Hundreds of armed security personnel from the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces have been deployed at Namugongo Martyrs Sites in preparation for Uganda Martyrs Day, slated for June 3, 2024.
This year’s celebrations to be led by the Nebbi Catholic Diocese will be commemorated under the theme “But as for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord,” taken from the book of Joshua 24:15.
ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, said police and other allied security agencies have been deployed in and around the Namugongo Martyrs’ sites to ensure top-notch security before, during, and after the celebrations.
He said both foot security personnel and those from the motorized units have been deployed to patrol the area.
Owoyesigyire added that police will also use CCTV cameras and deploy police air wings to conduct aerial security surveillance through the sky to ensure maximum security during the celebrations.
According to a security source who preferred anonymity, hundreds of plain-clothed detectives and other security operatives drawn from the Defense Intelligence and Security (DIS), the former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, and Internal Security Organizations, have been deployed as well.
More than 700 pilgrims from the Nebbi Catholic diocese started arriving at Namugongo Martrys shrines on Wednesday morning, May 29, 2024, to prepare for the celebration after trekking approximately 450 kilometers of a journey that began on May 15th, 2024.
Pakwach Catholic Parish has the highest number of foot pilgrims (184), followed by Nebbi Cathedral Parish with 110, Zombo Catholic Parish with 87, and Orussi Catholic Parish with 77.
Each year, Christians of various walks of life embark on a pilgrimage to Namugongo to honour the memory of 45 Christian converts (22 Catholics and 23 Protestants) who were martyred between 1885 and 1886 under the command of Kabaka Mwanga II, the then King of Buganda.
Fr. Nerris Oyirwoth, the secretary of the central organizing committee for this year’s Martyrs Day celebration, explains that besides the foot pilgrims, a total of 2,102 other pilgrims from the diocese are expected to attend this year’s Martyr’s Day celebration.
