealed in a kiln near a church.
Other body parts were recovered near a stream, while intestines were reportedly found hanging from a tree.
According to the prosecution evidence, the children’s bodies were missing several organs, including the hearts, lungs, livers, uteruses and genitals.
Sentongo was later tracked to Kampala by Crime Intelligence and the Flying Squad and arrested.
His sister, Namuleme, was also arrested after allegedly sending him money to facilitate his escape to Kampala.
While Sentongo was charged with human sacrifice, his sister faced a charge of being an accessory after the fact.
During the trial, prosecutors tendered Know Your Customer records, mobile money records, call data records and a DNA analysis report as evidence.
The prosecution was led by Chief State Attorney David Baxter Bakibinga and Senior State Attorney Stephen Ariong.
Justice Karemani, having considered the evidence and concurred with the assessors’ opinion, convicted Sentongo and sentenced him to life imprisonment, the severest punishment in criminal justice.
However, the judge acquitted Namuleme after finding that the prosecution had not proved the charge against her beyond reasonable doubt.
Second case
In a separate case, 11-year-old Olive Namaganda disappeared on June 10, 2024, after leaving home for Kiboga Town to sell maize.
Two days later, her remains were discovered in Kirurumba Village.
The victim’s torso was missing, including the heart, liver, kidneys, uterus and genitals.
Police visited the scene with a trained dog, Hippy, which tracked the scent of the suspect to the shrine of witch doctor Madina Nakyeyune.
Several items associated with witchcraft practices were recovered from Nakyeyune’s shrine.
Among the items recovered near the victim’s remains was a piece of cloth containing Namaganda’s DNA, according to the prosecution evidence.
Nakyeyune was subsequently arrested and charged with human sacrifice.
During the trial, prosecutors relied on a DNA analysis report, among other evidence. The dog handler also testified about Hippy’s training and experience, telling court that the dog had contributed to more than 300 successful arrests and convictions over six years.
Justice Karemani, after evaluating the evidence and agreeing with the assessors’ opinion, convicted Nakyeyune and sentenced her to 35 years’ imprisonment.
The ODPP said the convictions demonstrate the commitment of prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to holding perpetrators of serious crimes accountable.