The Uganda police force has advised pilgrims to be their neighbors’ security and vigilant at all times in order to keep everyone safe ahead of the Uganda Martyrs’ Day celebrations.

During an interview with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Donald Muhwezi, the Community Liaisons Officer for Kampala Metropolitan Area, as he gave an update on the police preparedness for the celebrations at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine on June 1, 2024, he urged pilgrims to look out for any suspicious individuals amongst themselves and report to the police, stating that community policing starts with the public at large.

“In every large crowd, there are always those wrong elements, so we as police urge all pilgrims to be alert and vigilant to avoid those unwanted individuals. We urge them to freely talk to all police officers in a language that the pilgrims understand in order to be helped so fast,” he said.

SSP Muhwezi assured the pilgrims of their safety during their stay at Namugongo shrines for the martyrs’ day celebrations, stating that they should cooperate with police at every checkpoint around the shrines.

“We are working hand in hand with our sister security agencies to ensure that everybody is safe. We have made deployments; we have our officers in every angle of the shrines, so the pilgrims should feel safe and free to interact with them in case they need help,” he added.

The Uganda police force is working hand in hand with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and sister security agencies like the intelligence organizations to ensure that the Uganda Martyrs’ Day celebrations go on as planned. They assured the public that they were prepared to protect the people and their property and said that all was set for the celebrations.