Human rights activists and disability advocates have called on police to urgently investigate alleged threats and an attempted ritual attack targeting a woman with albinism in Kyotera District.
The calls were made during a press briefing held in Kampala ahead of the International Albinism Awareness Day celebrations scheduled for June 13.
Olive Namutebi, the Executive Director of Albinism Umbrella Uganda, accused police in Nakatogo Village of failing to properly register and investigate a complaint filed by Sylvia Nakiyimba, despite alleged witness accounts and confessions from suspects linked to the incident.
According to Namutebi, Nakiyimba has been living in fear since March 4, 2026, after suspected attackers reportedly raided a neighboring home in Katoogo Village in Kyotera District.
Community members who reportedly apprehended the suspects alleged that the attackers admitted they had targeted the wrong home and were instead looking for Nakiyimba.
Namutebi said the incident reflects the continued dangers faced by persons with albinism due to harmful myths and ritual sacrifice practices that still exist in some communities.
She further alleged that the suspects linked the planned attack to Luwooza Gonzaga, a relative of Nakiyimba and the late Margaret Nakabubi, another woman with albinism who was murdered in 2023 under brutal circumstances.
According to Namutebi, Nakabubi’s body was allegedly found mutilated, with some body parts removed before the remains were burned. However, no arrests or prosecutions have reportedly been made in connection with the killing.
Namutebi accused officers at Nakatogo Police Station of dismissing Nakiyimba’s complaint as a “small family matter” despite what she described as credible witness testimonies and alleged confessions from suspects.
She also criticized remarks allegedly made by the Kyotera District Police Commander, who reportedly stated that courts only handle cases involving direct eyewitnesses.
Namutebi described the remarks as legally misleading and called on the Inspector General of Police to intervene immediately.
She demanded the immediate registration and investigation of Nakiyimba’s complaint, the arrest of the main suspect named in the allegations, and the reopening of investigations into the murder of Margaret Nakabubi.
Namutebi warned that attacks against persons with albinism remain a serious concern in Uganda and across Africa.
She cited Uganda’s 2025 annual crime report, which reportedly recorded 61 ritual sacrifice-related murders within a year, alongside similar attacks involving persons with albinism in neighboring countries, including Malawi.
Meanwhile, Esther Kyozira, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), urged the media and government institutions to intensify awareness campaigns aimed at protecting the rights of persons with albinism.
Kyozira noted that many people with albinism continue to face stigma, discrimination, and threats fueled by long-standing myths claiming that their body parts can bring wealth and prosperity.
The stakeholders called upon government agencies, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, and development partners to strengthen protection mechanisms, ensure justice for victims, and expand public awareness campaigns against violence targeting persons with albinism.
Speaking emotionally during the briefing, Sylvia Nakiyimba said she continues to live in fear and appealed to authorities to provide her with urgent protection and support.
The allegations raised by disability rights activists point to ongoing concerns over the safety of persons with albinism in Uganda, particularly in rural communities where harmful myths linked to ritual practices still persist.
The claims of police inaction, if confirmed, could further fuel criticism about the handling of cases involving vulnerable groups and ritual sacrifice-related crimes.
The renewed calls to reopen investigations into the 2023 murder of Margaret Nakabubi also highlight concerns over unresolved cases involving violence against persons with albinism and the broader challenge of securing justice for victims.
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