The reported shooting involving Senior Pastor Aloysius Bugingo of the House of Prayer Ministries, where he sustained injuries and his bodyguard, Corporal Richard Muhumuza, lost his life in a city suburb on Tuesday night, has ignited a storm of speculation, condolences, and skepticism across social media.
Pastor Bugingo’s ordeal unfolded when he reportedly took a bullet to the back, miraculously surviving the attack, while his bodyguard, Corporal Richard Muhumuza, seated beside him, faced a tragic end with over 10 gunshot wounds. In a grim twist, Pastor Bugingo managed to transport the fatally injured Muhumuza to Mulago Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival.
The narrative of Pastor Bugingo’s escape and his subsequent drive to the hospital has become a topic of intense debate. According to accounts from the pastor’s employees, he attributes his survival to a mysterious voice instructing him to take cover below the steering wheel when the assailant opened fire. Some believe it was a spiritual intervention that enabled him to evade the hail of bullets.
However, skepticism has crept in among social media users who question how the shooter could have missed the pastor at close range and doubt the reported injury to his back. Queries emerged as to why Pastor Bugingo chose to head to the hospital instead of the police station immediately after the incident.
The controversy gained momentum as discussions turned towards the deceased, Corporal Muhumuza, recognized as an elder in the ministry and a close associate of Pastor Bugingo. Initial confusion surrounding Muhumuza’s identity deepened when Pastor Bugingo referred to him as an elder in his church during the first media interview. Subsequent revelations by security agencies identified him as a soldier deployed to guard the pastor.
Fueling the intrigue, social media activists raised questions about the unusual circumstance of a pastor being protected by a military unit, typically assigned to safeguard the president and critical facilities. A former State House employee took to Twitter, questioning this arrangement, prompting a response from a retired military general. The general dismissed the question, suggesting a more pertinent inquiry would be about Pastor Bugingo’s identity and the legality of holding dual roles as a pastor and an intelligence officer or commander.
