On Monday, children gathering firewood near Kabanga village, approximately 40 kilometres west of Kampala, stumbled upon a disturbing discovery.
They found metal boxes containing human skulls buried in a suspected shrine. Local residents informed police, who promptly excavated the site.
According to regional police spokesman Majid Karim, 17 human skulls have been recovered so far.
“We are continuing to excavate the area to ensure there are no additional skulls,” he stated.
The discovery was made in a rural area near Mpigi town, about 24 miles west of the capital city. The police investigation is ongoing.
He added that the remains were being examined to determine their age and sex, as well as when they may have been buried.
He urged the public to remain calm, saying some residents had been left in shock.
Officers will “investigate the matter to establish the circumstances surrounding the recovery of these skulls and who could be behind this act”, Karim said.
It is not clear how the skulls ended up at the site.
Local media reported residents as saying that people had previously gathered at the location to worship.
Police said the suspected owner of the site is on the run, having been linked to a separate case involving the murder of a prominent traditional Baganda leader, entrepreneur Daniel Bbosa.
The killing in Kampala was reportedly carried out by hired gunmen as Bbosa returned home from work in February this year.
Mpigi district, although densely populated, remains semi-rural, with agriculture dominating local trade.
Coffee and bananas are the major cash crops and staple foods, and there is a major road linking the villages to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.
AFP
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