Uganda postpones Martyrs’ Day celebrations amid Ebola outbreak concerns

Christopher Kisekka -  Kampala

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni made the announcement following consultations with the national epidemic response task force and religious leaders.

Pilgrims to return home

“Fellow Ugandans...After consultations with the national epidemic response task force and religious leaders, we have decided to postpone the Martyrs’ Day to a later date, which will be communicated. This decision was made because Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from Eastern Congo, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak. To safeguard everyone’s lives, it is essential that this important event be postponed.”

The President urged pilgrims already on the journey to return home, to observe all precautionary measures, to report any cases of illness, and to seek prompt medical attention. “We regret any inconvenience caused, but the protection of life must come first,” he added.

Health officials screen pilgrims

A sizable number of foot pilgrims from the Catholic Diocese of Butembo-Beni in eastern DRC, an area affected by the current Ebola outbreak, crossed into Uganda on 15 May and are currently hosted at St. Michael Church-Kabuyiri in Kasese District. They were received by Bishop Francis Aquirinus Kibira of the Kasese Diocese. Several additional groups are reported to be en route. Health authorities have initiated screening, and onward travel has been suspended.

Legacy of the martyrs

The Uganda Martyrs: 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts, were executed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda for refusing to renounce their Christian faith.

Pope Benedict XV beatified the 22 Catholic martyrs in 1920. On 18 October 1964, Pope St. Paul VI canonised them in a historic ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Uganda Martyrs Day is one of the largest annual Christian gatherings on the continent, attracting hundreds of thousands to several million pilgrims and visitors from Uganda and across East and Central Africa and beyond

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