Pastors want more security after Bugingo shooting incident

Senior Pastors have asked Police to expedite its inquest into a murder attempt on their counterpart Aloysius Bugingo, of House of Prayer Ministries in Kampala.

Pastor Bugingo was on Tuesday evening attacked by unknown assailants along Namungona Zone 2, Kasubi, Rubaga Division, at Bukalasa Junction along National Housing Road in Kampala, as he headed home.

However, his bodyguard, Richard Muhumuza from the elite Special Forces Command (SFC) was killed.

Police said the shooting targeted Pastor Bugingo but offered no clear attack motive, prompting his colleagues to theorise what may have been the assailants’ motive.

Pastor Martin Ssempa of Makerere Community Church, says he suspects the Pastor Bugingo shooting incident was due to his preaching against homosexuality, adding that he has also received several death threats because of his evangelism against the vice.

“It is possible that Bugingo’s preaching may be annoying some people. I have also received death threats because of preaching against homosexuality. Bugingo is also one of those people against homosexuality,’’ he said in an interview on Wednesday.

Pastor Ssempa has asked “President Museveni to upgrade pastors’ security,” saying their “lives are in danger.”

“Pastor Bugingo’s attempted elimination shocked me a lot. That very day, I decided to stay in a hotel in Kampala, I never wanted to travel. I said: ‘this is a wave of killing pastors now.’ I was extremely concerned about my own safety,’’ he added.

But Pastor Solomon Male of Arising for Christ Church in Kampala, wondered why a pastor would have SFC soldiers, who are normally a reserve for “for politicians”.

“What was he (Bugingo) afraid of by having an SFC? He trusts God and tells people to trust God, but trusts a gun and a guard instead of God whom he always preaches about.”

“I don’t have a bodyguard, lead car or escorts, I only trust God. Religious leaders should put away guns and trust God,’’ he said.

Pastor Male claimed that many clergymen are involved in sodomy, fraud and land grabbing, while other people have lost land to some Pastors and are hurt- so, people hire killers because they have failed to get justice.

Pastor Zachariah Sserwadda, of Evangel Church in Jinja, condemned the attempt on his colleague’s life and urged the government to protect all Ugandans from such attacks.

“I don’t know whether he had some conflicts with anyone. Although he is involved in politics, his level of politics can’t reach the extent of fueling an assassination,’’ he said, adding that the murder attempt has created fear amongst most of them.

Pastor Paul Batambuze, of New Creation Church in Jinja City, described as “unfortunate” for a Pastor, who is not into active politics, to receive an assassination attempt.

“Bugingo is not into politics, but we pray for peace in our country,’’ he told Monitor.