{"id":6510,"date":"2025-05-12T17:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T14:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuss.mak.ac.ug\/en\/?p=6510"},"modified":"2025-06-22T19:07:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T16:07:37","slug":"over-2000-attend-makereres-dialogue-on-traditional-spirituality-herbal-medicine-witchcraft-and-questions-of-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chuss.mak.ac.ug\/en\/over-2000-attend-makereres-dialogue-on-traditional-spirituality-herbal-medicine-witchcraft-and-questions-of-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 2,000 Attend Makerere\u2019s \u00a0Dialogue \u00a0on Traditional Spirituality, Herbal Medicine, Witchcraft and Questions of Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In one of the most intellectually provocative events in recent memory, over 2,000 participants\u2014online and in person gathered at Makerere University on Thursday for a historic public dialogue titled \u201cTraditional Spirituality, Herbal Medicine, Witchcraft and Questions of Truth.\u201d<\/em> The forum, hosted by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), drew academics, students, researchers, spiritual practitioners, and members of the public to explore issues often considered taboo in formal education. By <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2:00 pm, the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology\u2019s Conference Hall was filled beyond capacity, forcing latecomers to seek alternative venues or follow the conversation through livestreams. Zoom was capped at 500 users before the official start, while over 1,000 more followed via YouTube. The dialogue extended into the evening, with audiences riveted for more than five hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clash of Paradigms: Philosophy Meets Spiritual Practice<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of the event were two divergent but deeply respected voices: Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, philosopher, ethicist, and renowned cartoonist, and Dr. Yahaya Hills Kagali Sekagya, a traditional spiritualist, herbalist, and trained dental surgeon with a PhD in Public Health. Sekagya also studied Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decolonizing Knowledge and Defending Indigenous Science<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Sekagya, Director of PROMETRA Uganda and a global voice in traditional medicine, provided a nuanced defense of African spirituality and indigenous healing practices. Moving fluently between biomedical terminology and metaphysical concepts, he highlighted the depth and legitimacy of knowledge embedded in African cosmologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spire and Sekagya during the convesation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although often judged by his appearance\u2014he wore a spiritual robe during the event\u2014his academic and medical credentials challenged stereotypes about traditional healers.  Many who initially dismissed Sekagya as a \u201cwitch\u201d based solely on his attire, were shocked upon hearing of his scientific training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Dialogue That Defied Boundaries<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Their dialogue dissected the boundaries between indigenous healing systems, spiritual worldviews, modern science, and Western rationalism. The discussion traversed numerous academic and epistemological fields\u2014philosophy, sociology, engineering, religion, psychology, and medicine\u2014emphasizing that complex issues such as truth and healing cannot be understood through isolated disciplines. Both speakers called for an integrative approach to knowledge that includes the arts, humanities, and traditional sciences alongside STEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key take away was that, \u201cKnowledge is not confined to university departments. We need philosophy to understand medicine, and we need spirituality to understand psychology. The human experience is too complex for a single lens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo: \u201cThe More You Know, the More Knowledge Humbles You\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo delivered a powerful address on the necessity of openness, intellectual humility, and epistemic justice . He was  gave the  motivation behind hosting the public dialogue interrogating African spirituality, herbal medicine, and the boundaries of science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ssentongo opened with a moment of synchronicity involving the name “Augustine,” moving  into a parable about Saint Augustine and the mystery of divine knowledge. He used this story to underline a key point: that human understanding is always partial, and that true wisdom begins with acknowledging how little we truly know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always want to imagine that we know the world so well,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we fail to acknowledge that the world is so complex. There are more things than we can ever know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing from Socrates\u2019 declaration\u2014\u201cI know that I don’t know\u201d<\/em>\u2014Ssentongo urged fellow academics and participants to adopt a humble posture toward knowledge, rejecting the arrogance that comes with narrow-mindedness or disciplinary silos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He addressed the backlash surrounding the event, including accusations of promoting witchcraft, with sharp critique and clarity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You don\u2019t have to agree with something to understand it\u2026 It\u2019s our unwillingness to engage that empowers ignorance and exploitation\u2014whether in herbal medicine or religion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ssentongo challenged the binary thinking<\/strong> that dominates academia and social discourse, particularly how indigenous knowledge is marginalized through labels like \u201calternative medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat language is not innocent,\u201d he warned. \u201cIt has already created the main\u2014the authentic\u2014and the alternative. And we keep building these binaries which are very detrimental to understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lamented the politics of knowledge production, pointing out that powerful interests from pharmaceutical companies to religious establishments often dictate what is recognized as legitimate knowledge, thereby stifling critical inquiry into African spiritual and healing practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a moment of warmth and humility, Ssentongo lauded guest speaker Dr. Sekagya for his depth of knowledge and gracious composure, despite being prematurely judged based on appearance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe profile people based on what\u2019s already in our minds. When you do that, you build a wall that blocks understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He closed with gratitude to the organizing teams, university leadership, and the patient audience, reminding all that the session\u2019s six-hour length was testament to the power of curiosity, intellectual freedom, and dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more you know, the more knowledge humbles you,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I love humble people\u2014that\u2019s the sign of true education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principal Nkabala Applauds Groundbreaking Dialogue on Truth and Decolonisation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While closing the dialogue, Associate Professor Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), reflected on the boldness of the topic, Prof. Nkabala admitted initial concerns over whether enough publicity had been done for such a sensitive conversation. But her concerns quickly gave way to admiration for the depth and courage of the discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the very reason the college exists,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are not afraid of speaking about the things many are afraid to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She praised the dialogue for achieving the core mission of the Humanities and Social Sciences: to broaden perspectives, enhance global awareness, and deepen our understanding of human behaviour. With confidence, she noted that all participants\u2014whether in-person or online\u2014had walked away transformed in their thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Principal making her closing remarks online<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Nkabala commended Dr. Sekagya for integrating science with cultural and spiritual frameworks<\/strong>, and Dr. Spire Sentongo for initiating a conversation that challenged binaries and inspired creativity. She mentioned emerging ideas such as \u201cdeep green spirituality\u201d and renewed interest in electromagnetics, highlighting how the discussion had sparked innovation beyond the humanities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis shows that the conversation we have had has really inspired people\u2014and they are becoming more innovative than they would have wanted,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With gratitude, she acknowledged the CHUSS team, Makerere University management and all participants. Her message was clear: this was not a one-off event, but a starting point in a series of transformative engagements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust watch this space,\u201d she said, promising more impactful dialogues to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She then invited Deputy Principal Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich Ochen to offer closing sentiments on behalf of the college, adding a \u201cphysical touch\u201d to the collective appreciation for such a powerful and memorable gathering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

One of the Most Impactful Symposiums at Makerere: Deputy Principal Applauds Courageous Dialogue Bridging Humanities and Science<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Using a metaphor from astrophysics, Prof. Awich likened human understanding to the work of space telescopes like Hubble, which, despite operating for decades, can only capture a fraction of the vast cosmos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven what the telescope is showing us is less than 1% of what\u2019s out there,\u201d he remarked. \u201cThat tells you how little we know\u2014and how much more there is to question, explore, and understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also offered warm praise to Dr. Sentongo, whose public image as a cartoonist and columnist is matched by a deeply intellectual and humble personal presence. Sentongo, he revealed, is preparing to exhibit new creative work that continues this exploration of truth and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Assoc. Eric Awich Ochen delivering his remarks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The deputy principal applauded the panelists and especially Dr. Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu, the symposium\u2019s moderator from the Department of Religion and Peace Studies, for guiding the complex conversation with clarity and balance. He described her selection as the “best choice that could ever happen for this symposium.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Awich also emphasized how the themes of the day\u2014truth, spirituality, medicine, and the decolonisation of knowledge\u2014are not merely academic curiosities but essential areas of inquiry for understanding African identity, history, and global positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is very good for our students,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s humbling, and it’s intellectually nourishing. I have been deeply moved and educated by this dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He closed by inviting all participants to \u201cwatch this space\u201d for future dialogues that will continue to push intellectual boundaries and make CHUSS a cornerstone of Makerere\u2019s global thought leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you again for coming. Whether you were here physically or joined us online, we are grateful. And I promise, this is just the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Bold Dialogue on Truth, Decolonisation, and African Knowledge Systems<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Pamela Khanakwa, Dean of the School of Liberal and Performing Arts at Makerere University, called on scholars, students, and the wider public to embrace African epistemologies, challenge colonial legacies, and confront entrenched biases in the understanding of truth and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy should we fear these conversations?\u201d Dr. Khanakwa asked. \u201cOur dialogue today seeks to interrogate the little understood and often blurred lines between traditional African spirituality, herbal medicine, and witchcraft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Pamela Khanakwa deliversing her speech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The she said formed part of Makerere’s broader initiative to decolonise education and expand the frontiers of knowledge by re-examining the role and validity of indigenous African practices in modern society and a reclamation of African intellectual space<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khanakwa\u2019s address was not merely ceremonial; it was a scholarly critique of how colonial regimes distorted African worldviews and knowledge systems, relegating them to the margins of legitimacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat was African\u2014our indigenous knowledge\u2014was labelled barbaric, primitive, demonic, evil,\u201d she said. \u201cMeanwhile, Western belief systems, especially biomedicine, were centralized as the standard of progress and truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She pointed to laws like Uganda\u2019s Witchcraft Act of 1957<\/strong> and Zimbabwe\u2019s Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1899<\/strong> as colonial tools used to criminalize African religious and healing practices, reinforcing the hierarchy between Western science and African spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These laws, she noted, continue to influence public policy and education, often excluding or diminishing traditional healing and metaphysical systems that millions on the continent continue to rely on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blurring the Line Between Science and Spirituality<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Khanakwa challenged the false dichotomy between science and non-science, noting that many African healing practices dismissed as superstition may simply be sciences that remain understudied or misunderstood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about if what we consider witchcraft is actually science which has not yet been unlocked?\u201d she asked, raising the example of traditional bone-setters who reportedly mend fractures remotely\u2014an observation met with nods and murmurs of agreement from the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A section of participants during the dialogue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She also referenced the lingering stigma within academic institutions, sharing a conversation with a colleague in veterinary sciences who was wary of interacting with social scientists because of perceived connections to witchcraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis fear and ridicule are rooted not in reason, but in the colonial devaluation of African knowledge,\u201d Khanakwa explained and called for critical appraisal, not blind reverence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While deeply rooted in the cultural reclamation agenda, Khanakwa emphasized that the event was not a platform for blind celebration of all traditional practices. Rather, it was a space for critical epistemic appraisal<\/em>\u2014an honest, analytical exploration of what constitutes truth, and who gets to define it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are not just here to romanticize indigenous knowledge,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are here to examine it rigorously, question the boundaries, and reclaim intellectual agency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She framed the dialogue as both an academic and civic responsibility, rooted in the liberal arts tradition of open-minded inquiry and debate- a knowledge without borders<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a nod to African communalism, Dr. Khanakwa closed her remarks with an invitation to inclusivity and collective growth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn an African house, there is always space for one more. You cannot lock someone out in the rain because you say the house is full.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spirit of intellectual hospitality, she argued, must extend to epistemological spaces\u2014where truth is not confined to laboratories or lecture halls in the Global North, but also resides in shrines, herbs, rituals, and oral traditions passed down through generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she welcomed the day\u2019s speakers, Khanakwa reiterated Makerere University\u2019s commitment to being more than an academic institution: a site of African self-discovery, healing, and intellectual sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Questioning the Scientific Method and Medical Colonialism<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dickson Kanakulya, Head of the Department of Philosophy at Makerere University, issued a critique of society\u2019s fear of \u201cuncomfortable knowledge\u201d and  positioned Makerere as a courageous leader in pushing intellectual frontiers that others fear to approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMakerere is not fearful to explore all aspects of knowledge,\u201d Dr. Kanakulya declared. \u201cThat is what has made this institution great\u2014we ask the questions that others are afraid to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Dickson Kanakulya speaking during the opening session<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The event\u2014attended by over 2,000 people both in-person and online\u2014was part of a growing series of intellectual forums led by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) that challenge conventional paradigms of science, truth, and African knowledge systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kanakulya used the platform to interrogate the longstanding hierarchies that have historically labeled indigenous knowledge as superstition or witchcraft. He drew attention to how rituals, symbols, and metaphysical practices in African traditions have been ridiculed, while similar elements in Western religious and scientific institutions are normalized or revered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy is it that when a Pope wears red or conducts elaborate rituals, it\u2019s considered sacred\u2014but when an African elder wears a leopard skin, it\u2019s \u2018witchcraft\u2019?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhat is the psychoanalytic message behind those colors, garments, and rituals?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referencing comparative burial rituals\u2014from Vatican ceremonies to the traditional burial of a Omutaka<\/em> wrapped in over 200 barkclothes\u2014he questioned the global double standards that determine which practices are called \u2018holy\u2019 and which are dismissed as irrational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are not just asking religious questions\u2014we are asking epistemological questions: who defines what knowledge is, and who gets excluded?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps most provocatively, Dr. Kanakulya challenged blind reliance on what he called the \u201cso-called scientific method,\u201d especially in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCOVID-19 raised a very serious question: does the scientific method work?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhen the pandemic struck, even our most decorated scientists ran and hid. Vaccines were promised, but not available. And yet, African herbal knowledge\u2014like Professor Ogwang\u2019s COVIDEX\u2014saved lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He praised Ogwang\u2019s use of traditional medicinal knowledge passed down by his mother to develop a treatment that gained national certification and public trust during the health crisis, even while being initially discouraged by the scientific establishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some of the attendees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kanakulya described this contradiction as \u201cmedical colonialism\u201d\u2014a phenomenon where Western institutions continue to control narratives around health, healing, and legitimacy, despite relying on indigenous knowledge for drug development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver 60% of pharmaceutical drugs have roots in traditional herbal medicine. Yet we are told the version made in the lab is superior to the one made by God. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Echoing themes from thinkers like Descartes, Richard Rorty, and Albert Einstein, Dr. Kanakulya urged attendees to reconsider the very nature of knowledge and reality. He connected traditional African metaphysics to emerging fields like quantum physics, highlighting how both challenge fixed notions of objectivity and material reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTraditional African science believes that molecules and cells are constantly absorbing information\u2014through light, sound, and energy. That\u2019s what quantum mechanics now confirms,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhen elders say a stone remembers what happened, and science says DNA remains at crime scenes, are we not talking about the same phenomenon through different lenses?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He raised challenging philosophical comparisons: summoning a person\u2019s spirit in a water basin vs. seeing their face on a smartphone screen. Both, he argued, deal with unseen connections and transmissions of information. So, which one is called witchcraft\u2014and why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe question of witchcraft is a question of epistemology. It\u2019s not just a cultural issue; it\u2019s about how we define reality and truth. It is time to decolonize those definitions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanakulya also connected philosophical inquiry to policy questions, especially the right to health in African constitutions. He noted that 80% of Africans rely on traditional medicine, yet it remains underfunded, un researched, and stigmatized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the right to health is a human right, then herbal medicine must be mainstreamed,\u201d he said. \u201cWe cannot continue to rely on knowledge produced in Western laboratories when we have solutions rooted in our own environment and history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing rising rates of non-communicable diseases among Africans under 30, he warned that Africa\u2019s future is being shaped by pharmaceutical industries and researchers who are not accountable to local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have our DNA in labs. They are designing drugs for African genes. That is medical colonialism. And you think you are free because you raise a flag on Independence Day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kanakulya concluded with a call to embrace philosophy as a tool for critical inquiry and emancipation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhilosophy asks the uncomfortable questions. Are you in love or are you dreaming? Are you alive or are you merely existing under illusions passed down to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He urged the academic community to take seriously African forms of knowledge\u2014including metaphysical and spiritual practices\u2014and to move beyond outdated colonial binaries of science vs. superstition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWitchcraft is not just in shrines. It\u2019s in churches, markets, and technology. The real question is not whether it exists\u2014but how we understand it, and what truths we are afraid to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remarks set a powerful tone for the evening\u2019s dialogue and reinforced the role of the Department of Philosophy as a leading voice in deconstructing knowledge hierarchies at one of Africa\u2019s oldest universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Looking Forward<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The event has sparked interest in more dialogues exploring spirituality, healing, and knowledge systems. Students and staff reportedly requested future sessions, including modules on electromagnetics in traditional healing and \u201cdeep green spirituality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the sun set on Makerere Hill, the session ended not with closure, but with a challenge\u2014one issued implicitly by every speaker and participant: to keep questioning, keep listening, and to rediscover the wisdom that centuries of erasure have tried to silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can access the Public Dialogue, \u201cTraditional Spirituality, Herbal Medicine, Witchcraft and Questions of Truth<\/em> \u201c <\/strong>on YouTube channel@https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FWwK5fbeIBk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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