On June 3rd of each year, Uganda’s religious community commemorates the Uganda Martyrs Day Celebration, honouring a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts in Christianity who were executed between January 31, 1885, and January 27, 1887, under the Orders of Kabaka Mwanga
The celebration of Uganda Martyrs Day at Namugongo is among the largest religious gatherings in Africa, with an estimated 1 to 4 million attendees in recent years. Pilgrims, many of whom walk hundreds of miles, gather at the Namugongo Catholic and Anglican shrines to pay tribute to the martyrs’ sacrifice. The event features a nine-day novena from May 25 to June 2, coinciding with the dates of the martyrs’ journey to execution in 1886. Activities include Eucharistic celebrations, prayers, hymns, and cultural performances, where pilgrims seek intercession for personal issues and societal challenges such as healing, peace, and justice.
However, the Muslim Martyrs were also executed under the orders of Kabaka Mwanga in the late 19th century and little is spoken about them. It is believed that 70 Muslim martyrs were killed for strictly adhering to Islamic laws and refusing to compromise their beliefs. Every June 10th, the Muslim community remembers the sacrifice and legacy of their brothers.
The formal recognition of the martyrs started to develop in the early 20th century when Pope Benedict XV beatified the 22 Catholic martyrs in 1920. This process culminated on October 18, 1964, when Pope Paul VI canonised them during the Second Vatican Council, making them the first saints from sub-Saharan Africa to be canonised.
Although the Anglican martyrs have not been canonized, they are also celebrated, with a separate commemoration by the Church of England on June 3, including Archbishop Janani Luwum, who was killed on February 16, 1977.
This year’s celebration of the martyrs for the Catholic Church will be led by the Lugazi Diocese, while the Anglican Church will be represented by Northern Uganda, which includes Lango, Madi West Nile region, Kitgum, and Nebbi and thousands are already set at Namugongo to commemorate this lovely day tomorrow 3rd of June.
The annual Martyrs Day celebration became official in 1975 when President Idi Amin declared June 3 a public holiday, acknowledging its importance for both Catholics and Anglicans. That same year, Pope Paul VI dedicated a shrine at Namugongo, which was later completed as a basilica in honour of Charles Lwanga and his companions. The shrine has since emerged as a central point for the yearly pilgrimage, drawing millions of Christians from Uganda and neighbouring countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, as well as from beyond.
The pilgrimage began informally in the early 20th century when a Dutch Catholic priest from the Nsambya mission led Christians to Namugongo to honour the martyrs, planting a cross at the location of Charles Lwanga’s death. This marked the inception of the annual “Martyrs Death March,” which has evolved into a global event. Pilgrims of different ages, young or old, often carry rosaries, touch sculptures of the martyrs for blessings, and use holy water from the Mukajanga well at Namugongo, believed to possess healing powers.
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