Dennis Zziwa, a second-year law student at Kampala International University, was hospitalised following severe beatings he received during a Good Friday reenactment of the "Way of the Cross" in Mbuya, Uganda. Zziwa was playing the role of Jesus Christ at the event held at Our Lady of Africa Church, where a large crowd had gathered for the annual passion play. Witnesses reported that some participants, caught up in religious fervour, used real whips and sticks during the procession, leading to Zziwa sustaining visible injuries. He was treated for lacerations and bruises after being rushed to a nearby hospital. Church officials stated that the reenactment is intended to be symbolic and that the level of violence was not sanctioned. No arrests have been made. A parish spokesperson said, "We did not expect the situation to escalate to that extent."
A student playing a biblical figure ended up in hospital because a religious performance blurred into physical harm. When reenactments invite real violence, even with no criminal intent, the line between devotion and danger disappears. This incident shows how ritual intensity can override safety, especially when roles are taken too literally. For Nigerians who stage similar passion plays, the question is whether such events are monitored to prevent injury in the name of faith.
