New Vision, Kampala, 23 September 2002

Negligent Herdsman Gets 20 Strokes

By Vision Reporter

A herdsman in Nabinyonyi Village, Iganga District got 20 canes for neglecting cows under his custody.

Bumali Wakibi, 27, was attending a court session when the cows he was looking after strayed and caused havoc in a nearby maize plantation. The incident happened recently.

According to a reliable source, the LC1 court was interrogating a man believed to have engaged in bestiality with a goat in the nearby bushes. The man had been frog-marched to the LC chairman's place.

Word soon spread like bush fire with people rushing to see the shameless man. Bumali was among those who abandoned whatever they were doing to go and watch. He perhaps forgot that he was looking after cattle.

With court in session, and people seriously calling for the accused to demonstrate his antics, an alarm from a lady pierced the air.

Everyone was caught off guard. Save for the bestiality culprit and a few fellows, all rushed in the direction of the alarm.

Over 20 cows ravaging a maize garden greeted them and it never took long to identify the herdsman as one of them.

Bumaili attempted to take to his heels but before he could disappear, the crowd caught up with him and dragged him to the chairman's place.

He was subsequently given 20 strokes of the cane, one for each cow and told to take extra caution.