Pastor, family burned alive in Islamist attack

NAIROBI, Kenya — Islamist villagers in eastern Uganda burned a pastor and his family to death after he led three Muslims to faith in Christ, the pastor’s brother said.

Pastor Weere Mukisa, his 25-year-old wife, Annet Namugaya, and their two daughters, 7-year-old Judith Banirye and 4-year-old Sylvia Bamukisa, died when the assailants set fire to their home shortly before 3 a.m. on Oct. 13, said the church leader’s brother, James Tusubira. Pastor Mukisa was 30.

The tragic attack took place in Kibale village, Mpumiro Parish, Bulange Sub-County, Namutumba District. Pastor Mukisa had led the Muslims to Christ in September.

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“When the three young Muslims converted to Christ, my brother started receiving threatening messages that he should stop any contact with the three young converts, and that the act committed is against the teaching of Islam to not join the religion of infidels,” Tusubira told Morning Star News.

Tusubira said he saw flames and smoke coming from the family’s home at 2:48 a.m.

“We rushed to the scene of the incident and found the house torched and the five bodies burned beyond recognition,” he said. “Many people started arriving till the break of the day. Plastic bottles of petrol were found outside the house.”

The assailants were from a neighboring village and were known to the pastor, Tusubira said.

The killings have been reported to the police in Kibale. Officers were hunting for the suspects, who have absconded, Tusubira said.

Villagers were in great shock and fearful over the gruesome attack, he said.

“Please pray for us so that these radical Muslims who destroyed my brother and the entire family can be brought to book,” Tusubira said.

Mother burned with acid

In Nankoma, Bugiri District, a mother of three children was beaten and burned with acid by her Muslim husband after he learned she had put her faith in Christ.

Hidaaya Nabafa, 27, was receiving hospital treatment for severe burns after the attack by Juma Nsibambi, 42, she said.

Nabafa had received Christ in August at a church in Nankoma village, undisclosed for security reasons. Keeping her faith secret, she had gone to a worship service on Oct. 9 while her husband was in Kampala.

“When I came back at 4 p.m., I found my husband at home, and he asked me about where I have been; I kept quiet for a while,” Nabafa told Morning Star News from her hospital bed. “At last, I decided to tell him the truth that I gave my life to Jesus.”

She had Christian tracts about the life of Christ, she said.

“Upon hearing my confession, he got annoyed and boxed me and started beating me up,” Nabafa said. “I tried to make an alarm for rescue, but all in vain.”

Nsibambi momentarily left, leaving her on the ground, and when he returned he poured battery acid on her, she said.

“I lost consciousness, only to find myself in the hospital bed,” said the mother of three children, ages 7, 5 and 2.

Neighbors arrived and took her to a hospital in Bugiri, where she was expected to continue treatment for a few more weeks due to the severity of the burns. She is expected to need reconstructive surgery for some parts of her body badly injured by the acid.

These attacks were the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

Originally published at Morning Star News