The Uganda Martyrs' day. A day for believers.
3rd June is the day that was agreed to be spared for all believers (Christian believers) to commemorate the death of their heroes.
The Uganda Martyrs were a group of 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity in the historical Kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda who were executed between 31st Jan 1885 and 27th Jan 1887.
They were killed on orders of of kabaka (king) Manga II
Above are the monumental pictures of the martyrs who were burnt alive.
This took place at a time when there was a three-way religious struggle for political influence at the Buganda royal court in that the elders saw these young converts as possible challengers for the positions of chiefs and court men in the royal assembly by then. So they persuaded the king that they were against his rule. So the king ordered for their killing.
Many believers walk from their distant places far away from the Centre where the monumental sculptures and many of the martyrs were burnt from in Namugongo
People walk all the way from East, West, North to come to Kampala for a requiem mass to remember their heroes.
The old, the young, the youth and all sorts of people foot from their respective places(homes) in what is called Kulamaga. They can spend like a month, two weeks walking to the exact place. They are ever escorted by police so as not to fall in danger.
Among the martyrs who were killed for their religious beliefs, were the two young boys. One was called Kizito Omuto who was just 11yrs old and another was Bazeketa who was 17yrs old. These lads were flower boys in the palace. And when they converted, the King couldn't spare them regarding them as traitors who deserved death. And they were also burnt alive at namugongo main shrine.
Many people who move from distant places to namugongo come with the major aim to pray through these martyrs so that God may hear their woes and cries. And others come to experience the pain these martyrs went through. Their is a holy well at the place where the martyrs were killed, people go n draw water from it which they claim does wonder when they bathe or drink it.
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