“According to preliminary police findings, Ssegawa fell ill about three weeks ago while staying at his family’s ancestral home and instead of seeking medical help, relatives placed him under the exclusive care of a local pastor, Margret Nelima, also known as Nabbi.”
The Police in Mukono district have arrested a self-proclaimed Prophet who allegedly denied a sick man treatment on claims that prayers were enough to make God heal him from the sickness.
According to police, the man later died but the ‘Prophet’ again kept the dead body and continued with the prayers with the expectations that he would resurrect.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson has identified the suspect as Margret Nelima, also known as Nabbi and the deceased as Asse Ssegawa (40), a resident of Butinindi village in Terere Parish, Ntenjeru-Kisoga Town Council in Mukono district.
Owoyesigyire said that ‘Prophet’ Nelima has been arrested together with the deceased’s relatives including his mother, Eseza Nakalanzi (65), who is also a pastor, Suzanne Nakonde the deceased’s sister, also known locally as “pastor”.
The suspects are being held at Kisoga Police Station as the deceased’s body was picked by police and taken to hospital for a post-mortem examination to reveal the actual cause of death.
“Police in Mukono District have launched a full investigation into a shocking case of rash and negligent conduct that resulted in the death of 40-year-old Asse Ssegawa and a disturbing attempt by relatives to secretly keep his decomposing body inside their home while praying for his resurrection,” Owoyesigyire said.
He revealed that; “According to preliminary police findings, Ssegawa fell ill about three weeks ago while staying at his family’s ancestral home and instead of seeking medical help, relatives placed him under the exclusive care of a local pastor, Margret Nelima, also known as Nabbi.”
According to police, ‘Prophet’ Nelima together with the deceased’s mother, sisters, and other family members, conducted repeated prayer sessions and denied the ailing man all medical treatment.
“Even at the point when Ssegawa’s condition worsened, they did not seek any medical attention until he eventually died. But the family, allegedly following the pastor’s instructions, refused to report the death to the community,” he adding;
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“Instead, they kept the body inside the house for several days, continuing to pray over it in hopes that he would rise again, even as decomposition set in. The grisly scene was uncovered only after neighbours detected a foul smell and went to check on the household. They found Ssegawa’s remains in an advanced state of decomposition, prompting an immediate police response.”
Owoyesigyire stressed that Police condemn the conduct as reckless, dangerous, and criminal, warning the public against substituting critical medical care with unregulated spiritual interventions.
Authorities emphasized that denying treatment to the sick or keeping a body at home for prolonged “spiritual rituals” violates both the law and basic human dignity.
