Acts 7:57-60 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
A scene reminiscent of the biblical stephen happened to a young pastor in Uganda.A 25-year-old pastor was allegedly killed hours after participating in an interfaith religious debate, with investigators reportedly treating one of the event’s participants as a key suspect.
Pastor Bernard Mulongo of New Restoration Church of Christ attended an open-air Christian-Muslim dialogue in Butebo District before joining a local radio programme to continue the discussion.
Threats After the Debate
Fellow pastor David Omala said the atmosphere around the debate grew volatile after two Muslim women publicly converted to Christianity in the course of the proceedings.
According to the Christian Post, Omala alleged that one of the Muslim participants became visibly angry following the event.
The imam reportedly accused 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 he believes the hostility that followed both the debate and the radio appearance may have played a role in what unfolded that night.
Attack on the Road to Accommodation
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 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.
Suspect Reportedly on the Run
Sources familiar with the investigation say the imam is among those under investigation and has allegedly gone into hiding.
Police launched an investigation, but no arrests had been announced at the time reports on the incident were published.
The constitution protects freedom of religion, including the right to change one’s faith and to practise religious beliefs openly.
Mulongo’s death has renewed concerns about the safety of faith leaders engaged in interfaith outreach and the broader climate of religious tolerance in the region.
