Uganda to Fund Martyrs Day Celebrations Annually, Says Museveni
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure that Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations receive a permanent allocation in the national budget each year.
Speaking at the Anglican Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo during the annual June 3rd commemoration, Museveni praised the overwhelming turnout and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to honoring the martyrs’ legacy through sustained support.
“Since many Ugandans actively take part in these celebrations, I’ve instructed the government to include this contribution in the national budget every year,” Museveni declared.
Honoring a Historic Sacrifice
The Uganda Martyrs were 45 Christian converts—22 Catholic and 23 Anglican—executed between 1885 and 1887 under the reign of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda. Some historical records also suggest that Muslim converts were among those killed.
The Catholic Church canonized the 22 Catholic martyrs in 1964 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, elevating the significance of the Namugongo pilgrimage, which attracts millions of believers annually from Uganda and beyond.
Government Contributions
This year, the government allocated:
- UGX 2 billion to the Catholic Church
- UGX 2 billion to the Church of Uganda
- UGX 200 million to the Muslim community, which is yet to establish its own annual commemorative site
Museveni acknowledged this and pledged future support for Muslims once they have a formal site.
“When the Muslims are ready, we’ll support them too, since it’s believed some of their faithful were also killed during that era,” he noted.
The government has already invested heavily in upgrading infrastructure at both Catholic and Anglican sites in Namugongo, reflecting the event’s growing national importance.
