The measure aims to protect pilgrims and prevent the spread of Ebola from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
By Silas Isenjia, ACI Africa
Uganda has postponed the 2026 Martyrs’ Day celebrations, traditionally held on June 3 at the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine in the country’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, because of the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from where thousands of pilgrims travel annually for one of the world’s largest Catholic gatherings.
In a press release ACI Africa obtained on Sunday, May 17, Uganda’s President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is quoted saying the decision follows consultations with key stakeholders in the East African nation.
“After consultations with the national epidemic response task force and religious leaders, we have decided to postpone the Martyrs’ Day to a later date, which will be communicated,” President Museveni is quoted as saying in the two-page press release by Uganda State House.
The Ugandan President explains that the decision to postpone the annual celebration “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,” he adds.
The Ugandan President, who was sworn in for his seventh consecutive term on May 12 expressed regret to pilgrims who had already begun journeys to the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine in Kampala, saying that “the protection of life must come first.”
“I encourage those who have begun their journey to return home, continue observing the precautionary measures, report anyone who is sick, and encourage those who are ill to seek medical care,” President Museveni is quoted as saying.
The DRC is facing a fresh Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
WHO declares international public health emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak on May 15 after several deaths were reported in Ituri Province. Health officials say investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, and there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain.
On May 16, WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), citing risks associated with cross-border movement, delayed case detection, weak health systems, and insecurity in eastern Congo.
The outbreak has heightened fears of cross-border transmission because Eastern DRC shares major movement corridors with Uganda and South Sudan.
Preparations for the annual pilgrimage had already begun. A May 15 report indicated that Bishop Francis Kibira of Uganda’s Kasese Catholic Diocese had officially set off from Kabuyiri Shrine to receive foot pilgrims arriving from DRC.
Another May 16 report indicated that pilgrims from Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, Kapsabet Diocese, Kericho Diocese and Nakuru Diocese had also begun their journey to Uganda.
The Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrine stands on the site where St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, many of them pages in the royal court, were executed on the orders of Kabaka (King) Mwanga II of the Buganda Kingdom.
Unity and faith in memory of the Ugandan Martyrs
Uganda Martyrs’ Day commemorates 45 Christian converts aged between 14 and 50 who were killed between 1885 and 1887 because of their faith during the early years of Christianity in Uganda.
Among them were 22 Catholics who were beatified in 1920 and canonized in 1964. Their witness continues to shape Catholic life in Uganda and has become a significant symbol of Catholic identity and missionary faith worldwide.
The postponement forms part of Uganda’s heightened surveillance measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola into the country amid regular movement of pilgrims and travellers across the border.
Earlier in February, the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) entrusted the Catholic Diocese of Kasese with organizing the 2026 celebrations.
In a February 11 update, officials from the Diocese’s communications department said cooperation between the Diocese and Kasese District Local Government reflected “a shared commitment” to ensuring “a well and spiritually uplifting event.”
“The joint effort underscores unity, faith, and service as both institutions prepare to represent Kasese with dedication and pride at this significant national religious event,” the officials said.
They added, “Through coordinated planning and support, the district leadership is working closely with Church authorities to mobilize resources, facilitate logistics, and encourage community participation.”
Featured image: Noella Kavira Kitakya, 26, an Ebola survivor who works as a caregiver, puts a shoe on a child whose mother died of Ebola at a UNICEF center in Katwa, Congo, in this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo. Pope Francis opened a new path to sainthood in 2017 for “martyrs of charity,” those who made heroic sacrifices during pandemics and other situations of contagion. (CNS/Zohra Bensemra, Reuters)
