Richard Malinga’s body was discovered June 17 in a pool of blood and “tied with ropes,” according to a resident who spoke with Morning Star News on condition of anonymity.
“I heard a loud wailing at around 7:30 p.m. on the main road between Butebo and Alodot village near Kayete Swamp in Akisim A village situated in Butebo District,” the individual said. “We dashed to the scene and found the victim in a pool of blood.”
Malinga, 36, had reportedly received death threats from Islamic extremists before his slaughter and texted his pastor that he had been surrounded by Muslims.
The group’s anger might have been sparked by the evangelist’s success in the Butebo District, where he preached door-to-door, to convert Muslims to Christianity.
The pastor he texted detailed some of this to Morning Star News.
“The evening of June 17, I received a short message from Malinga of being surrounded by the Muslims,” the preacher said. “I wrote back to him several times, but there was no response.”
The local resident who found Malinga’s body reportedly found his phone and called the pastor, who then informed the police about the murder.
Authorities are reportedly investigating the killing as friends and loved ones mourn.
“We as a church are very saddened for losing our active, devoted, and committed evangelist who won many people, including Muslims, to Christianity,” the preacher said.
According to Voice of the Martyrs, Uganda is a majority Christian nation, but Islamic extremism is still at work within its borders. This has led to discrimination, persecution, and other chaos. These issues are particularly problematic for Muslims who convert to Christianity.
“Radical Islam’s influence has grown steadily, and many Christians within the majority Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam,” the persecution watchdog notes. “Despite the risks, many churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out to their neighbors; many churches are training leaders how to share the Gospel with Muslims and care for those who are persecuted after they become Christians.”
As CBN News previously reported, Twaha Namwoyo, 38, and Nadiimu Katooko, 27, were a husband and wife and the parents of four children in the Ugandan village of Bulalaka. They were killed earlier this year just two months after converting to Christianity.
