Accused and condemned: The gendered face of witchcraft in Uganda 

 By Christine Kyarikunda 

In the hills of Ibanda District, western Uganda, a horrifying event in Mirambi Cell, Kikucu Ward, Kagongo Division left lasting horror in the minds of the community. An elderly man killed his pregnant daughter-in-law, accusing her of witchcraft.

In Kagongo and surrounding areas, people point to the site in the Late Charles Singasinga family, where the lynching occurred. “There,” they say, “that house.” Although the victim’s home is near a small trading center, it looks abandoned. Pieces of rotting cassava lie out in the wet season, and a cemented tomb sits visibly in the backyard.

 Neighbors were cautious about speaking, mentioning that “the man is there, but he rarely leaves the house and can be violent.” When the reporter attempted to approach the house, no one responded, and only photographs were taken.

 Observations suggested a previously well-established home opposite the house of late Singasinga that belongs to his son whose wife was killed. A neighbor explained, “This man had a good job in Kampala. One day, his father found his wife in a banana plantation, attacked her with a panga, and killed her. It was horrible.”

 Women who witnessed the incident shared that the woman was maliciously murdered. “She was chopped with a panga into pieces,” says a resident. Another witness recounted how the attack went so far that “we saw the baby rolling out.”

Barigye lived with his wife, Jean Atwijukire, and their four children until his younger brother fell ill. The family suspected bewitchment, blamed his wife, and attacked her. Afterward, the killer fled, and later his body was returned to the village. The trauma deeply affected Barigye. He lost his job while struggling to raise his children and the children eventually left for Kampala, leaving him alone.

A family member who was once considered bewitched explained that, “It was mental illness, but my family couldn’t understand it.” 

Other family members advised Charles Kasheija, a professional teacher, to seek medical attention. It was later diagnosed that he had a mental health condition. 

He share his experience saying, “I got an attack when I was home for holidays in 2003. It was like a spiritual force, but with the help of Bishop Emeritus john Baptist  Kakubi who was working at Ibanda hospital by then, I discovered it was a mental health issue, diagnosed as psychosis.”

 Mr Kasheija noted the community’s deep belief in witchcraft made it difficult for him to find alternative

support for his condition. 

“Despite my diagnosis, they couldn’t accept mental illness—they blamed my sister-in-law instead,” he says. 

He regrets that the stigma led to the death of his sister-in-law and loss of work. After treatment, he now volunteers to create mental health awareness through Tumuka Health Epic Centre, an organization that supports persons with mental health issues. 

Innocent Mujuni, a psychiatric tutor and director at TUMUKA Health Epicentre, explained, “Psychosis affects how the brain processes information. It’s a symptom, not an illness, that can be triggered by stress, illness, or trauma.” Mujuni stressed how local perceptions often misattribute such disorders to witchcraft.

Besides Atwijukire’s tragic death, other women have faced marital breakdowns due to witchcraft accusations. In Ntara-Kicwamba, Kitagwenda District, Fauster Kabaseven,36, shared her ordeal of losing her marriage due to false witchcraft claims. Married in 2016, she and her husband faced suspicion from his family when she struggled to conceive. When her father-in-law fell ill, “prayers prophesied that his illness was caused by witchcraft served by a daughter-in-law.” The family turned against her, and ultimately, her husband divorced her.

Reflecting on her experience, Kabaseven said, “I lost my marriage to these accusations. Now my daughter misses out on the love of both parents.” She urged families to stop mistreating daughters-in-law and to trust in God rather than turning to accusations.

Mary Concilata Kyomukama, a member of Kyaruhanga Ward Local Council II, Ibanda Municipality, shared her concerns: “Witch-hunting is the harshest expression of negative views toward women. We work endlessly but have no rights. Widows are targeted, and anything bad is blamed on us. Why is the witch always a woman when most witch doctors here are men?”

 She called for greater respect and stronger protections for women’s rights in the community.

Witchcraft accusations remain common in communities and with the absence of laws on witchcraft in Uganda, societal belief in its existence persists leading to loss of lives and livelihoods.