Scare at immigration as man shows up with snake in bag
The snake that was found in a bag carried by one of the guests at Immigration offices in Kampala recently. PHOTO/KARIM MUYOBO
What you need to know:
- Mr Mundeyi went on to caution the general public not to carry huge bags to immigration, citing limited space.
A smartly dressed man caused a scene at the immigration offices in Kampala when he showed up with a snake in his bag.
Mr Simon Peter Mundeyi, the spokesperson of the Internal Affairs ministry, said when the strange man was asked why he had carried such a dangerous reptile (a cobra), he said it is his "brother" and that he moves around with it wherever he goes.
"We have overtime intercepted people carrying all types of strange items including most recently, somebody came with a bag containing a very big snake but thankfully our security personnel handled it well, otherwise it would have caused problems at our offices," Mr Mundeyi said yesterday during the weekly press briefing in Naguru, Kampala.
He added: "The snake was a cobra, black in colour, coiled and we thank God that the security officer did not put his hand to try to check the bag. I wonder how a sane Ugandan, who is coming to seek services of passports at the ministry to come with a snake in a big bag."
He went on to caution the general public not to carry huge bags to immigration, citing limited space.
"We ask members of the public seeking services at the Ministry of Internal Affairs not to come with heavy bags or any other thing that may be seen as a security threat. These are things we do not allow at the Ministry so please if you are coming to the ministry for services, please come with a small bag, we do not have space to keep bags because of limited funds, we have not constructed a place to keep bags, "Mr Mundeyi said.
He added: "If you have your snake or pet, leave it in the car before you approach the Ministry security gate."
There have been reports of some communities in the country living in harmony with reptiles and other pets.
When contacted, the Buganda Kingdom minister for Culture and Tourism, Mr Anthony Wamala, said: "I hear [people give birth to snakes] but I am not sure because I haven't seen it."
Dr Evelyn Nabunya, the executive director of Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital, said she has no knowledge of a woman giving birth to an animal.
