Police in Sheema District have arrested a Muslim cleric on charges of trafficking at least seven young girls.
Imam Zubail Bwengye, who also serves as the director of Darul Uloom Markaz Faux LDT, was taken into custody following a tip-off from local residents, according to Greater Bushenyi police spokesperson Marcial Tumusiime. Authorities allege that the human trafficking incident took place on November 11, 2024, in Kitagata Town Council, Sheema District.
The imam is accused of trafficking seven children, all under the age of 12, with the youngest being just 3 years old. Police are investigating the circumstances, noting that Darul Uloom Markaz Faux LDT is not a registered school and that it’s unusual to have only seven pupils in a teaching setting. Statements are being collected from the children’s parents before the girls are returned to them.
The investigation began after local residents alerted the authorities, urging them to rescue the children who had allegedly been held by the imam for over five months under the pretense of Quranic education.
According to Sheema District Inspector of Schools Zebede Mwijukye, the girls are from Sheema, Mbarara, and Ntungamo districts. They were reportedly housed in a small, two-room building—one room serving as both their classroom and dormitory, while the other was used as the living quarters for the imam and his wife.
Tumusiime added that the rescued girls have been indoctrinated to reject formal education and adopt beliefs that their bodies should be fully covered.