The body of Yowabu Sebakak, killed on Aug. 19, 2024 in eastern Uganda. (Morning Star News)

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Muslim extremists with swords in eastern Uganda on Monday (Aug. 19) killed a Christian for leading Muslims to Christ, sources said.

The assailants attacked Yowabu Sebakaki as he was returning home by bicycle to his native Nyanza village, Nyanza North Zone, Nyanza Parish, Mugiti Sub-County in Budaka District, Uganda. He was 52.

In June and July, Muslims had sent threatening messages to Sebakaki, including one that read, “We are aware of some secret meeting you are undertaking. You have to stop preaching as well as converting our faithful Muslims to Christianity, and if not, then soon we are coming for your life,” according to his wife, Nambaluka Sebakaki, who had copied the messages to her phone.

After leading a discipleship class at 5:45 p.m. for new converts at a Christian’s house, Sebakaki was being transported home by David Nkomba on Nkomba’s bicycle.

“Just when we were five kilometers from reaching the homestead, at around 6:20 p.m. a motorcycle came up just behind us, and in no given time Sebakaki was struck with an object which happened to be a ‘panga’ [long Somali sword] on the back near the the neck,” Nkomba told Morning Star News. “He fell down and a then was cut by another panga at the head. Sebakaki became unconscious due to too much bleeding.”

Nkomba jumped off his bike, he said.

“Other attackers were shouting, ‘Your time a has come, and pray hard if your God will save you – you have been deceiving people about life after death given by Issa [Jesus],’” Nkomba said. “I took off, but I managed to recognize one of the attackers as Rashid Siriman, a well-known radical Muslim youth from Mbale.”

Neighbors arrived at the site and rushed Sebakaki to a hospital in Mbale, but he died on the way, his wife said.

Police in Budaka were searching for the assailants.

Sebakaki was trained in apologetics and had engaged in gospel outreach in the predominantly Muslim areas of Dhoho, Namatala, Kamonkoli, Sekulo and Mugiti, his pastor said.

While in Kamonkoli in January, Sebakaki had survived an attacked by Muslim extremists after speaking convincingly in a debate with Islamic scholars, said the pastor, whose name is withheld for security reasons.

“Radical Muslims got hold of Sebakaki and started beating him with blunt objects, but he was rescued by Christians who were in attendance,” the pastor said. “Since then, he avoided debates with Muslim scholars but instead began open-air preaching and initiated a discipleship class.”

Sebakaki had continued holding open-air events in Kamonkoli and parts of Ikiki town in Budaka District, he said.

The attack was 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 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

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