The Kiira region police command is tirelessly pursuing a witch doctor from Iganga district who between January 2-3, 2024 allegedly inserted roots of wandering jew in her private parts supplemented with bitter herbs in liquid form.
The victim (Moreen Kabwire) concealed four months of pregnancy, she has been staying with her grandmother Betty Babirye 58 at Wanyama cell (Mutekanga zone) Bugembe – Jinja city.
The Kiira Region Police Spokesperson SP James Mubi Reveals that On January 2, Moreen disappeared from home prompting her grandmother to report a case of disappearance at Bugembe police station. The following day, January 3, Moreen returned home when she was too weak. On January 5 she started bleeding seriously, she was rushed to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Before the fateful day on January 5, the deceased had disclosed to police that the boyfriend identified as Junior a local watchman at his uncle’s (Stephen Obwana) parking made her pregnant and ordered her not to share the information with anybody adding that if she does so then she will be killed and her body will never been seen anywhere. This could have led the girl to conceal the pregnancy.
The victim further revealed that she was taken to a witch doctor in Iganga in the company of the boyfriend’s brother Isaac Okurut and a neighbor Eseza Namuyomba who went up to Idudi in Bugweri district to get the preferred roots of wandering jew and bitter herbs.
Moreen Kabwire sat for her primary seven last year at Nakanyonyi Primary School. She’s a daughter of Joel Mbalyowelo resident of Wanyama cell in Bugembe.
A case of defilement has been opened up against the main suspect Junior and police are pursuing him seriously. Junior’s brother Isaac Okurut and neighbour Eseza Namuyomba have been arrested and charged with Rash and negligence because their reckless acts caused the death of a person.
The witch doctor and defilement suspect Junior are being pursued. The suspects are being detained at Bugembe police station.
Isaac Okurut’s mobile phone has been retrieved from him, the phone has several communication audios between the deceased, boyfriend Junior, Isaac Okurut, Eseza Namuyomba and the witch doctor.
Police would like to strongly warn witch doctors from getting involved in illegal acts like conducting illegal abortions among other crimes as police, we won’t hesitate to arrest any person involved in aiding abortion before, during and after the commission of the crimes.
GBV cases reported in Kiira region from 2021 to 2023 are 1401. These cases have led to the loss of lives, early pregnancies, poverty, low self-esteem etc.
Let us combine efforts to reduce these cases in the region. Police remain firm in arresting and prosecuting all culprits of GBV cases and many have been sent to Kirinya prisons that is why we are seeing a reduction coupled with the coordination from other stakeholders like the office of the DPP, religious leaders who condemn these practices in their preachings and the Busoga Kingdom etc.
Moreen’s body is at Jinja’s main hospital mortuary pending postmortem as thorough investigations continue.
