Kibwetere and the Kanungu Massacre : The Cult That Burned Its Followers | Uganda Crime Files

In March 2000, one of the most horrifying religious tragedies in African history unfolded in Kanungu District, Uganda. Followers of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, led by Joseph Kibwetere and his inner circle, gathered inside a church expecting salvation. Instead, the building was engulfed in flames, killing hundreds of men, women, and children in a single morning. What initially appeared to be a mass suicide soon revealed darker truths. Investigators later discovered mass graves across multiple locations, bodies showing signs of strangulation and poisoning, and evidence that exits had been deliberately sealed. The death toll would rise into the hundreds, making it one of the deadliest cult-related massacres ever recorded. In this episode of Uganda Crime Files, we examine who Joseph Kibwetere was, how the cult gained followers, what really happened at Kanungu, and why — more than two decades later — the full truth and accountability remain unresolved. This documentary is based on verified reporting, official investigations, and historical records.