As this year’s Martyrs' Day celebrations draw near, the Catholic Church is seeking guidance from the government about the celebrations, since the last two years have been challenging due to COVID19.
Every year on 3rd June, the church honors 45 young men who converted to Christianity between 1885 and 1887 forcing the then Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda, order their death by burning.
The church receives millions of pilgrims from within and outside Uganda who descend on Namugongo, the site where the majority of the converts were martyred, in celebration of their bravery.
However, in 2020 the celebrations were canceled while in 2021 the church organized a virtual event with a limited number of Christians invited due to the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic.Now, Fort Portal Catholic Diocesan Bishop Robert Muhiirwa says that for better planning, they have written to the government seeking their guidance on how the day will be marked given the fact that there are still health concerns.
Bishop Muhiirwa who is also the vice-chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference argues that although the government has delayed to give them feedback, they would like to have open celebrations like the ones held before the covid-19 pandemic.
According to Dr. Patrick Birungi the Executive Director of Uganda Development Corporation-UDC who is the Vice Chairperson organizing committee, the government’s response is critical since their decision can inform the nature of celebration and numbers to attract.