Ugandan security forces have killed a traditional herbalist who allegedly masterminded coordinated attacks on police and military installations across three western districts over the weekend.
Christian Asuman Muganzi was cornered at his hideout in Kakuka, Bundibugyo district on Tuesday, where he was killed alongside more than 20 of his fighters, according to Albert Kaliruga, deputy head of security for the region. Fifteen other suspects were arrested during the operation.
The attacks, which commenced on Saturday, targeted security posts in Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Fort Portal districts—remote areas along Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Insurgents armed with submachine guns and machetes stormed the installations, killing at least one civilian and one soldier.
“He was using his shrine at Kakuka to indoctrinate and recruit people to join his criminal group,” Kaliruga said. “At his shrine, we recovered traditional herbs, fetishes and other items he has been using to indoctrinate his recruits and apparently to protect them during battles.”
An army official in Bundibugyo described the group as militants seeking to “acquire weapons to start a tribal militia,” but confirmed that security forces had successfully repelled the attacks.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about security along Uganda’s western frontier with DRC, a lawless region plagued by numerous militia groups, including an affiliate of the Islamic State organisation.
Uganda endured years of brutal insurgency led by cultish militant Joseph Kony, whose Lord’s Resistance Army terrorised communities throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Whilst the country has achieved relative stability in recent years, persistent threats continue to emanate from its porous western border.
The Ugandan military has intensified patrols in the affected districts following the attacks, with authorities conducting operations to apprehend remaining members of Muganzi’s network.
Security analysts have expressed concern about the resurgence of militia groups exploiting mystical beliefs to recruit and control fighters—a tactic reminiscent of earlier insurgencies that devastated parts of East Africa.
The government has urged residents in the border regions to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agencies.
