Every year on June 3, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on the Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo, just north of Kampala — making it one of the largest annual religious gatherings in Africa and one of the most moving demonstrations of living faith available anywhere on the continent. Martyrs Day marks the execution of 22 young men — the Uganda Martyrs — who were killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda in 1886 for refusing to renounce their Christian faith. In 2027, as every year, this event brings Uganda’s Christian community together in an expression of communal devotion that visitors who witness it never forget.
Who were the Uganda Martyrs?
The Uganda Martyrs were young men — most in their teens and early twenties — who served as pages at the royal court of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda. Between 1885 and 1887, Mwanga ordered the killing of both Catholic and Protestant converts at court, partly out of concern about the political influence of missionaries and partly in reaction to the pages’ refusal to participate in sexual practices the king demanded. The young men refused to abandon their faith and were executed — some burned alive at Namugongo on June 3, 1886, others killed at other locations.
Pope Paul VI canonized the 22 Catholic martyrs in 1964, in the first canonization of African martyrs since the early church. The Anglican martyrs, though not formally canonized, are also commemorated at Namugongo. The canonization transformed the site into one of Africa’s most important Catholic pilgrimage destinations and established June 3 as a major date in Uganda’s religious calendar. The Uganda Martyrs are among the patron saints of Africa.
The pilgrimage to Namugongo
The defining feature of Martyrs Day in Uganda is the pilgrimage walk to Namugongo. Beginning days before June 3, streams of pilgrims set out on foot from across Uganda — and increasingly from neighboring countries and the wider African diaspora — walking to the shrine. Some pilgrims walk from their home villages, covering hundreds of kilometers over multiple days. Others join the pilgrimage at various points along the routes leading to Namugongo from Kampala and from the north, east, and west.
The roads leading to Namugongo fill with pilgrims wearing matching t-shirts from their church groups, carrying banners and flags, singing hymns and devotional songs. Many walk barefoot as an act of penance and devotion. Aid stations along the routes provide water, food, and medical attention. The atmosphere is one of sustained communal devotion — not a festival crowd seeking entertainment but a community of believers engaged in a serious act of religious commitment.
June 3 at the shrine
By June 3, the Namugongo shrine grounds and the surrounding area hold hundreds of thousands of people. The Catholic shrine — built in the form of a large traditional Ugandan hut and consecrated in 1975 — is the focal point for the Catholic pilgrimage. The Anglican shrine stands nearby. Mass is celebrated outdoors with the crowd extending far beyond the shrine buildings. The singing of the assembled congregation — voices of hundreds of thousands raised together — creates an auditory experience that defies description.
The shrine’s interior, hung with bark cloth and housing the tombs and relics of the martyrs, is only accessible to small numbers at a time. Queues form hours before services and can extend for kilometers. The most devoted pilgrims spend the night before June 3 in prayer at the shrine grounds, sleeping on the grass to ensure their presence at the dawn ceremonies.
Visiting Namugongo as a non-pilgrim
Non-Catholic and non-Christian visitors are welcome at Namugongo on Martyrs Day and throughout the year. The site is open daily, and the shrine staff welcome visitors with genuine hospitality. On any day outside the peak pilgrimage period, a guided visit to the shrine takes about an hour and provides excellent historical context for the martyrdom story and for the role of Christianity in Ugandan national history.
If you are in Uganda around June 3 in 2027, witnessing the pilgrimage — even from the roadside as the streams of pilgrims pass — is an experience worth making specific effort to have. The practical implications of being in Kampala on June 3 itself are significant: roads to Namugongo are extremely congested, and planning transport accordingly is essential. Many visitors watch the pilgrim streams on the access roads on June 2 and attend a morning service on June 3 before the crowds reach their maximum size.
Martyrs Day is a public holiday in Uganda. Gorilla trekking and national park activities continue normally, but Kampala-based services may be affected by reduced staffing and traffic congestion in the Namugongo area.
