The National Unity Platform party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, has condemned the recent gun violence used in the assassination attempt of Pastor Aloysius Bugingo, the head of the House of Prayer Ministry in Kampala.
He took to his X handle on Friday, May 5, 2023, and demanded a detailed investigation into the incident.
Kyagulanyi, who is currently in the United States of America to engage with his sympathizers, said he was shocked by the reported attack on Pastor Bugingo, whom he claimed had been quite harsh against their opposition struggle to remove the ruling party.
“I was shocked but not surprised by the alleged gun attack on Pastor Bugingo that left his assistant, driver, church elder, and UPDF-SFC bodyguard dead. Gun violence has been so normalized in Uganda that every time an incident like that happens, we are all left wondering who the next victim might be,” Kyagulanyi said.
He questioned why such previous incidents have never been conclusively investigated by security.
“When we complain and demand that crimes are investigated, the regime apologists claim we’re simply doing politics, until they’re the victims. In any case, so many times, after such an incident, we have been told that critical evidence in these murders or attempted murders has gone missing from government stores or that case files have been stolen. Suspiciously, they often claim that CCTV cameras were not working at the time or the CCTV footage went missing,” Kyagulanyi added.
According to Kyagulanyi, many citizens are questioning whether the attack was real or stage-managed.
“Whatever it is, I send sympathies to Pastor Bugingo, his family, and all those who fellowship at House of Prayer Ministries. I also send my sympathies to the family of the deceased, Richard Muhumuza,” he said.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Bwalakata junction along National Housing Road in Namungona, Rubaga division.
Police say they are reviewing CCTV footage in hopes of identifying the attackers, who fled the scene on a motorcycle. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and authorities have assured continuous updates as more information comes to light.