Martyrs Day  organisers need Shs1.7b

Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, the head of the event’s finance committee, said they have a  budget shortfall of Shs1.7b,  just days to Martyrs Day commemorations slated for June 3.

She said they have received Shs 640m of the estimated Shs2.2b for the event.

“The balance is in pledges both from the government and from individuals. The budget is covered but we are now waiting for the actual amount in terms of cash. We have so far had Shs640m coming to our account as cash and it has been used to finance the budget needs,” Ms Lumumba, who is also the Minister for General Duties, said yesterday at the Uganda Martyrs’ Catholic Shrine in Namugongo.

Adding: “We have pledges of about Shs500m from individuals and the President on behalf of government pledged Shs2 b, which they are processing, so cash, pledges plus what government is going to give us will amount to Shs3.1b. We shall even have surplus.”

She said in the Monday Cabinet meeting, the President directed the Minister of Finance to release funds.

“We are supposed to check on the Minister of Finance on Thursday on how far he would have gone so that he gives us feedback,” she said.

She lauded different parishes in Jinja Diocese, individuals, Ugandans, foreigners and the business community for their financial support.

Mr Francis Muwonge, the Namugongo Martyrs Catholic Shrine, said they are now doing final touches.

“We have received the first batch of 25 pilgrims on May 22, from Bushenyi District and we have provided for them a tent where they will be sleeping and security has been deployed and we will continue deploying more when the numbers increase,” he  said yesterday.

Jinja Diocese, which last led the celebrations in 2002, was chosen to organise and lead this year’s celebrations.

The annual event pays homage to the 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican martyrs killed  between 1885 and 1887.