Prime
Govt warns of new wild disco dances at burials
People conduct a burial during the Covid-19 pandemic. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The dances dubbed “matanga” are common in the eastern border districts of Mbale, Malaba, and Busia.
Government has warned the public about the new trend of wild dances at burials.
While addressing the weekly media briefing in Kampala, Ms Agnes Igoye, the deputy coordinator for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons at the Internal Affairs ministry, said the dance dubbed “matanga” are common in the eastern border districts of Mbale, Malaba, and Busia.
He said the dances are attracting people, mainly the youth, from as far as the neighbouring Kenya, and that the same have resulted in deaths and sexual harassment.
“One last thing that is very disturbing is a trend that I am told originated from Kenya called disco matanga. It has spread now in Buisa, Tororo and now in Mbale,” Ms Igoye said.
“Children are now escaping from school because of music and it normally starts from 5pm to morning...,” she added.
Police records indicate that whenever the matanga dances happen, at least four people die.
Ms Igoye advised the public to mourn the dead peacefully and quietly.
She also warned the public about the trafficking of children under the disguise of kadodi, the circumcision dance, practised by the Bamasaba.
“We are increasingly warning parents about these situations because their children are escaping from home to go for kadodi. This is because there is theft and also peddling of drugs,” she said.
Ms Igoye added: “Actually, there is one child who was found and he was narrating how young children were put in the truck and they were given Shs100 each with sweets so that they board the truck, the police are now investigating where they were taken.”.
