Residents storm eatery protesting being fed python meat

Kamuli, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There was drama in Kasaka-Buyobo zone in Bulopa sub county in Kamuli district on Thursday morning when angry residents stormed an eatery, which specializes in mudfish accusing the proprietor, Minka Kyabike of feeding them python meat.

Trouble started after 15 residents who ate at the eatery on Wednesday developed stomach complications and were rushed to Kamuli general hospital where they are admitted. Residents say that they were tricked into eating the python meat thinking it was the usual mudfish served at the eatery.

They however claim that after developing stomach aches, they interrogated Kyabike who confessed to selling them python meat after failing to catch mudfish from the wetlands. Juliet Babirye, one of the victims says the eatery sells affordable mudfish and none of them ever suspected that the owner would serve them snake meat.

“We always eat mudfish from this local eatery, since the owner sells to us reasonable boiled pieces of fish at 500 Shillings each, but it surprised me that he would stoop this low and sell to us snake meat instead,” she said.

Susan Musekwa, another victim says that the snake sauce was tasty and Kyabike has been selling it to his customers for the past two days. Musekwa says that on eating the sauce on Wednesday, she felt uncontrollably thirsty and decided to seek medical attention after receiving information that she had eaten snake meat.

Kyabike says that his children had spent days without food and since he could rarely harvest mudfish from the wetlands, he resolved to trap a snake with an aim of selling it and getting money to feed his family.

Moses Lyagoba, the Assistant Kamuli District Health Officer says that some of the victims are experiencing allergies. He however says that since Kyabike cooked the snake after extracting all its intestines, it will not have long-lasting effects on the victims.

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