In the night of Tuesday last week, renown Pastor Aloysious Bug of House of Prayer Ministries International survived an assassination attempt. Unknown assailants in Namungoona opened fire on Bugingo’s car, resulting in the death of his bodyguard Richard Muhumuza.
Simon Peter Kaswabuli, currently serving as Deputy RCC for Mbarara City, has been closely associated with Pastor Bugingo for the past 13 years. Kaswabuli, who used to be Bugingo’s friend back when Bugingo was a hawker in Kisenyi Kampala, has been responsible for security and event organizing tasks at Bugingo’s events, including large crusades conducted in various locations.
Bugingo has relied on Kaswabuli to engage security agencies like the police and UPDF to ensure safety at these gatherings. Kaswabuli received generous financial support from Bugingo for his role, as well as permission to establish a security company called ECCOS Security Services Ltd. However, Bugingo recently terminated the services of this company due to undisclosed reasons.
Kaswabuli had ambitions of securing a government job to enhance his connections and CV. Despite being deployed as an RDC in different locations, he continued to prioritize his role in Bugingo’s establishments due to the financial benefits.However, Bugingo grew suspicious of Kaswabuli’s loyalty and confronted him about his alleged involvement with enemies seeking to undermine Bugingo’s interests. It was revealed that Dennis Mukulu, a former Church Administrator, was connected to Kaswabuli and had been providing sensitive information about Bugingo’s operations to outsiders.
Prompted by these concerns, Bugingo terminated Mukulu’s employment.After Bugingo was shot, Kaswabuli’s behavior raised security suspicions. He was the first to arrive at the hospital and the mortuary, and he took custody of Bugingo’s damaged vehicle without consulting Bugingo or the church leadership. Kaswabuli’s actions, as well as his close relationship with the police, have puzzled investigators.
Kaswabuli has already been interrogated by CMI investigators and his phones confiscated for further examination. He was also questioned about the firearms acquired for the HPMI without the authorization of the church leadership. In response to the growing concerns, Bugingo has terminated all security services provided by Kaswabuli’s company.Kaswabuli has complied with the termination and removed his belongings from Bugingo’s establishments.
Despite his dismissal, Bugingo has expressed willingness to settle any outstanding financial matters with Kaswabuli. Additionally, Bugingo has stated that Kaswabuli’s role as head of security is no longer viable due to his busy schedule as an RDC.Mulengera News has established that Kaswabuli has this Monday evening been compelled by both UPDF and Uganda Police Office deployed at Canaan to receive the Bugingo termination letter after which he removed all his belongings (including firearms for his company) from the office premises Bugingo had allocated him at Canaan land.
He has since moved out totally with Bugingo making it clear he is prepared to pay off Kaswabuli for whatever might be pending regarding the security services his company has been offering. In the same letter, the Pastor makes it clear that Kaswabuli equally ceases to be head security at both the church and media organisation premises because his RDC job makes him too busy to be available and to have sufficient time to serve at both Canaan land and the Salt Media headquarters based in Lungujja.
Sources say that Kaswabuli would have resisted being fired and moving out of the Canaan security offices but was overwhelmed by the force with which the UPDF and Police officers demanded that he gets out. In fact, after removing his things and surrendering the office for occupation by the UPDF, Kaswabuli was once again herded back to CMI in Mbuya to undergo more interrogation and quizzing.