Kampala, Uganda – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has postponed Uganda’s annual Martyrs Day celebrations that were scheduled for June 3, citing fears of an Ebola outbreak spreading from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo into Uganda.
In a statement issued Sunday, Museveni said the decision followed consultations with the national epidemic response task force and religious leaders. He noted that Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims from eastern Congo every year for the commemoration at Namugongo, creating a major public health risk amid the ongoing outbreak.
“This decision was made because Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from Eastern Congo, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak. To safeguard everyone’s lives, it is essential that this important event be postponed,” Museveni said in a statement.
He urged pilgrims who had already begun travelling to return home, remain alert to symptoms, observe health guidelines and seek medical attention immediately if they fall ill. The President said protecting lives must take priority despite the inconvenience caused by the postponement.
Uganda Martyrs Day is one of the country’s largest religious events and attracts millions of pilgrims from across East Africa, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The celebrations commemorate 45 Ugandan Christians, made up of 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans, who were executed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II after refusing to renounce their faith.
Many of the martyrs were killed at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, which has since become a major pilgrimage destination. The Catholic martyrs were canonized in 1964 by Pope Paul VI, cementing Uganda’s place as a key center of Christian pilgrimage in Africa.
Every year, pilgrims walk for days and sometimes weeks to attend prayers and Masses held at the Catholic Basilica and Anglican shrine in Namugongo, just outside Kampala. The celebrations also provide significant income for transport operators, hotels, food vendors and traders.
The postponement comes as health authorities intensify surveillance following an Ebola outbreak in DRC’s Ituri Province. The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rarer strain for which approved vaccines and treatments remain limited.
The World Health Organization has raised concern over the spread of the disease near the Uganda border, where movement of traders, families and pilgrims remains frequent. Ugandan authorities have since strengthened border screening, surveillance and emergency preparedness measures to prevent wider transmission.
Uganda has previously earned international praise for containing Ebola outbreaks through rapid contact tracing, isolation measures and community mobilization. However, officials fear that the scale of Martyrs Day gatherings, which often attract more than three million people, could accelerate infections if even a few cases went undetected.
The decision has triggered mixed reactions among Ugandans. Some praised the government for prioritizing public safety, while others expressed disappointment over disrupted travel plans and possible economic losses for businesses that depend on the annual pilgrimage season.
Religious leaders are expected to announce alternative arrangements for prayers and commemorations once consultations with government are completed. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether June 3 will remain a public holiday or when the celebrations could be rescheduled.
Health officials continue to encourage the public to maintain hand hygiene, report symptoms early and avoid contact with suspected Ebola cases as Uganda remains on high alert.
