The Children of God Cult #shorts

Cults. Throughout history, they have been doing everything in the book to gain followers to their cause, whether pretending to be good and holier than thou, or shirking the mask and being downright malevolent from the start.

Arguably, it’s those cults that feign benevolence that are far more sinister. They make promises, they say they follow a cause, they say they are empowered by a higher power in order to help save the world…and more often than not, it all comes crumbling down in a wave of violence and blood.

In a word, they use religion in order to control and manipulate people…well, more so than actual religion does, that is.

Countless cults fall into this category, some far worse sinners than others, especially when they attempt to twist the beliefs of religions to fit their mold. The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God is one such example.

Founded in Uganda in the year 1989 on the basis of visions from God, it was a religious movement with the goals of spreading the word of Jesus Christ and sticking strictly to the teachings of the Ten Commandments, many times to the extreme. For 11 years they did everything in their power to gain a following and spread their message, but in their final years, they began to preach a more apocalyptic view as the new millennium fast approached. And then once the year 2000 arrived…all hell broke loose, quite literally.

Formation

To say that the country of Uganda was in a state of flux and disarray is an understatement. Between 1971 and 1979, the country was ruled with an iron fist by Idi Amin Dada Oumee, a bloodthirsty dictator with estimates putting those murdered under his rule between a staggering 100,000 and 500,000 people. On top of that, the Aids pandemic was in full swing, sweeping across the land and claiming the lives of many citizens.

During this time, many established Roman Catholic Churches were in decline due to their followers losing heart in their teachings, and because of that, many self-proclaimed messiahs rose to power and created many post-Catholic groups in the late eighties.

The origins of The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, or MRTCG for short, can be traced all the way back to the year 1960 with one Paul Kashaku. That year, he reportedly had a vision of his dead daughter Evangelista, claiming she came to him and told him he would eventually have visions of heaven, which he claimed to receive in 1988 when he saw visions of Jesus Christ, along with his parents The Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph.

These visions seemed to have passed down to his living daughter Credonia Mwerinde, at the time a shopkeeper, brewer of banana beer, and sex worker, though that last occupation might have been a false statement in an attempt to mirror Mary Magdalene. During that period, she was a member of a religious group devoted specifically to the Virgin Mary, and around that time she received similar visions to that of her father, who instructed her to spread the word of God far and wide across Uganda.

Incidents such as these were not uncommon in Uganda at the time, as there were multiple incidents where “seers” would claim to have visions of Jesus and Mary, all of which were denounced and rejected by the Vatican. However, there was one person who was touched by their preachings, and that was one Joseph Kibweteere.

Kibweteere was a prevalent member of the Ugandan Catholic community, as well as having been a politician and a locally prominent member of the Catholic-based Democratic Party in the 1970s. In 1984, Kibweteere experienced strange visions himself, ones where he was met with the Virgin Mary herself, and upon hearing of the visions of Mwerinde, he was moved. Afterwards they met up, and even though their claims were brushed aside by the Roman Catholic Church, she took Kibweteere under her wing and, along with her father, they formed The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God.

Growth and Beliefs

Soon after the formation of the MRTCG, its numbers started growing exponentially. A number of Catholics in Uganda at the time had gotten disillusioned with the church, and others had been removed from their positions within the practice, so many defrocked priests and nuns along with disgruntled worshippers eventually found their way under the roof of the new sect.

Then in 1991, a large shift in power happened when Paul Kashaku passed away, and in his place, Kibweteere became the new leader of the church. Once he came to power, he even sold off a number of his assets, including three of his properties, car and milling machines, in order to gain even greater funds as a means to spread their beliefs and gain more followers.

Their power and influence only grew with the addition of Dominic Kataribabo, a respected and popular priest with a PhD from a university in the United States. As the 1990’s chugged along, their influence grew year after year as they continued to spread their word from village to village and town to town.

They had their operation set up in a number of locations, primarily in banana and pineapple plantations, with many of their members having sold off their properties and assets in order to join the Church, with several houses along with a primary school being built in Western Uganda in order to recruit, indoctrinate and worship.

As for the beliefs of the MRTCG, to say many of them are unorthodox is an understatement. Aside from the obvious preaching the words of Jesus, their main goal was to stick to living lives strictly obedient to the words of the Ten Commandments. They were taught, or should we say threatened, that if they didn’t religiously stick to the teachings of the Commandments, then their souls would be forever damned upon the coming of the apocalypse.

One such Commandment states: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”. The belief in sticking strictly to the ancient words was so strong that many even refused to speak in order to avoid bearing “false witness,” some even taking to using sign language to communicate.

The Virgin Mary was also very prevalent in their belief system, as many of the visions from their leaders and other seers within the organizations are said to either include her or come directly from her. Mwerinde even claimed to receive direct messages from the Virgin Mary herself, being able to hear her voice through random inanimate objects.

An excommunicated priest by the name of Paul Ikazire joined the group for several years, eventually leaving in 1994 with about 70 members. When speaking of the goals of the organization, he has stated that: “We joined the movement as a protest against the Catholic Church. We had good intentions. The church was backsliding, the priests were covered in scandals and the AIDS scourge was taking its toll on the faithful. The world seemed poised to end.”

So, on paper, it seemed that the goals and views of The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God were positive, they wanted people to live their lives as God intended…but as the years rolled on, growing closer and closer to the start of a new millennium…things would take a dreadful turn for the worst.

Tick-Tock

With the year 2000 swiftly approaching, things started to change in regard to the MRTCG, and certainly not for the better. As the year 1997 rolled around, the Movement’s membership was listed at nearly 5,000 people, their numbers having ballooned from all their preaching and hard work.

The next year though, things started getting far more complicated for the higher ups, and many of their dark secrets were being brought into the light. In 1998, it was reported in the Ugandan news that the MRTCG had been shut down by the government for a number of reasons.

One such reason was the unsanitary conditions the worshippers had to live and pray in, with much of their living conditions being downright abhorrent and disgusting. Even more troubling was the fact that allegations quickly arose that the Movement was using child labor at their facilities, and that they even resorted to kidnapping children in order to bolster their clergy and workforce.

Eventually the sect was allowed to reopen by the Ugandan government, but the damage had been done, and unfortunately…the cult would act in kind.

Up in Flames

With the year 2000 approaching fast, activity within The Movement reached a fever pitch. For years, but arguably more so within that final year of 1999, the leaders of The Movement were adamant that the world would end at the start of the new millennium, that the apocalypse was close at hand.

As the clock ticked away towards the end of the old millennium towards the start of a new one, the members of the cult were urged to confess all their sins in an effort to purge themselves of all evil in preparation for the end times. Clothes and cattle were sold cheaply, past members were re-recruited, and all work in the fields ceased, all while they waited, their hearts filled with terror, for the world as they knew it…to end.

In 1999, a young member of the cult was interviewed and stated: “The world ends next year. There is no time to waste. Some of our leaders talk directly to God. Any minute from now, when the end comes, every believer who will be at an as yet undisclosed spot will be saved.”

Then January 1st, 2000, came…and as we all know, nothing happened. A new year and a new millennium came, and the world turned as it always did, no doomsday whatsoever.

Because of this, the faith in The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God decreased quickly and exponentially. Many began questioning the leaders about things, and the money quickly began to dry up, payments decreasing more and more rapidly as time went on. It even got to the point where many of the followers who had given up their finances and property to the sect became enraged about the false prophecy of doom and began demanding their money and property be returned to them.

It was then that the leaders, in a last-ditch effort to stay in control and keep the people underneath them in line, announced that the real doomsday had a different date: March 7th, 2000.

On the night before the “end of days,” the Movement had one final big celebration in Kanungu, where they roasted three bulls and drank 70 crates of soft drinks, one final party to ring in the doomsday with fun and gusto.

That’s when those nearby…heard an explosion. Neighbors and authorities raced to the scene, only to be met by the smell of flames and smoke. The church where all 530 followers of The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God had been in for the celebration was engulfed in fire, smoke filling the sky.

There were no survivors, the charred remains of every last member being found inside the burnt out remains of the building…all except for the five principal cult leaders Joseph Kibweteere, Joseph Kasapurari, John Kamagara, Dominic Kataribabo, and Credonia Mwerinde.

Unholy Aftermath

The investigation into the murders of the 530 members of the sect began immediately, and it appeared to not only be premeditated, but even more sinister than previously thought.

Several days before the fire, Dominic Kataribabo was seen purchasing 50 liters of sulfuric acid which might have been used to start the blaze, and another party was announced for the 18th that, while strangely contradictory to their apocalypse claim, was used to throw off the authorities to their plans.

Upon examining the bodies, medical examiners uncovered that a large number of those caught in the massive inferno didn’t actually perish from the smoke or the flames. Initially reported to have been strangled thanks to twisted banana fibers found around their necks, it was concluded afterwards that 395 of the worshippers had been poisoned before the explosion occurred.

It’s speculated that the Cola they had been drinking that night was laced with a deadly poison, and once those within started to succumb to its effects, the leaders lit the fuse as the other followers started to panic, barred the doors and windows, and watched as the church erupted into flames.

However, before they killed all their disciples and disappeared, it seems the holier than thou leaders had a much higher body count than initially believed.

Four days after the church fire, Ugandan authorities conducted a mass investigation on the properties of The Movement…and discovered a nightmare. Six bodies were discovered sealed in the latrine of the Kanungu compound, as well as 153 bodies at a compound in Buhunage, 155 bodies at Dominic Kataribabo’s estate at Rugazi, where they had been poisoned and stabbed, and another 81 bodies lay at leader Joseph Nymurinda’s farm.

These killings were determined to have happened approximately 3 weeks before the church fire, and in conjunction with the church victims, it’s determined that The MRTCG had amassed a total of 924 victims.

All of these facts combined to confirm the dark theory that in an act to preserve themselves and their image, the leaders of the sect eliminated their followers in the most horrid way possible.

To this day, it’s believed that Kibweteere and Mwerinde are still alive and on the run, the others now believed to either have died in the blaze or while on the lam. International warrants for their arrest have been issued and active for years ever since the incident, and in 2014, it was announced by the Uganda National Police that there were reports that Kibweteere was hiding in Malawi.

Whether they are ever caught and brought to justice for their crimes or not is unclear, but in the end, one thing is for certain. Faith and trust are very powerful and influential things, and when they are placed in the hands of one undeserving of it, one that can twist such values to their own demented ends, it can lead to the most deadly of consequences.

Key Takeaways

• The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was founded in Uganda in 1989 by Credonia Mwerinde, Paul Kashaku, and Joseph Kibweteere after claimed visions of the Virgin Mary.
• The cult gained thousands of followers by exploiting disillusionment with the Catholic Church, demanding strict obedience to the Ten Commandments and preaching an imminent apocalypse.
• When the predicted doomsday of January 1, 2000 failed, leaders set a new date of March 7, 2000 and murdered 530 followers in a church fire after poisoning them.
• Investigations revealed the cult’s total death toll reached 924 victims, with hundreds more found poisoned and stabbed at multiple compounds weeks before the church fire.
• The five principal cult leaders escaped the blaze and remain fugitives, with international warrants outstanding and unconfirmed reports of Kibweteere hiding in Malawi.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God founded?

The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was founded in Uganda in 1989.

Who were the founders of The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God?

The founders were Paul Kashaku, his daughter Credonia Mwerinde, and Joseph Kibweteere. Kashaku had visions starting in 1960, Mwerinde received similar visions, and Kibweteere, a prominent Catholic community member and former politician, joined them after having his own visions of the Virgin Mary in 1984.

What were some of the unorthodox beliefs of the MRTCG?

The MRTCG strictly followed the Ten Commandments to an extreme degree. Some members refused to speak at all to avoid bearing false witness, using sign language instead. They also believed strongly in visions of the Virgin Mary, with Mwerinde claiming to hear Mary’s voice through random inanimate objects.

Why did many Catholics join The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God?

Many Catholics in Uganda had become disillusioned with the Roman Catholic Church due to scandals among priests and the AIDS scourge. Additionally, many defrocked priests and nuns, as well as disgruntled worshippers, joined the new sect. As one former member stated, ‘We joined the movement as a protest against the Catholic Church. We had good intentions.‘

What happened when the predicted apocalypse for January 1, 2000 did not occur?

When nothing happened on January 1, 2000, faith in the movement decreased rapidly. Members began questioning the leaders, money dried up, and followers who had given up their finances and property became enraged and demanded their assets back. In response, the leaders announced a new doomsday date of March 7, 2000.

What happened on March 7, 2000 at the MRTCG church in Kanungu?

On the night of March 7, 2000, after a final celebration where they roasted three bulls and drank 70 crates of soft drinks, an explosion occurred at the church. The building was engulfed in flames with 530 followers inside. There were no survivors, and the five principal cult leaders were missing.

How were the 530 church victims actually killed?

Investigations revealed that 395 of the 530 worshippers had been poisoned before the explosion, likely through Cola laced with deadly poison. The remaining victims died in the fire. The leaders had barred the doors and windows after lighting the fuse.

What additional discoveries were made after the church fire?

Four days after the church fire, authorities discovered more bodies at other MRTCG properties: 6 bodies sealed in a latrine at Kanungu, 153 bodies at a compound in Buhunage, 155 bodies at Dominic Kataribabo’s estate at Rugazi (poisoned and stabbed), and 81 bodies at Joseph Nymurinda’s farm. These killings had occurred approximately 3 weeks before the church fire.

What was the total death toll from The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God?

The total death toll was 924 victims: 530 in the church fire and an additional 394 bodies discovered at other properties.

What happened to the five principal cult leaders after the massacre?

The five principal leaders—Joseph Kibweteere, Joseph Kasapurari, John Kamagara, Dominic Kataribabo, and Credonia Mwerinde—survived and disappeared. It is believed that Kibweteere and Mwerinde are still alive and on the run. International warrants have been issued for their arrest, and in 2014, there were reports that Kibweteere was hiding in Malawi.

Sources

• Original Into the Shadows video: The Children of God Cult #shorts
• Hero image source by Tamdra / openverse, by-sa.

Related Coverage