Lwengo Businessman, Pastor Arrested Over Guns Abandoned By Runaway Worshiper

Sulaiman Kakeeto, a local businessman in Lwengo district, and Mark Kaliisa, a Pastor from Souls Healing Church in the neighboring Lyantonde district are in trouble in connection to two guns abandoned by a runaway worshiper. Kakeeto was arrested alongside Pastor Kaliisa, who had hosted an unidentified male worshiper who later abandoned two AK-47 guns at his home. 

Twaha Kasirye, the Acting Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, says that the two are helping security to investigate the whereabouts of the runaway worshiper who allegedly abandoned the guns on Friday. The man had allegedly gone to Pastor Kaliisa’s home for divine healing for his mental challenges. 

According to Kasirye, police recovered the two guns on a tipoff from village leaders who had obtained reports about the abandoned rifles that had been wrapped in a piece of luggage. Kasirye says that in his statement, Pastor Kaliisa told the Police that he had hosted a mentally unstable man at his home for prayers, but out of curiosity, he searched his bag only to find out that it contained two dissembled guns. 

It is alleged that after the search, there ensued a scuffle, in which the worshiper named Kakeeto as one of his collaborators in robberies and that he was destined to receive the two guns. Kasirye says that upon interrogations, Pastor Kaliisa claims that he attempted to arrest and deliver the suspect to authorities but he wrestled him down, before disappearing through a swamp in Kalegeero, between Lyantonde and Lwengo districts.   

"Besides the pastor, the security teams have found it necessary to pick up the said businessman, and investigations have already started to establish the truth about this report. We are also interested in tracking the movements of the runaway worshipper before he was hosted for prayers, this will also help us to find his associates,” he said.

However, Pastor Kaliisa, who is in custody at Mbirizi Police Station in Lwengo district insists that he only played the role of a Good Samaritan who offered to feed and accommodate a mentally unstable man with intentions of reforming him. 

Similarly, Kakeeto also feigns ignorance about the runaway suspect and his alleged operations, arguing that he is a victim of mistaken identity. He has pleaded with security to expedite investigations such they can arrest the real culprits.