According to police on Wednesday, a well-known Ugandan pastor who is a vocal supporter of President Yoweri Museveni was hospitalized following a shooting incident that claimed the life of his bodyguard.
Aloysius Bugingo was shot on Tuesday night, according to Ugandan police, when "unidentified assailants opened fire on (his) vehicle... before swiftly escaping the scene on a motorcycle".
According to them, an inquiry has been opened into "the unfortunate death of Pastor Aloysius Bugingo's bodyguard, Muhumuza Richard, and the attempted murder of Bugingo."
As the leader of the House of Prayer Ministries, one of the most significant Pentecostal churches in the nation of religious East Africa, Bugingo is a divisive figure in Uganda.
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In addition, he controls his own radio and television networks, which he uses to promote Museveni—who has ruled Uganda since 1986—unconditionally.
"Despite sustaining injuries during the attack, Pastor Aloysius Bugingo managed to transport the vehicle to Mulago Hospital," police added.
"Regrettably, his bodyguard, Muhumuza Richard, succumbed to the assault and was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital."
They said Bugingo was "undergoing medical treatment and is under close monitoring."
The opposition frequently takes offense at Bugingo's support for the president and, more recently, his son, who is thought to be the next in line. The pastor responds to this animosity in his sermons by openly criticizing the opposition.
