Police has waded into the circumstances of death of a 25-year-old pastor hours after he allegedly outperformed his opponent in a Christian-Muslim debate.
They are treating as a prime suspect, an imam who participated in the debate alongside Pastor Bernard Mulongo of New Restoration Church of Christ.
The pastor had attended an open-air Christian-Muslim dialogue in Butebo District, in Eastern Region of Uganda, following which two Muslim women reportedly converted to Christianity.
Narrating the circumstances, fellow pastor David Omala said the atmosphere around the debate grew volatile after two Muslim women publicly converted to Christianity following Mulongo’s convincing submissions.
One of the Muslim participants had become visibly angry, reportedly accusing Pastor Mulongo of misleading Muslims and of using the Quran to draw people towards Christianity.
Mulongo had travelled to Mbale specifically for the religious event, and the hostility that followed both the debate and the radio appearance may have played in his eventual death.
The deceased pastor’s friend, Robert Mukisa, shared that the two were riding together on a motorcycle towards their accommodation when a group of men on motorcycles cut off their path in Jami village, roughly nine miles from Mbale.
Mukisa said one of the attackers accused the pastor of drawing people away from Islam.
Mukisa himself fled the scene and immediately alerted police. When officers and church leaders reached the location, Pastor Mulongo was found dead, bearing multiple injuries to his head, chest, back and hand.
His body was transferred to Mbale City Mortuary for a postmortem examination before being released to his family for burial in Butebo District.
Sources familiar with the investigation say the imam who is among those under investigation has allegedly gone into hiding.
Police has also launched an investigation, but no arrests had been announced.
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