The story and profiles of the Uganda Martyrs

Every June 3^rd, people from different parts of the world and Uganda Christians throng Namugongo to mark the Uganda Martyrs Day. The day is in remembrance of the now 24 Uganda martyrs who were killed for their Christian faith. All the 24 Uganda Martyrs are Catholics, but they were killed along with other Anglican Christians.

Artisitic impression of burning Uganda Martyrs

At the Namugongo Uganda Martyrs Shrine, there is a shrine for Catholics and Protestants. Many Catholics world over derive a lot of inspiration from the Uganda Martyrs for having died for a faith that was new to them in the late 19^th Century.

These deaths were part of a three-way religious struggle for political control of the Buganda royal court. In 1877, the Church Missionary Society in London had sent Protestant missionaries to the court, followed two years later by the French Catholic White Fathers. These two competed with each other and the Zanzibar-based Muslim traders for converts and influence. By the mid-1880s, many members of the Buganda court had converted and become proxies for the religious and nationalist conflict being played out in the court. Kabaka Mwanga II, upon his ascension to the throne, attempted to destroy the foreign influences he felt threatened the Buganda state, but was instead deposed by armed converts in 1888.

After regaining power, Mwanga II ordered the execution of all Christian coverts who refused to abide by his authority.

Twenty-two of the martyrs were Roman Catholics and were canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 18, 1964. Two other martyrs, Blessed Daudi Okelo and Blessed Jildo Irwa from northern Uganda were beautified and canonized as saints much later, bringing the number of Uganda Martyrs to 24.

Here are the profiles of all the 24 Uganda Martyrs