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Muslim clerics who have been killed

The Supreme Mufti of Uganda Sheik Kasule Ndirangwa (M) and Prince Kassim Nakibinge and other Muslims during prayers at Kibuli Mosque on Saturday. Photo by Colleb Mugume

The gunning down of Sheikh Mohammed Kiggundu, one of the former commanders of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) brings to the fore once again the question of who is killing clerics?

Since 2012, about 10 Muslim clerics have been fatally shot by unknown assailants. Police has in most of the cases linked the incidents to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and promised investigations.

But the Force, which in the wake of the assassination of Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga, provided personal body guards to some of the prominent Muslim leaders, has been blamed for not doing enough to protect them. We look at some of the high-profile killings.

April 20, 2012

Sheikh Abdul Karim Sentamu, a prominent Muslim scholar, was gunned down on William Street, Kampala moments after he left a mosque on the same road. His death caused outrage in the Muslim community and police vowed to hunt down the killers.

June 22, 2012
Abubaker Kiweewa was shot dead by unknown assailants at 9pm on Friday within the premises of his Prime Supermarket in Kyanja, a city suburb.
December 25, 2014
Abdul Kadir Muwaya, the Shiite leader popularly known as Dakhtur, was gunned down on Christmas Day at his home in Mayuge District. He was killed at around 9:30pm.

December 28, 2014
Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga was shot dead at Bwebajja Mosque on Entebbe Road. He was shot five times; three bullets in the left limb, one on the head and another in the stomach as he was going for Ishae prayer (the last prayer of the day).
March 30, 2015

Like the Muslim Sheikhs, unidentified assailants riding on a boda boda motorcycle gunned down Joan Kagezi, the senior principal state attorney in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb, where she had made a stopover to buy fruits. Kagezi, who was a prosecutor in the July 2010 twin bombing trial, was shot twice at close range by the assailants at around 7 am while she was seated in her official car.
May 21, 2015
Sheikh Abdulrashid Wafula, the Imam of Bilal Mosque in Mbale Town, was gunned down at around 9pm at the gate of his home in Kireka Village, Nakaloke Town Council, Mbale District.
June 30, 2015
Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Kirya was shot dead by unknown assailants on a bodaboda motor cycle in Bweyogerere, Wakiso District. He was on his way home and had crossed the road to buy some passion fruits when the incident happened. Three other people were wounded during the incident. Sheikh Kirya had earlier informed police that he feared for his life after a number of his colleagues were killed in related incidents by unknown assailants.