Africa-Press – Uganda. A self-styled pastor in Mityana Municipality, Samuel Kalibbala , who vanished with 20 followers and later resurfaced , is likely to face human trafficking charges and aggravated child trafficking, according to police .
Kalibbala was arrested last Friday as he sneaked into his house at around 2am. He was arrested together with 12 people including his wife and five children.
Kalibbala ’s arrest came after five of his followers resurfaced and reported to Mityana Central Police Station.
According to the Mityana District Police Commander, Mr Martin Okoyo, case files have been taken to the Director of Public Prosecution for perusal and advice.
“When the files are returned, all the adult suspects who were arrested together with Pastor Kalibbala will be taken to court to face the same charges,” he said in an interview on Thursday.
However, Kalibbala together with his accomplices have been in police custody beyond the constitutional 48-hour window, but Mr Okoyo said it’s because they were still investigating the case.
According to close relatives and friends, the ‘pastor’ asked about 20 of his followers to leave their homes for an undisclosed location as “God spoke to him that the world will soon come to an end- and they had to abandon their homes.”
Last week Mr Badru Kavuma, the chairperson of Naama Village told this publication that they are worried that Kalibbala could be leading a dangerous cult .
“They pray at night in a banana plantation and once you join their faith, the clothes which you put on when going to pray are put on fire,” he said.
Bishop Augustus Kasigwa, the chairperson of National Fellowship Born Again Churches Mityana District has since disowned Kalibbala saying he is not their member.
“Kalibbala is a teacher, not a pastor. He could be a beneficiary of the loopholes we have in our structures where anyone can wake up and call him/herself a pastor,” he said.
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