by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
KALIRO, Uganda (Worthy News) – A Christian pastor was seriously injured after being attacked by a group of Muslim assailants wielding sharp objects in eastern Uganda, according to an exclusive report by Morning Star News.
Pastor Joseph Kanooni of the Revival Mission Centre Church was assaulted on December 21 at about 6 p.m. while alone inside his church compound in Kaliro, where he was preparing for an overnight prayer service. Pastor Kanooni said five Muslim men confronted him, accusing him of “misleading their children” by encouraging them to attend church.
The attackers, armed with sticks and sharp objects, reportedly beat the pastor until he lost consciousness. From his hospital bed, Pastor Kanooni told Morning Star News that he tried to defend himself but was overwhelmed by the group. He later regained awareness while receiving medical treatment.
Church members arriving later found him badly wounded behind the church building. He sustained deep cuts to his hand and back and was calling out for help. Solomon Kiseka, a member of the congregation, said they had brought food to the pastor and began searching when they could not find him inside the church. He was rushed to a nearby clinic for first aid before being transferred to a hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Pastor Kanooni identified two of the alleged attackers as Ismael Mukulu and Fahadi Kuluza, men he said had previously threatened him following public religious debates during evangelistic outreaches.
Police in eastern Uganda were reportedly searching for five suspects connected to the attack, though no official statement had been released at the time of reporting. Local church leaders condemned the assault and urged authorities to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and brought to justice, while also calling for calm among local communities.
Over the past 40 years, Uganda has seen explosive Gospel growth, emerging from political turmoil to become one of Africa’s most vibrant Christian nations. Evangelical and Pentecostal movements spread rapidly through revivals and church planting, and today over 85% of Ugandans identify as Christian.
Although Uganda’s constitution and laws guarantee “religious freedom,” including the right to “propagate” faith and convert, Christian converts often face attacks in practice.
Muslims comprise about 12% of Uganda’s population, but Christians face the most pressure in the eastern regions, where Muslim communities are highly concentrated.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Reverend Jesse Jackson, the influential civil rights campaigner and former presidential hopeful described by his family as “a servant leader,” has died at age 84.
Senate Republicans say they have enough support within their 53-member conference to pass the SAVE America Act, but overcoming a Democratic blockade may require reviving the rarely used “talking filibuster.”
The U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense have transported a small nuclear reactor by military cargo aircraft for the first time, marking a significant milestone in President Donald Trump’s push to expand advanced nuclear energy across the country.
President Donald Trump on Monday directed federal authorities to step in and coordinate cleanup efforts following what he called a “massive ecological disaster” in the Potomac River after a major sewer line collapse in Maryland.
A large Second Temple–era stone workshop that supplied Jerusalem’s Jewish population some 2,000 years ago has been uncovered on the eastern slopes of Mount Scopus, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Monday.
The United States has moved to replenish its stockpile of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-buster bombs, it was revealed this week, as tensions with Tehran remain elevated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel will not accept any arrangement allowing Hamas to retain weapons, warning that the terror group must fully disarm or face a renewed Israeli military campaign in Gaza.