Uganda: Man Reappears Three Years After His Funeral

Wilberforce Mbulamaye, whom relatives presumed had died and was buried on June 3, 2020, resurfaced on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Bugolya Village in Budaka District, Uganda. 

Mbulamaye, 54, a father of five from Bugolya village, Nabugalo Parish, Kameruka Sub-county, departed the community on January 3, 2015, under mysterious circumstances after being freed from Budaka jail for attacking a neighbour.

He subsequently moved to the Gomba District to work as a casual labourer on several farms. He, on the other hand, did not relocate with his family and did not notify relatives and acquaintances of his location.

Balinawa Mubale, Mbulamaye's brother, told the Monitor, a Ugandan news site, that while Mbulamaye had gone to an unknown location, his spirit might take his children, saying that he died and was suffering.

“Every time it would happen, we could not take it seriously because these spirits could attack demanding the family members to go and pick the remains from Galilaya-Kisalizi in Gomba District for a decent burial at his home,” Mubale said.

He claims that the family raised money and rented a car to look for Mbulamaye's remains. 

His two possessed children accompanied the team and guided the family to the location where their father's bones were allegedly placed.

Mubale said: “Upon reaching the said place, we had to engage the police and the local leaders. 

"We explained the situation but they also didn’t know anything about my brother’s death. 

"The residents there performed rituals and called upon the demons to direct these children to show us the site and they took us to his grave near a farm.”

They retrieved a corpse wrapped in a blanket, returned home, and buried it after the required ceremonies were performed.

Mbulamaye's family was taken aback when he walked into their home alive.

Mubale on Wednesday told the Ugandan local publication, “This implies that we buried a different person, not our brother.”

On Tuesday, relatives and other residents thronged Mbulamaye’s home to perform cultural rituals to cleanse him.

Mbulamaye and the locals drank and danced the entire night in celebration of his life.