The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has called upon both the general public and the Uganda Police Force, along with its sister security agencies, to stay vigilant and ensure the safety of pilgrims during the Uganda Martyr celebrations at Namugongo sites.

These statements were made during the party’s weekly press release that took place on May 29, 2024, at Uganda House, Kampala.

The party spokesperson, Sharon Arach Oyat, stated that Martyrs Day is happening at a time when the capital city is registering several crime cases of different magnitudes, which calls for serious vigilance.

“We have been witnessing several cases of robberies where people have lost lives in the city; we do not want to witness this happen to any of the pilgrims, so we demand the total cooperation of all stakeholders,” she stated.

Arach added that this year’s martyr’s day celebrations are themed “conforming to the truth of God’s word and not the patterns of this world,” which makes the celebrations deeply question the patterns of this world that tempt us to deviate from God’s word.

“There is an urgent need for us to be upright and fair in all our day-to-day activities and suspend corrupt minds that ruin the development of our societies to make the theme of this year’s martyrs day celebrations meaningful.” she added

Martyrs Day is an annual celebration held on June 3rd, as decreed by the act of canonization in 1964 by the Universal Catholic Church.

In Uganda, the government declared this day a national public holiday in commemoration of the first Christian martyrs in the country. The day attracts pilgrims from all corners of the world, making it one of the biggest Christian events in the world.