MUKONO, Uganda — The government of Uganda officially recognized the Muslim martyrs who were killed on the orders of a local king starting in 1874 — and allocated $52,926 (200 million Ugandan shillings) to organize this year’s Muslim Martyrs’ Day commemorations.

This is the first time that Muslims in Uganda organized an official commemoration for the Muslim martyrs. In the past, only Catholics and Anglicans participated in the official celebrations for Uganda Martyrs Day held each year on June 3. Prior to last month, Muslims had been excluded from such events.

The Uganda Martyrs’ Day celebrations typically attract thousands of pilgrims to the Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo in central Uganda. Before this year’s recognition, the official list of the Uganda martyrs had excluded Muslims. The list constituted only the 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts who were executed between January 1885 and January 1887 on the orders of Mwanga II, the Kabaka of Buganda.

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The Muslim converts were executed on the orders of a different King of Buganda, Kabaka Mukaabya Walugembe Mutesa I. In both scenarios, the converts were accused of embracing Islam or Christianity and as a result undermining the monarch. The Muslims were particularly executed for refusing to eat beef of an animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim, which annoyed the king at the time.

Approximately, 80 to 100 Muslims were killed in Namugongo, making them the first religious martyrs in the region. The Uganda Martyr’s Day commemoration events aim to honor their memories and educate the public about their sacrifices.

The young Christian and Muslim converts who worked at the kings’ palaces when missionaries brought Christianity and Islam to Uganda in the 1870s were either speared to death or tied to heaps of dry firewood and set ablaze alive. However, as they burnt to death, the converts did not forsake their God. Instead, they continued to sing in defiance praising the Lord. It’s that determination of the martyrs to die for their faith that has partly helped to lay a firm foundation for spreading Christianity in Uganda and across the continent.

Today, Uganda Martyrs Day is a public holiday in Uganda for commemorating their sacrifices. The commemorations attract thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life who trek hundreds of miles from the different parts of the world. Some pilgrims come from as far as neighboring countries such as Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Others fly into the country from Europe, Asia and the United States to participate in such events.

The announcement recognizing the Uganda Muslim martyrs was made by the country’s minister of gender, labor and social development, Betty Amongi, who noted that the move emphasizes the importance of religious tolerance and historical acknowledgment in Uganda.

“The Muslims felt that they also needed some recognition from government to do something about their martyrs,” Amongi said, adding, “The event celebrating the Muslim martyrs highlights the contributions and sacrifices of these early Muslim converts, fostering a greater understanding of Uganda's diverse religious heritage.”

The minister added that the $52,926 allocated to the Muslim community for organizing the Martyrs Day for their sect will cover expenses for shrine cleanup, and other logistical needs such as transporting pilgrims and hiring the public address systems. Similarly, the government this year allocated the Catholic and Anglican churches $262,978 (1 billion shillings) each for organizing the celebrations.

Badru Kateregga, one of the chief organizers of the 2024 Muslims’ Martyrs Day commemorations, revealed that instead of holding the event on June 1 as it has been unofficially in the past, this year it was celebrated on June 10 to distinguish it from the Catholic and Anglican events. However, Kateregga noted that in Islam they commemorate the martyrs — but don’t celebrate them.

“The martyrs in Islam are commemorated by praying for them since Islam upholds martyrdom in high esteem. By and large, our main goal is to preserve our heritage and promote our religious tourism to suit both local and international standards,” he said.

Dr. Ziyad Swaleh Lubanga, the director of Shariah at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, said they are also working on enhancing the Uganda Muslim Martyrs' site at Namugongo in Wakiso District to elevate it to the level of the Catholic and Anglican shrines.

Kateregga also explained that it took so long to recognize these Islamic martyrs because research about them had been so scarce.

“This event is meant to create awareness about the Muslims who were martyred in this country,” he said. “We shall follow the trail of the Muslim martyrs before concluding with an event at the national mosque on June 10 that will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.”

Yasiri J. Kasango contributed to this report.  

John Semakula, is a Ugandan award-winning journalist and alumnus of the Poynter Institute in Florida based in Mukono, Uganda. Yasiri J. Kasango is a journalism student at Uganda Christian University.