Greater Ankole Dioceses are gearing up for the preparations of this year’s Martyrs’ Day at the Anglican shrines in Namugongo in anticipation of the celebrations of the first pilgrim event since 2019.
The five dioceses of West Ankole, North Ankole, North West Ankole, South Ankole, and Ankole Diocese had been selected to lead the 2020 Martyrs’ Day event but due to covid19 induced lockdowns and restrictions, the event was cancelled.
Now, under the stewardship of Bishop Dr Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa, the dioceses have designed a plan and road map that will help them organise a “memorable fete” revolving around a theme of hope beyond affliction. The bishops gave this explanation during a press briefing at All Saints Cathedral in Kampala on Tuesday afternoon.
Dr Mwesigwa, who is also the Ankole diocesan bishop, noted that the theme will remind the faithful to keep strong and faithful despite challenges since affliction like that caused by the covid-19 pandemic is not the end as God will always create away.
Bishop Mwesigwa added that they have budgeted for 600 million shillings of which 110 million shillings have already been collected from within the five organising dioceses. he adds that another 90 million shillings is expected to be raised during the Easter week from with faithful of the cluster and another 200 million shillings s expected to raise by members of parliament and selected gallant sons of from Ankole region.
With the aforementioned breakdown, the bishop added, the faithful from other parts of the country are being asked to also contribute by raising only 200 million shillings for the function.
Bishop Nathan Ahimbisibwe of South Ankole Diocese says that the cluster is also planning to have prior events including a thanksgiving event which will be held at All Saints Church, Nakasero on April 22 bringing together both Anglican and non-Anglicans hailing from the Ankole sub-region.
Bishop Ahimbisibwe says that the function will be used as a reunion event for people from their sub-region who are now residents, work and live within Kampala. He, however, hastened to add that this shouldn’t be looked at as a tribal matter as other people are as well welcome for the event.
Available information indicates that the organising committee has started mobilizing a group of over 200 faithful who will trek on foot from Ankole to pay homage to the Ugandan martyrs.
Meanwhile, Greater Ankole Dioceses are also planning to use the martyrs’ day fete to awaken the East Africa Revival Movement which had a great impact on many of the protestant churches in the region having been birthed in Gahini, Rwanda around 1931 and spread to Kigezi in 1935 and Ankole in 1936.
To enrich this, Bishop Mwesigwa notes that they have chosen Bishop Samson Mwaluda, a retired bishop from Kenya who is one of the greater campaigners of Christian revival to be the preacher for this years’ celebration.
The Uganda Martyrs is a group of young Christian converts killed for their faith between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Daniel Basamulaekere Mwanga II of Buganda Kingdom. The king took offence at the conversion of his servants by the missionaries and ordered that they be exterminated.
Among the first martyrs who were killed on January 31, 1885, just one-year after Mwanga ascended to the throne was Joseph Rugarama from then the Ankole Kingdom in southwestern Uganda.
Rugarama is believed to have been the youngest at the age of 12.
