A Ugandan evangelist, Philip Bere, has been killed for converting some Muslims to Christianity.

Bere, 33, according to Morning Star News, was killed at an event in eastern Uganda on September 6.

The 33 years old evangelist was riding on his bicycle back home in Katiryo, Kibuku District after an evangelistic event in Kituuti town when he was killed by some persons who hit him with a big rock.

Bere, a popular preacher in the Buseeta, Lwatama, Katiryo and other areas, was with Mudenya Sirasi, who had assisted him at the evangelistic event, when the incident occurred along Kataka-Katiryo road.

Sirasi said during the event, many people including some Muslim women and two young Muslims men gave their lives to Christ.

Giving the account of the incident, he said they were both attacked at about 7.40 p.m. after the evangelistic event by people who were shouting that they (evangelists) were not supposed to live.

“We heard people talking from both sides of the road at a nearby bush saying ‘they are the ones who converted our members today, they are not supposed to live, but to be killed.

“From nowhere, one man who was stationed in front of us grabbled our bicycle that we were riding on and hit Bere with a blunt object on his back,” he said.

Sirasi said once he was hit with the object, Bere fell while he (Sirasi) jumped off the bicycle and entered a tunnel under a bridge where he hid himself.

He added, “I could see the attackers brutally injuring my friend. One of the attackers hit him with a big stone, and he bled to death.”

Sirasi said after the assailants left Bere’s body in a pool of blood, he alerted Christians and police, who took the body to a hospital for post-mortem.

Speaking on the incident, the pastor of the church where Bere was a member said the police officers took statements on the killing and were searching for the killers, who disappeared after committing the dastardly act.

“Our evangelist was killed because his passion for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, especially to Muslims,” the pastor, whose name was not given for security reasons, said.

Despite the provision of religious freedom in the Ugandan constitution, Christians in that country are regularly persecuted by Muslims who make up only about 12 per cent of the population. The attacks are noticeable in eastern Uganda.