By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Celebrations of the 2019 Martyrs day in the Church of Uganda have kicked off today and will continue until 3June which is the official day for the commemoration of the Uganda Martyrs.
The celebrations kicked off at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine with the children’s pilgrimage, which involved a tour of all martyrs’ sites within Kampala under the management of the Church of Uganda. The state minister for youth and children affairs Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi was the guest of honour. Kiyingi reiterated government’s resolve to take children off the streets.She revealed that government was partnering with the church to enhance the welfare of children in the country. “Even though it is good to take care of the girl child, the country has over abandoned the boy child leaving boys to turn into hard core criminals in jail, bad fathers and perpetrators of domestic violence”, Rt Rev Bishop Samuel Kazimba Mugalu of Mityana diocese said.
The Martyrs’ day celebrations of 2019 in the Anglican Church are organised by the dioceses of West Buganda, Central Buganda, Mityana, Luweero and Mukono. Jackson Ole Sapit, the Archbishop of Kenya, is expected to be the main celebrant at the highly revered celebrations at Namugongo in Wakiso. Martyrs Day is a special celebration of courage of the 45 (23 Anglican and 22 Catholic) Christian converts who Kabaka Mwanga executed between January 1885 and January 1887 for their faith.
