A family from Napulu village, Bumageni parish, Bungokho sub-county in Mbale district has vacated their residence due to an unexplained invasion of snakes, spreading fear throughout the village.
Four relatives of Tom Wamukwe have been compelled to lodge at Mbale City in Bugema for three nights due to the snake scare, which they associate with sorcery.
On the day of Eid, 10/04/2024, Wamukwe reported that the snakes began to appear on Saturday, 6/04/2024, following a threat from a fellow villager after a dispute.
Wamukwe recounted that he had a confrontation with the alleged culprit at a local bar where they had been drinking. The disagreement escalated into a heated exchange, resulting in a threat from the man.
The man then went to Wamukwe’s home and complained to his mother about her son’s disrespect, vowing to teach him a lesson.
Wamukwe admitted that they had a heated argument under the influence of alcohol. He was threatened and didn’t anticipate the situation would escalate to this extent.
The situation took a turn for the worse when Wamukwe discovered a five-foot-long snake coiled in a corner of his house. He killed the snake and burned it outside his compound.
When a similar snake was found in the house the next day, Wamukwe began to suspect that it was related to the threats he had received.
On Sunday, another similar snake was spotted in the house. When Wamukwe raised the alarm, the snake vanished, prompting a search by the villagers.
Despite no one being harmed by the snake, Wamukwe’s family left their home and took shelter at a neighbor’s house. The following night, they lodged elsewhere.
Wamukwe noted that a snake would appear whenever they were alone in the house, but would disappear when they raised an alarm. He managed to kill two snakes before others arrived at the compound.
On Eid day, villagers kept watch at Wamukwe’s home for most of the day, but no snakes were seen.
Wamukwe invited pastors and sheikhs to pray for his family and home before they returned.
One cleric stated that as men of God, they would continue to pray in the compound and suggested a reconciliation between Wamukwe and the alleged culprit for mutual forgiveness.