Despite the proposal, Kaziimba emphasized that the Church respects President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to postpone this year’s celebrations in order to protect the public from the spread of Ebola.
The Church of Uganda has asked the government to permit a scaled-down and virtual commemoration of this year’s Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo following the suspension of public gatherings due to the Ebola outbreak.
Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu said the Church had formally written to the Ministry of Health seeking approval to hold prayers at Namugongo with only a small number of invited participants, while the rest of the country follows the event through live broadcasts on television and social media platforms.
According to Kaziimba, the proposed arrangement would enable Christians to mark the important religious day from their homes without violating health guidelines.
“Since it will be a public holiday, many Ugandans will be at home and able to follow the celebrations through television and online platforms,” the Archbishop said.
He explained that although Namugongo usually hosts more than one million pilgrims, the venue is spacious enough to safely accommodate a limited congregation of about 500 people while observing all Ebola prevention measures issued by the Ministry of Health.
Despite the proposal, Kaziimba emphasized that the Church respects President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to postpone this year’s celebrations in order to protect the public from the spread of Ebola.
The Archbishop made the remarks while receiving renovated facilities at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine from Uganda Christian University (UCU), the institution that had been tasked with organizing this year’s celebrations.
Rev. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, who chaired the organizing committee and also serves as UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said preparations for the annual pilgrimage had been completed before the postponement was announced.
He said the university had finalized major activities including choir rehearsals, liturgy preparations and infrastructure improvements at the shrine.
Kitayimbwa appealed to the Archbishop to engage the government and allow the Church and UCU to conduct virtual celebrations, noting that the university had gained extensive experience in online coordination during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“UCU became one of the leading institutions in managing virtual learning and online events during the lockdown, and we believe we can successfully organize virtual Martyrs Day celebrations as well,” he said.
The request comes as Uganda continues to tighten health measures following the confirmation of Ebola cases involving two private medical workers in Kampala who are currently undergoing treatment in a government isolation facility.
Kitayimbwa also appealed for UCU to be given another opportunity to organize next year’s Martyrs Day celebrations without interruption.
UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi said the university still hopes to complete its long-term vision of transforming Namugongo into a modern international pilgrimage destination.
Kaziimba welcomed the request and said UCU deserved another chance because of the improvements it had already made at the shrine.
“You have all witnessed the tremendous work UCU has done to improve this place. Since they were unable to fully host the celebrations this year, it is only fair that they are given another opportunity,” he said.
Among the projects completed by the university were new sanitation facilities, renovated toilets and upgraded infrastructure aimed at improving the experience of pilgrims.
Dr. David Mugawe, the UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and vice chairperson of the organizing committee, said the university discovered that existing sanitation facilities were insufficient for the large numbers of pilgrims who visit Namugongo every year.
“We added more toilet facilities and renovated the old ones after realizing they were not enough for the number of pilgrims who usually attend the celebrations,” Mugawe said.
He added that new washrooms were also constructed to stop pilgrims from bathing in toilet areas, a practice that previously affected hygiene standards at the site.
Mugawe further revealed that the university installed a new water system to supply different sections of the shrine because water had become one of the most demanded services during pilgrimage periods.
Other improvements included the construction of walkways, driving lanes and directional signposts to ease movement around the site.
Prof. Mushengyezi said the renovation works were funded through Shs2 billion from the government, Shs1 billion contributed by UCU and additional support from well-wishers.
