Sem. Joseph Wambuzi
Kinyamasika Seminary Fort Portal.
wambuzjoseph1@gmail.com.
March 17, 2000, remains one of the darkest days in the religious history of Uganda and the world. On this day, a raging fire engulfed a local church, burning beyond recognition nearly 450 worshippers of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (MRTCG).
The cult had emerged in the late 1980s in present-day Kanungu District, Western Uganda. These were years when HIV/AIDS ravaged communities, claiming countless lives without any known cure. Some interpreted the epidemic as divine punishment, while others attributed it to witchcraft. Amid this uncertainty, a group of self-proclaimed visionaries saw an opportunity to advance their agenda.
As the 1980s drew to a close, individuals claiming to receive visions from Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary began to gain attention. Among them were Joseph Kibwetere, a former government official and disillusioned ex-Catholic; Cledonia Mwerinde, a primary school dropout who had worked as a barmaid and sex worker; and defrocked Catholic priests Fr. Dominic Kataribabo and Fr. Joseph Kasapulari, along with a former nun. They preached that Jesus had given them authority to heal diseases—including HIV/AIDS—restore strict observance of the Ten Commandments, and prepare people for the end of the world, which they predicted would occur on December 31, 1999.
Coincidentally, the group connected with a Rwandan woman, Specioza Mukantabana, who claimed to have visions from Kibeho. Along with another visionary, Ursula Komuhangi, they gathered their messages at Mbuye Parish in Masaka and presented them to the bishops of Mbarara and Kabale. The Church leaders, seeking to prevent religious fanaticism, advised patience while investigations were conducted to assess the authenticity of their claims. However, the cult leaders saw this as a delay and chose to act independently, spreading their message without restraint.
They established their headquarters in the quiet valleys of Katete/Karengye village in Kanungu, where they built schools, farms, and a church—signaling their long-term intentions. Their movement attracted followers from various mainstream religions, including Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and practitioners of African Traditional Religion.
Life Inside the Cult
At the Kanungu camp, members were subjected to rigid daily routines. They engaged in compulsory morning and evening prayers, recited the Rosary, performed the Way of the Cross, attended lessons on heavenly messages, and prepared for the imminent end of the world. They also worked on the cult’s farms. Communication was strictly controlled; members primarily used sign language, with spoken words permitted only on rare occasions. Outsiders were prohibited from making inquiries, and all questions were answered by Cledonia, who was revered as the movement’s “master programmer.”
The cult had a strict hierarchy, reflected even in the clothing worn by its members: leaders dressed in white robes (women also wore veils), messengers wore green, and new recruits donned black. It was a self-sustaining community, with members contributing all their possessions to a common pool. Many sold off their property at the leaders’ command and brought their wealth to the movement, effectively rendering themselves homeless.
Women made up the majority of the followers, often bringing their children along. Their diet mainly consisted of maize flour (posho), rice, potatoes, millet flour, and, occasionally, meat and milk.
As the group gained prominence, it attracted more followers from across Uganda and neighboring countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Satellite camps were established in Bbunga, Ndegye, Rugazi, Nakulabye, and Kansanga, among other locations, but Kanungu remained the movement’s main headquarters.
Efforts by religious leaders to reintegrate members into mainstream faiths proved futile. The cultists were unwavering in their belief in Kibwetere and his fellow leaders.
The Countdown to Tragedy
In April 1999, convinced that the world would end on December 31, 1999, the cult leaders suspended all forms of hard labor. Instead, members focused on consuming the movement’s resources. The leaders liquidated assets, selling large shops in nearby towns and cattle from their farms.
As the predicted day of reckoning drew near, the teachings on the end times became more intense. Followers were promised that Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary would take them to a “new earth” aboard a special boat.
However, when December 31, 1999, came and passed uneventfully, tension arose within the movement. The world had not ended, and food supplies were dwindling. Disillusioned members started demanding refunds of their money, having sold everything they owned. The HIV/AIDS crisis continued unabated, shattering faith in the cult’s supposed healing powers.
To suppress dissent, the leaders resorted to extreme measures. They employed hitmen to eliminate those who questioned them. Victims were buried in mass graves, some as deep as 30 feet. Yet, even after killing many, the pressure did not subside. The only remaining option was to wipe out the entire congregation.
The Massacre
On the morning of March 17, 2000, the day dawned like any other in Kanungu. The crisp air hung over the valley as cult members, still clinging to hope, prepared for their final journey to the “new earth.”
At around 10:00 a.m., all members were instructed to gather inside their old church, singing the hymn Iguru Buzima (“Heaven is Life”). What began as a moment of joy soon turned into an unimaginable nightmare.
According to witnesses, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a powerful explosion rocked the compound. A thick black-red plume of smoke rose into the sky, carrying the scent of burning flesh. The screams of children and women filled the air but lasted only a few minutes.
By the time locals arrived at the scene, the church had been reduced to ashes. There were no survivors. The doors and windows had been nailed shut from both inside and outside, proving that the massacre had been meticulously planned.
Subsequent investigations revealed mass graves around the camp containing approximately 180 bodies, mostly children and men. Pathologists determined that they had been strangled or poisoned. More graves were later discovered at other cult sites in Bunga, Kansanga, Buziga, Rugazi, and Nakulabye, bringing the total death toll to around 893.
25 Years Later: A Lesson Unlearned?
Two and a half decades later, the fate of the cult leaders remains unknown. No arrests have been made, and the case has faded from public discussion as though it never happened.
Yet, the ghost of Kanungu lingers. Across Uganda and beyond, new religious sects continue to exploit the vulnerable. Some self-proclaimed pastors sell “holy” beverages, rice, and even plots of land in heaven. Others engage in bizarre rituals, such as publicly bathing women or claiming to have breakfast with Jesus.
If such movements are not closely monitored, history may repeat itself. The Kanungu tragedy stands as a grim reminder of the dangers of religious extremism and blind faith. It is a call for vigilance—to protect the innocent from deception and ensure that such horrors never happen again.
