Mourners at the home of the slain Tabiruka Tefiiro in Bupalama village, eastern Uganda. (Morning Star News)
Uganda Christian News has learnt of a 20-year-old from Bupalama village in Kibuku district’s Buseta sub-county who was on Sunday (15th August, 2021) tied up and murdered by his own father after he refused to forsake his faith in Jesus.
Several authorities in the district, including security officials at Bupalama police station and the LC III chairperson Mr Sadiki Wawire, have condemned the murder.
The victim, identified as Tabiruka Tefiiro had been living and working in Kampala since he put his faith in Christ in 2019. Morning Star News reported that amid pressure from family members to return to Islam, Tefiiro agreed to come back on Aug. 1 but continued to exalt Christ, a decision that angered his Muslim family.
His father, Mr Kasimu Kawona, was away from home until Saturday (14th August, 2021), when he called a family meeting to question Tefiiro, relatives told Morning Star News (MSN).
“I am mature enough to join any religion that I feel like because I am above 18 years old,” Tefiiro told his father, according to his aunt who spoke to media.
“I want to confirm that I am saved by the grace of God. I can’t renounce my Christian faith now or in the future,” the victim added.
Kawona left home, angry but silent, and only returned the following day (15th August) with a knife and hoe and struck his son, who managed to escape to a neighbor’s house.
“He followed Tefiiro and forcefully entered the house and forced him back to the homestead, where he tied him up and started beating him with the hoe,” sources told MSN. “He fell down unconscious. He then hanged him up.”
Morning Star News reported that the wailing of Tefiiro’s mother and other relatives at the home where Kawona had hung his son with a rope by the neck gathered many at the premises.
“When I arrived at Kawona’s house with other neighbors, we found the father outside the house,” the area chairperson, Hassan Kwiri, said. “He told us that he had killed his son who had disgraced the Islamic religion by becoming a Christian.”
Many in Bupalama village are concerned Kawona was not charged with murder when brought to the Bupalama police station, but slapped a lesser charge of manslaughter because “he killed his son in anger for leaving Islam.”
Speaking to MSN, the victim’s pastor in Kampala, unnamed for security reasons, said he felt police should have charged Kawona with murder.
“I strongly condemn the brutal act of killing people in the name of religion,” Chairperson Hassan Kwiri told media.
The LC III chairperson, Sadiki Wawire, stated: “I was shocked to hear that a member of my area had killed his son.” Wawire continued: “I condemn the act, and I hate anyone who takes away someone’s life in such a brutal manner.”
