Tension gripped Nakabiso Village in Kiringente Sub-county, Mpigi District, on Tuesday after a Muslim man identified as Isach Kato Kasujja reportedly refused to receive the body of his son for burial following the son's conversion to Catholicism.
The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Salim Kasujja, also known as Paul, who died following a road accident.
According to residents, Salim-Paul had allegedly been disowned by his father after abandoning Islam and converting to the Catholic faith.
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Residents further claim that Hajj Kasujja had on several occasions publicly declared that even in the event of his son's death, he would never allow his body to be brought home.
And when the son died, Hajj Kasujja reportedly refused the body from being taken into the family home.
Residents who gathered around the body at the family compound said he chased them away after they attempted to bring the body home. They claim they were later forced to return the body to the compound after mounting pressure.
The residents also alleged that while Salim-Paul was still alive, his father reportedly refused to visit him in hospital or contribute money towards his treatment after he sustained severe injuries in an accident and was referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital for specialised treatment.
"The young man was seriously injured in the accident. We rushed him to hospital and doctors later referred him to Mulago for further management, but his father refused to contribute any money. Even after his death, police brought the body home, but Hajj rejected it and we struggled to return it to the compound," residents said.
"We tried to engage and plead with Hajj Kasujja, but he completely refused. He told us to look for another place to bury him because he would not allow him to be buried among his relatives despite being his biological son," they added.
Residents later hired a tent within the compound where they temporarily placed the body after Hajj Kasujja reportedly locked himself inside the house.
The deceased's mother, Sarah Nabukalu, who was found at the scene in tears, said she was shocked by the treatment her son received after death.
"Residents called and informed me that Hajj had chased away my son's body. I no longer stay in that home because we separated long ago. They told me Hajj rejected him because he changed religion. My son probably chose to follow my faith, but Hajj should never have treated his own child this way," she said.
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Residents condemned Hajj Kasujja's actions, accusing him of mistreating his own son even after death.
By the time of filing this report, Hajj Kasujja was reportedly in hiding and unavailable for comment, while local leaders had not yet issued any statement regarding the matter.
Additional information received later indicated that Hajj Kasujja allegedly ordered the body removed entirely from the compound where residents had placed it, insisting that it be buried elsewhere, reportedly at the deceased's maternal ancestral home.
Residents say the disagreement centred on the deceased's decision to change religion.
