Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda tortured a pastor before brutally murdering him with a sword because he brought a number of Muslims to Christ and refused to sell land for the building of a mosque.
According to Morning Star News (MSN), in July, 38-year-old pastor Robert Bakulubanywa of Bubulanga Victory Church in the Kibuku District, was on his way home from a church gathering "when a band of Muslims killed him near his house".
"They grabbed him, then tied him up and cut him with very sharp pang [sword]," local residents told the outlet.
Bakulubanywa's wife revealed that Muslims in the area had threatened the pastor a number of times due to the large amount of youth converting to Christ.
"The Muslims had issued several warnings to him to stop converting the Muslims to Christ, especially the youth," she told MSN. "For over a month the Muslims have been pressuring us to sell a piece of land to them for the construction of a mosque, but my husband refused."
She revealed that she first sensed something was wrong when a Muslim neighbor approached her and urged her family to be "very careful and leave the Muslims alone."
Despite such warnings, Bakulubanywa continued to minister to the local community. On the day of the pastor's murder, his wife became very worried when he failed to return home by 9 pm.
"I telephoned a neighbor who had accompanied the pastor, and he informed me that some five Muslims stopped them on the way and started questioning Robert on several issues, including taking their young boys to church. The talk got tense, and one of them tightly got hold of him. The neighbor then took off for his life, leaving my husband struggling with the gang."
After looking for her husband for several hours, she found him lying in a pool of blood. In addition to his wife, Bakulubanywa leaves behind four children, ages 3, 6, 8 and 10. Thus far, local authorities have done little to find the killers.
"The killing has left area Christians confused, frustrated and fearing for their lives," reads the MSN report. "One area resident said Christians need prayer for God to raise another pastor who is passionate in reaching out to Muslims with the gospel."
According to the 2014 census, Christians make up over 84% percent of Uganda's population, while 14% percent of the population adhere to Islam (mainly Sunni). However, Christians in the eastern region of the country are nonetheless suffering continual attacks by Muslim extremists. In addition, there have been reports of Christian converts being killed and others excommunicated by their loved ones.
Last month, a Muslim man tied his 9-year-old son to a tree and burned him to death because he embraced Christianity, sources said. The father was quickly released without bail.
In May, Zirinkuma was Micah Byamukama, pastor of Kasecha Baptist Church, died at Kabweri Health Center after ingesting an insecticide that a Muslim villager was suspected of putting into his food.
Earlier that same month, a Muslim strangled his wife to death for leaving Islam and embracing Christianity, relatives and neighbors said.
