Dramatic! Corpse Beaten After ‘Refusing’ To Be Transported To Kisoro For Burial

A family transporting the body of a relative for burial in western Uganda was thrown into distress after their vehicle broke down multiple times along the Kampala-Masaka Highway, triggering a tense scene in which some mourners struck the corpse with sticks.

The family was travelling from Nabbingo to Kisoro District to bury Moses Ahimbisibwe, 46, a boda boda rider who had died at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital after battling diabetes and high blood pressure. The journey began on Monday at around 7pm in what appeared to be normal conditions, but the vehicle, a Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa, soon began developing intermittent mechanical problems before breaking down completely in Lukaya in the early hours of the morning.

Geoffrey Tibihika, a family member coordinating the burial arrangements, said the vehicle had appeared to be in good condition when they set off, but it kept failing before finally grinding to a halt. When efforts to restart it proved unsuccessful, mourners removed the body and placed it by the roadside, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Tension quickly set in among the mourners. Some recalled that Ahimbisibwe had previously made remarks suggesting he would “cause trouble” after his death, a statement that had unsettled several people close to him. As anxiety grew, a section of the group attributed the repeated breakdowns to supernatural causes. In the commotion that followed, some mourners struck the corpse with sticks, describing it as a cultural response to the unusual events unfolding around them.

Local residents reacted with a mix of concern and curiosity. Lukaya defence secretary Isa Male Wasswa said the incident was unlike anything commonly seen in the area. “This is not something we see every day. People are trying to make sense of it in different ways,” he said.

Police eventually intervened to restore order. Lukaya Division Police Commander Cyrus Besimire arrived at the scene, engaged the family, and ensured the body was returned to the vehicle. “The situation was brought under control, and we advised the family to remain calm as arrangements were made to continue the journey,” Besimire said.

The vehicle resumed its journey under police escort, accompanied by boda boda riders and local residents. However, it broke down again at Bbajja and later at Mukoko, further prolonging the ordeal. Police directed the driver to pull the vehicle off the road to avoid disrupting traffic as investigations into the repeated mechanical failures continued.