Uganda Postpones Martyrs’ Day Amid Ebola Outbreak in Neighboring DRC
KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri K. Museveni has announced the indefinite postponement of Uganda Martyrs’ Day, a major annual religious event scheduled for June 3, citing health risks from an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement addressed to “fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu,” Museveni said the decision followed consultations with the national epidemic response task force and religious leaders.
“This decision was made because Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from Eastern Congo, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak,” Museveni said. “To safeguard everyone’s lives, it is essential that this important event be postponed.”
The Martyrs’ Day commemoration honors 22 Christian converts executed in the 1880s and typically draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the Namugongo shrine near Kampala, including many from across East and Central Africa. Health officials have long warned that the gathering could become a superspreader event for infectious diseases.
While no active Ebola cases have been reported inside Uganda at the time of the announcement, Congolese health authorities have confirmed a recent cluster of infections in North Kivu province, which shares a porous border with Uganda. One imported case was previously recorded in Uganda earlier this year.
Museveni urged those who had already begun traveling to turn back, observe precautionary measures, report anyone who is sick, and encourage the ill to seek medical care.
“We regret any inconvenience caused, but the protection of life must come first,” he said.
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