Seventeen human skulls buried in metal boxes were discovered at a suspected shrine in central Uganda, police revealed to AFP on Tuesday. Children foraging for firewood near Kabanga village, close to Mpigi town, about 40 kilometers west of Kampala, stumbled upon the grim find on Monday, according to local media.
Residents informed police about metallic boxes containing what seemed to be skulls buried at the shrine. “We swiftly moved in and dug up the place, and so far we have recovered 17 human skulls,” said regional police spokesman Majid Karim. He noted that further excavations were ongoing to ensure no additional skulls were buried there. The remains are being examined to determine their age, sex, and burial period.
Karim urged the public to remain calm, acknowledging that some residents were in shock. He assured that officers would investigate to establish the circumstances and identify those responsible for the burials.
The origin of the skulls remains unclear. Local media reported that the site had been a gathering place for worship. Police mentioned that the suspected owner of the site is on the run, linked to a separate case involving the murder of Daniel Bbosa, a prominent traditional Baganda leader and entrepreneur. Bbosa was killed in Kampala by hired gunmen as he returned home from work in February.
Despite being semi-rural, Mpigi district is densely populated with agriculture as the main trade. Coffee and bananas are the major cash crops and staples, and a major road connects the area to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
