National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Promise Rotimi
Seventeen human skulls buried in metal boxes were discovered at a suspected shrine in central Uganda, police reported on Tuesday.
The grisly find was made by children searching for firewood near Kabanga village, close to Mpigi town, approximately 40 kilometres west of Kampala.
According to local media, residents alerted the authorities to the presence of metallic boxes containing what appeared to be human skulls.
“We swiftly moved in and excavated the area, uncovering 17 human skulls so far,” said regional police spokesman Majid Karim in an interview with AFP.
He added that further excavations are being conducted to ensure no additional skulls are present.
The police are working to identify the age and sex of the remains and determine when they were buried.
Karim urged the public to remain calm, acknowledging that many residents were shocked by the discovery.
He stated that authorities would thoroughly investigate the situation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the skulls’ recovery and identify those responsible.
The origin of the skulls remains unclear. Local media reported that the site had previously been a gathering place for worship.
Police noted that the suspected owner of the site is currently on the run, linked to another case involving the murder of a prominent traditional Baganda leader, entrepreneur Daniel Bbosa.
Bbosa was reportedly killed by hired gunmen in Kampala as he returned home from work in February.
Mpigi district, though densely populated, retains a semi-rural character, with agriculture playing a significant role in the local economy.
Coffee and bananas are the main cash crops and staple foods.
The district is connected by a major road linking it to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
