by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - An evangelist who led Muslims to Christ in eastern Uganda was found dead in a pool of blood and tied with ropes soon after he texted his pastor that he was surrounded by Islamists, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Described by his Baptist church in eastern Uganda’s Pallisa District as a “devoted evangelist,” 36-year-old Richard Malinga was found dead in the evening of June 17 at Kayete Swamp in Akisim A village, Butebo District, MSN reports.
He had reportedly been receiving threatening messages from Muslim extremists in Budaka, Kadama, Butebo, and Pallisa.
“The evening of June 17, I received a short message from Malinga of being surrounded by the Muslims,” Malinga’s pastor, whose name is withheld for security reasons, told MSN. “I wrote back to him several times, but there was no response.”
A local resident who found Malinga’s body told MSN: “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. We dashed to the scene and found the victim in a pool of blood. We found the victim dead and tied with ropes.”
The police have launched an official murder investigation, file No. CRB 178/2024, MSN said.
“We, as a church, are very saddened for losing our active, devoted and committed evangelist who won many people, including Muslims, to Christianity,” Malinga’s pastor said.
Christianity is legal in Uganda but Christians are vulnerable to vicious attacks by Islamists enraged at the conversion of Muslims to Christ.