President Yoweri Museveni has postponed the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations following an outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus in the region. The decision was reached after consultations with religious leaders and the Ministry of Health – specifically the National Epidemic Response Task Force.
Martyrs Day is celebrated annually on June 3rd, and draws mammoth crowds that travel hundreds of kilometres from all directions of the country and outside Uganda, to converge on the Catholic and Protestant shrines found at Namugongo.
The president said in a statement: “The 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 World Health Organisation recently announced the Ebola virus outbreak, and swiftly categorised it as a public health concern. By May 17th, the Democratic Republic of Congo had announced over 80 deaths and over 200 suspected Ebola cases in the Ituri forest regions. Back home, the Ministry of Health has registered two suspected cases in Kampala. It is therefore highly essential that the general public heeds the president’s directive to the pilgrims who had started their journey to turn back.
This is not the first time Martyrs Day will not be physically celebrated. In 2020 and 2021 during the Covid pandemic lockdown, there were no pilgrimages. The day was celebrated virtually, just as were the Sunday services during the lockdown.
