Govt allocates Shs100m to celebrate every Ugandan martyr day
Christians and tourists queue to draw water from the well that Bishop Hannington reportedly used at the Bishop Hannington Shrine in Kyando Village, Mayuge District on October 29, 2024. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- The Church of Uganda has persisted with demands for national recognition of the Bishop Hannington Day- even as no government official attended the latest commemoration of his life.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, has said Shs100 million will be allocated to celebrate every annual day dedicated to a specific Ugandan martyr.
Kadaga made the remarks in her speech delivered by Busoga Kingdom Tourism and Heritage, Minister Hellen Namutamba, during Bishop James Hannington Day celebrations in Kyando, Mayuge District on Tuesday.
“Cabinet has passed a resolution that every martyr in Uganda will be allocated Shs100m for celebrating those [annual] days,” Namutamba read.
Separately in her own speech, Namutamba said she traveled to England in early October to meet the family of Bishop Hannington at the request of President Museveni for a reconciliation meeting with Busoga- and to also allow the day to be celebrated as a public holiday.
“I have written to Museveni about my visit and shared Bishop Hannington’s family contacts. At an appropriate time, they will be invited for the reconciliation between Chief Luba, Busoga Kingdom, and God willing, it will be declared a public holiday,” she said.
Church of Uganda Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu expressed his disappointment towards undisclosed Cabinet members allegedly frustrating the declaration of Bishop Hannington Day as a public holiday.
Every October 25, thousands flock to Kyando in Mayuge District to commemorate Bishop Hannington Day. Speaking as chief guest at the commemoration in 2019, President Museveni declared it a public holiday.
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Museveni said although Bishop Hannington was killed out of “ignorance,” the death has helped people to get enlightened.
“This was the only bishop to be martyred at that time; the next one was Janan Luwum whose cases are both unique and need to be handled like that. We shall do what is necessary as it is worthwhile,” he said at the time.
Archbishop Janani Luwum Day is marked as an annual February 16 public holiday dedicated to the life and service of the former Anglican prelate who is believed to have been killed by the President Amin government.
Church of Uganda Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu (Centre) during the Bishop Hannington Day celebrations in Kyando Village, Mayuge District on October 29, 2024. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA
But the Church of Uganda has persisted with demands for recognition of the Bishop Hannington Day- even as no government official attended the latest commemoration of his life.
East Busoga Bishop Paul Hannington Ssubi, whose birthday coincides with the day, called on believers to emulate Bishop Hannington who remained faithful and endured death for his faith in God.
“Bishop Hannington died with a deep sense of purpose and focus knowing that his sacrifice was not in vain. No challenge should take us away from God. His death teaches us to remain true to our calling even when the road is rough and tough,” he added.
His Busoga Diocese counterpart, Rev Dr Paul Samson Moses Naimanhye, said there are plans for the event to be organised on a rotational basis across all Dioceses in the Province.
During the event, Shs34 million was raised out of the Shs100 million required to construct the Vicarage for Kyando Archdeaconry.
About Bishop Hannington
Bishop Hannington was born in 1847 and sent to Uganda from England in 1884 by the Anglican Church as a missionary bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. As he was travelling towards Uganda, he was apprehended by the Kabaka (King) of Buganda’s emissaries.
Later, he and his companions were brutally treated before he was killed on October 29, 1885 in the present day Kyando in Mayuge District.
The Omutaabi tree, now named Hannington tree where Bishop Hannington’s body is said to have been hosted for four days in Budimo Village in Busia District. PHOTO/FILE/DOMINIC BUKENYA
His last words to his killers were reportedly: “Go tell your Master that I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood.”
Developments
The government has so far tarmacked 11Kms of the road from Bufulubi-Kyando to Bishop Hannington Shrine at a cost of Shs7 billion to ease transport for the pilgrims and tourists, while Kadaga has constructed Century Hannington Resort Cottages for accommodation and conference facilities.
