Musaazi NAMITI
A woman who served as Speaker of Parliament, one of the most important leadership positions in Uganda, is reported to have turned to a witch doctor to kill the president, his wife, his son, his brother and her own successor.
This is not the first time Rebecca Kadaga’s name has been linked to a witch doctor. And weeks ago, OJ-UGANDA published this article about NBS TVās Mildred Tuhaise attributing a bacterial infection to witchcraft.
The Kadaga episode is the same phenomenon, but her public standing brings belief in witchcraft into sharp focus.
Many are processing the news about Ms Kadaga with disbelief, although some would say that it is only to be expected given the large number of Ugandans who take witchcraft seriously.
Ms Kadagaās would-be deadly mission was revealed by political analyst Andrew Mwenda, who said President Yoweri Museveni got wind of her plot through intelligence.
According to Mr Mwenda, who was speaking on a podcast show, the president presented audio and video evidence in a meeting at the State House. Ms Kadaga confessed that she had attempted to recruit a witch doctor to help kill Mr Museveni, his wife Janet, son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, his brother Salim Saleh and outgoing Speaker Anita Among.
There were also religious leaders in attendance from the Catholic and Anglican Churches, said Mr Mwenda.
For Ugandans who take witchcraft seriouslyāand there are millions of themāthis revelation shows why they need to question what they believe about witchcraft. If witchcraft worked, as many believe, Mr Museveni and everyone Ms Kadaga wanted to kill would now be dead.
Crucially, President Museveni relied not on witchcraft but intelligence to get to know what Ms Kadaga was plotting to do. This intelligence also enabled him to know the witchdoctor.
It would be interesting to know if the witch doctor was aware, as the intelligence was being gathered, that he was being spied on. Other pertinent questions for readers: Would the witch doctor prevent his own death if Mr Museveni wanted to kill him? Would witchcraft warn the witch doctor of any danger likely to come from Mr Museveni?
This evidence against witchcraft rarely sways Ugandans. Many, for example, who commented on the video clip of Ms Tuhaiseās interview agreed with her. Some witchcraft fans swear that its efficacy is comparable with that of prescription drugs.
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The Kadaga episode will likely strengthen their belief, even though there is zero evidence that witchcraft has achieved what she wanted.
The strong belief in witchcraft raises questions as to why our formal education seems incapable of disabusing us of the fact that is a myth. Could it be that the education system does not teach us to be critical thinkers?
Ms Kadaga is a lawyer by profession. She knows what evidence means, at least the kind accepted in courts. Yet she believes in witchcraft.
This new revelation confirms what Ugandans already knew about Ms Kadaga. In 2019, a witch doctor named Damiano Akuze claimed that on September 1, 1990, Ms Kadaga approached him at his shrine in Buwala village in Kamuli District seeking help and traditional medicine.
He alleged that Ms Kadaga wanted a top government job and thought that the witch doctor could help boost her chances of landing one. She did not have money at the time, the witch doctor said, but promised to pay once she secured the job.
When the witch doctor went public, Ms Kadaga was Speaker of Parliament. Mr Akuze claimed she had only paid him shs1m in 2017, and that he was dragging her to court for failing to pay the balance of shs204m.
Jane Kibirige, who was serving as the Clerk to Parliament at the time, issued a press statement on behalf of Ms Kadaga, describing the claims as the handiwork of her detractors.
As Ugandans continue to ponder the shocking revelation, Ms Kadaga finds herself in a difficult position. The president now views her as his enemy, and there is nothing to suggest the witchdoctor was about to execute her mission.
But the revelation shows that belief in witchcraft is ingrained. It is not a problem of peasants. It goes all the way to the corridors of power. And unless the people’s leaders banish witchcraft, it is hard to see ordinary people turning their backs on it.
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š“ Musaazi Namiti is the Founder and Editorial Director of OJ-UGANDA. He previously led the Africa Desk at Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, worked for Globe Media Asia in Cambodia and writes a widely read column for Ugandaās Sunday Monitor. His work has been quoted by The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Jeune Afrique, The Africa Reportānot for playing it safe, but for saying what others will not.