Govt releases Shs2.4b for Namugongo fete
Ms Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, meets pilgrims from Lango Diocese at Kigogwa Parish in Matugga, Wakiso District, yesterday. The government has released Shs2.2 billion to the Anglican and Catholic churches and Shs200 million to the Muslims to organise this year’s annual Martyrs’ Day celebrations. PHOTOs | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Ms Amongi says the money will be used to take care of expenses related to feeding and clothing the host choirs and the Bishops, and hiring public address systems, cleaning up the shrines.
The government has released Shs2.2 billion to the Anglican and Catholic churches and Shs200 million to the Muslims to organise this year’s annual Martyrs’ Day celebrations.
Addressing journalists at her office yesterday, Ms Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, said the government, through her ministry, released the money after President Museveni met the bishops of Nebbi and Fort Portal Dioceses last week.
Ms Amongi said the Muslims also felt that they needed some recognition from the government to do something about their martyrs who were killed, although they do not believe in them.
“June 3 is an international day. President Museveni met the bishops of Fort Portal and Nebbe dioceses. He pledged Shs1.1b for each of them and gave the Muslim community Shs200m and the money was transferred to their accounts,” she said.
She added that the government invested the money in the event because of the important role the Uganda Martyrs play in marketing the country, the values they instill in Ugandans and the social good millions of Ugandans have benefited from the institutions associated with the religious institutions.
Ms Amongi said the money will be used to take care of expenses related to feeding and clothing the host choirs and the bishops, hiring public address systems, cleaning up the shrines after the event, and transporting some of the pilgrims back after the event.
Pilgrims from Lango Diocese rest at Kigogwa Parish in Matugga, Wakiso District.
Asked how far the government has gone with purchasing the land surrounding the two sites as announced last year, she said the Ministry of Works and Transport and that of Lands, have been assigned to carry out studies of the facilities that need to be constructed in the area given the growing number of pilgrims every year.
She added that the Ministry of Tourism has been instructed to design tourism amenities within the area which will encourage the pilgrims to stay in Uganda longer after the June 3 event so that they can tour other attractions outside Kampala.
Asked how many pilgrims Uganda is receiving now, Ms Amongi said from last year’s statistics, it is estimated that both the Anglican and Catholic sites hosted between three and four million pilgrims.
She said this year alone, Lango Diocese will be hosting more than 1,500 pilgrims who arrived in Kampala yesterday.
