Security ramped up at ETM church

Nov 14, 2016

This follows a fire that gutted the church on Monday night. Arrests have been done.

The Police in Kampala have heightened the security around ETM International Church, a Pentecostal Church that was set on fire last week.

 On Sunday, several policemen were seen all over the church, with some doing body and vehicle searches for those accessing the church for prayers.

A Monday night fire at the church left a lot of property destroyed and part of the church burnt to ashes.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said police will take a 24/7 strong security measures around the church following the incident.

"It's our mandate to protect the people of Uganda; we have taken strong security measures around this church to ensure maximum security to the believers of the Church," he said.

Kayima said investigations are going on to find out the cause of the blaze, seen by some as an attack on the church.

"There some issues which have come up. We are going to investigate all of them and see where the real problem is coming from."

Meanwhile, during the Sunday service, Pastor Ronnie Makabai said the ‘attackers' must have been sponsored by some prominent pastors who are seeing ETM International as a growing threat to their churches.

He told the congregation he had received several anonymous phone calls threatening his life before the fire. "I was forced to shift from my home and get a shelter somewhere because of these threats."

Julius Bireke, one of the pastor's assistants, said they were first physically attacked late last year when some five men were arrested from the church area with petrol and acid.

He said they reported the case to Katwe Police Station and the accused and the culprits were prosecuted and released on bail.

Meanwhile Police on Friday arrested three people suspected to be part of the group that must have committed the offence.

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