The phenomenon of witchcraft “Oburogo” in Bunyoro and its impact on the society

Abstract

This dissertation explores the conceptualization and understanding of witchcraft practice “Oburogo” in Bunyoro society, analyzing the motivations and its subsequent impact upon the people. The study aimed at clearing a widely misconceived practice of witchcraft to denote all Banyoro traditional healing practices. In order to realize this, the researcher used the phenomenological and ethnographic approaches aimed at reaching the indepth of witchcraft as well as the peoples lived experiences on witchcraft practice in the society. The study population included the witchdoctors, cultural leaders, as well as ordinary and elderly Banyoro; stratified according to sex, education level and economic activity. A sample size of 60 respondents was used for the study. Individual indepth interviews and observation method were mostly used in field data collection. In this, the researcher used a semi-structured interview guide and observation guide as data collection tools. The study findings indicate that Bunyoro society holds a unique understanding of witchcraft practice, with the use of metaphorical language to describe it. Witches are characterized and categorized according to the methods they use and the variant but specific duties they perfom in the witchcraft practice. The motivations for witchcraft involvement varied between witches themselves and their clients. Whereas professional witches were found to be motivated by the „evil eye‟ and fringe benefits, the clients were found to be motivated by the desire to protect themselves from enemies and attend to their daily socio-religious, economic and political crises in the society. The Banyoro perceive witchcraft to have both positive and negative adverse effects upon the witches themselves, individual users and the wider community. Though widely practiced, witchcraft and witches are considered harbingers of misery and death in the Bunyoro society, they are believed to thrive from miseries of the masses. As a result, witches are highly reviled in the Bunyoro society and this stigmatization of the perceived witches endangers the would be harmonious relationship in the local communities of Bunyoro, leading to mistrust and development of conspiracy theories in the society. The researcher concluded that the Banyoro were aware of the phenomenon of witchcraft in the society, understanding it metaphorically and descriptically in their local communities.