Traditional healer denounces his practices after prayer at rdc’s Office

25 September 2026, 5:54 am

By Jeffrey Okwong

A man who had planned to begin practicing as a traditional healer in Pader District has renounced his practices after receiving prayers at the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), where he had gone seeking authorization to formally begin his activities.

Kenneth Opira, 48, a resident of Awere Sub-county in Pader District, is one of six siblings in his family, comprising three brothers and three sisters.

Opira said he started practicing traditional healing in 2019, harvesting herbs from the forest to treat people, a practice he said was passed on to him.

He said he has now received Jesus Christ and accepted that what he had been doing was not the right thing for someone who wants to walk with God.

He said he had been part of the Uganda National Traditional Herbalists and Healers, where he had been designated as chairperson in Pader District.

Opira said he did not yet have any members under his leadership and had gone to the RDC’s office to seek authorization so that he could return to the communities and begin identifying other potential traditional herbalists and healers across the district.

He said the planned term of office was two years.

According to Opira, he had treated many people suffering from different illnesses before abandoning the practice, charging his clients a maximum of Shs50,000.

He said his practice relied entirely on plants and their roots and that he did not use living things such as chickens or goats in his healing practices.

Opira said his involvement in traditional healing was inherited, explaining that the practice had been passed on to him.

He said he had initially been informed by his colleagues in Gulu City to report to the RDC’s office, according to a letter dated September 1, 2026.

However, he said unavoidable circumstances at home prevented him from reporting on the earlier date, prompting him to come to the office on Thursday.

Opira said his intention was to obtain authorization to formally start his activities and identify other traditional healers in communities across Pader.

He said the encounter at the RDC’s office instead led to him being prayed for and deciding to abandon his former practices.

Opira also said he had experienced what he described as spiritual disturbances, which he attributed to the devil, before he was prayed for and “saved.”

He said items associated with his former activities, including a rosary and a tag identifying him as the chairperson of traditional herbalists and healers in Pader, were burnt.

Augustine Omongin, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, confirmed that Opira had come to the RDC’s office carrying documents and seeking a recommendation or verification before beginning his activities in the community.

Omongin said officials questioned Opira about the nature of the activities he intended to undertake and why he wanted to move from household to household in the communities.

According to Omongin, the encounter provided an opportunity for officials to speak to Opira about Christianity, after which he willingly agreed to renounce his former practices.

He said Opira accepted a Bible, confessed his faith and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.

Omongin said authorization for traditional healers also involves their respective umbrella organizations, which are expected to provide guidance and identification for members before they begin operating in communities.

He explained that Opira was seeking to establish himself as a traditional healer in Pader, but officials were concerned about his intention to move from household to household without proper introduction or verification from the relevant organization.

Omongin said the process of verifying such practitioners is important because traditional healing practices can sometimes create confusion over the treatment of illnesses, including cases where people may be misdiagnosed.

He said Opira’s decision to denounce his former practices was voluntary and followed discussions at the office.

Omongin welcomed the development, saying the government promotes peaceful coexistence while encouraging communities to embrace responsible practices and the country’s values.