Extremist Muslims in Kenya Kill a Christian Convert
The four Christian workers were returning to Bugiri, Uganda, after a four-day outreach in Kenya when they were attacked near Busia, Kenya. At least 10 Muslims blocked their return by placing stones in front of their motorcycles at about 6:30 p.m., said a survivor, evangelist Rooney Masaba of Uganda.
The four Christian workers were returning to Bugiri, Uganda, after a four-day outreach in Kenya when they were attacked near Busia, Kenya. At least 10 Muslims blocked their return by placing stones in front of their motorcycles at about 6:30 p.m., said a survivor, evangelist Rooney Masaba of Uganda.
Masaba said the evangelists explained to them that their campaigns were not meant to be dialogues about Islam and Christianity targeting Muslims but merely imparting the good news of Christ. During the campaign, he said the workers had spent mornings on in-home visits and afternoons on open-air evangelism.
“The Muslims further questioned us that they were not happy about the conversion of their fellow Muslims, especially their relatives, during their door-to-door mission outreach,” Masaba said. “This led to the discussion getting more tense, and there and then, one of the Muslims got hold of Ismail Wafula and pierced him with a sharp knife on the neck, chest, and stomach, and he sustained terrible wounds on the head. He then fell down bleeding.”
Others tore their Bibles to pieces and began assaulting members of the team, he said.
“We started screaming, wailing, and calling for help,” Masaba said. Thank God for an approaching vehicle and for some people nearby arriving.”
The attackers fled, and the arriving helpers took them to a nearby hospital, where Wafula was pronounced dead, Masaba said. Wafula, a convert from Islam, was 30.
At this writing, Martin Senkubuge, 32, was still receiving hospital treatment for wounds to his head, a broken left leg below the knee, and an injured eye, Masaba said. Masaba, 28, and 26-year-old Ruben sustained minor injuries.
During their outreach, Masaba said, several Muslims put their faith in Christ, including two prominent men who had recently made a pilgrimage to Mecca and a wealthy woman who sponsored Islamic activities in the Busia area.
Previously, the team had received threatening messages from Muslim leaders warning them to stop Christian outreach, he said.
Church leaders have notified police, and officers are investigating, he said.
Wafula, of Busia, Kenya, was formerly a Muslim who had put his faith in Christ in January 2021 due to the outreach by the three evangelists from Bugiri, Uganda. He joined the evangelistic team from Uganda in December, and in the March 8 attack, the assailants accused him of being a traitor and an enemy of Islam, Masaba said.
