The Muslim husband of a mother of six in eastern Uganda severely wounded her this month as she was worshipping at a Bible study after he learned that she had converted to Christianity, sources said.
Hajati Kyakuwa Kamiyati, 45, remains in treatment for severe injuries at Bugiri Joint Clinic after the March 11 attack during the worship in Bugiri town, in the district of the same name.
Kamiyati, who made the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca last year, came to faith in Christ two months after her return. She had committed herself to regularly attending Bible study sessions in order to grow in her new faith, said her pastor, Rebecca Nakiranda.
“When I gave my life to Jesus, I was told to keep going to church so I could learn how to live as a new believer,” Kamiyati told a Morning Star News contact from her hospital bed.
She had attended services on Wednesdays and Saturdays while her husband, Mukiibi Rajabu, was away at work as a long-distance truck driver on routes to Mombasa, Kigali, South Sudan and other parts of Uganda.
Kamiyati said she suspects her husband learned about her conversion from a friend, Kyempasa Abdullah, who saw her attending church and informed him.
She said she was at Christ the King Church at 2 p.m. for a Bible study when her husband called to ask about her whereabouts. She told him she was at the market, and he reportedly responded calmly, saying he would return home in two days.
About 30 minutes later, however, Rajabu stormed into the Bible study armed with a stick and a knife as the Christians were singing praise songs after receiving Bibles for the study, according to Pastor Nakiranda. Witnesses said he went straight to where Kamiyati was standing and began attacking her.
Kamiyati sustained multiple serious injuries, including a cut on her face, a fractured hand and a suspected spinal cord injury, said church elder John Akello. She was left bleeding and unconscious before the attacker fled and disappeared, he said.
Worshippers fled in fear, and some who attempted to call police were unable to make contact, said Pastor Nakieranda.
Local authorities have yet to arrest the suspect, who remains on the run as investigations continue, the pastor said. Kamiyati remains under medical care as she fights to recover from the life-threatening injuries.
The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
