Police in Busoga East is investigating circumstances under which a 52-year-old, Betty Nabirye, a resident of Busakira C village, in Kityerera sub county, in Mayuge district collapsed and died during a village saving group meeting on Monday evening.
It is reported that members of Busakira C women village saving group converged for their weekly meeting at Nabirye’s home, and the 20 of them smoothly remitted their weekly savings of 2,000 Shillings each and proceeded with discussions on how to better their enterprises like it is the norm with these meetings.
However, Nabirye reportedly fell-off a plastic chair and lay on the ground as her colleagues who thought that it is a minor fall called her her to rise up.
Salima Nabikosi, a member of the group, says that they decided to help Nabirye rise up on her feet, only to realize that she was already dead.
Nabikosi says that they were shocked by this incident, with some of them citing witchcraft as the cause of her sudden demise, but opted to notify local leaders for the next course of action.
Hussein Tenywa, the area L.C.1 chairperson says that, the incident has created suspicion within the community as some residents are trading superstitious statements of suspected witchcraft by her colleagues.
Tenywa says that this kind of thinking has since resulted into insecurity and there is visible police presence to avert mob justice acts by those treading superstitious theories.
Meanwhile, Busoga East’s police spokesperson Diana Nandawula confirms the incident, adding that the deceased has been taken to Mayuge health center IV for postmortem.
Nandawula also adds that detectives have already inspected the scene of the incident and they are recording statements from eyewitnesses to sort out unsubstiated rumours.