By Our Reporter
KATAKWI
Police in Katakwi District are currently investigating a woman who is accused of swindling individuals out of money by falsely claiming she could free families from bondage.
Stephen Opolot, the LC1 Chairperson of Ajokomot Village, said a woman who claimed to be Christine Abayo, also known as Nalongo and from Moru ‘A’ village in Getom Sub County, deceived over 200 victims out of nearly sh4 million.
She posed as a prophetess who would pray and fast before a Catholic priest was to come and deliver families from their troubles.
According to Opolot, Abayo required families to pay sh60,000 for the purchase of 12 large candles, priced at sh6,000 each, which she claimed were to be used by Fr. Patrick Achedu from St. Ann Catholic Parish-Usuk during his visit for deliverance.
Abayo conducted prayers and fasting in these homes, falsely claiming that Fr. Achedu would later come to perform the final deliverance.
In addition to the candle fees, Opolot mentioned that Abayo solicited sh2,000 contributions from each person for food, requested a tithe, and even demanded that locals provide her with goats and chickens, stating she was tired of eating beans and wanted a change in her diet.
“What troubles me the most is that this woman would force women to refrain from bathing for the five days they spent praying and fasting. She pushed people to eat spoiled meat while she indulged in a diet of a Rolex of ten eggs daily along with bottled water, all funded by the money she took from the locals,” he said on October 19th, 2026.
Opolot recounted how he confronted them about their activities in his community.
While claiming they would seek his permission, he became suspicious of their intentions after receiving information that they were misusing Fr. Achedu’s name to scam people. Upon asking for the priest’s contact number, Abayo provided a number that he later discovered belonged to her lover John Olupot.
According to Opolot, Abayo would call her partner, Olupot, who would be nearby and pretend to be Fr. Achedu, responding to calls and further deceiving unsuspecting individuals.
“Because Olupot was ever within, he would tell the attire an individual to be delivered is put on in the congregation but while hiding behind the house and this made people believe that this lady was a prophetess,” Opolot explained.
After nearly two and a half weeks of conducting these fraudulent activities across various families, Abayo was arrested at the home of Capt. Ben Okiror from the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), a division of Uganda’s Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, alongside the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
Capt. Okiror reported that he had paid Abayo sh1.1 million, while a neighboring family contributed sh2.61 million, and another family added sh238,000, bringing the total to sh3.948 million over three months in Ajokomot and Akulume villages within Angodingod Sub County.
During a conversation, he mentioned that it was when Abayo advised his family to take a week off before returning to their normal routines that they began to worry, especially since they hadn’t seen Fr. Achedu since her involvement started.
Capt Okiror recounted how they reached out to Fr. Achedu, who was unaware that his name was being misused to deceive people, and he instructed them to seek the arrest of the culprits.
He noted that families sometimes purchase as many as 12 candles, only to be asked by the ‘prophetess’ for additional contributions to buy even more, claiming the initial candles hadn’t been effective.
Capt. Okiror expressed his desire to get his money back from Abayo.
Upon hearing this news, a woman named Florence from Soroti city shared her troubling experience, stating that Abayo had stayed at her home and had falsely obtained money from her and her friends so that she would deliver them before later disappearing with her baby flask.
“This suspect caused a rift in my family by telling my husband that I frequently consult witchdoctors and also claimed my husband was in love with someone else, which led to our divorce a few weeks ago,” she explained.
Florence further revealed that while conning people in Soroti, Abayo used the names of Fr. Waziwazi Ongereny and Fr. Deo to gain their trust and deceive them out of money.
Apolice investigator at Angodingod police station who preferred anonymity reported that four individuals, including Abayo and her partner Olupot, along with Olupot’s father John Francis Olupot and Ketty Agwang, are currently in custody for obtaining money under false pretenses.
A police officer noted that this was the first instance of such cases being reported to their station, and he emphasized the need for the police to educate communities on more honorable ways to earn a living rather than exploiting the vulnerable.
Olupot mentioned that he had met Abayo in Katakwi town council about two months prior and expressed his intention to marry her.
He claimed that it was Abayo who suggested he contacts Fr. Achedu, who allegedly agreed to come for a deliverance session.
However, when asked for the priest’s contact number, Olupot stated that he didn’t have it but that it was his partner Abayo who would know.
Abayo firmly refuted any claims of collaborating with Fr. Achedu.
She stated that she is a devoted Christian who has regularly attended St. Joseph Catholic Church in Abila, located in Getom.
However, during the past two months, since she began her relationship with Olupot, she has only participated in prayer at a single Catholic church in Angodingod.
Abayo acknowledged that she initially prayed alone for her partner’s family, but her efforts drew the attention of others in need. Many individuals approached her, seeking assistance in delivering their own families, particularly those who had previously turned to witchdoctors for help.
She clarified that she only received sh300,000 from three families for purchasing candles. Additionally, Abayo admitted that she, along with others, partook in a goat and a chicken which were used by individuals on witch doctors, explaining that consuming these animals was part of their ritual to lift misfortune.
After her arrest, Abayo indicated her willingness to sell land to repay the money, explaining that by the time of her apprehension, they had already spent much of it on purchasing bricks and gravel for their planned house construction.
Fr. Achedu was unavailable for comments as his phone was off, but Fr. Gonzaga Ongereny Waziwazi, the Chancellor of Soroti Catholic Diocese, provided an update. He mentioned that Fr. Achedu was currently in a meeting.
Speaking on the situation, Fr. Ongereny emphasized that Abayo should be taken to court without delay; otherwise, he would pursue a defamation case against her.
He clarified that he does not hire individuals for prayer and fasting in preparation for his visits, implying that Abayo’s actions may be motivated by personal gain.
