'Poor human waste management tarnishing image of Martyr's day'

By Innocent Anguyo

Scores of pilgrims who attended the recently concluded Martyr’s Day celebrations at Namugongo shrine in Kampala have decried the poor management of human waste at the festival.

In an interview with the New Vision at the shrine during the festivities, several pilgrims noted that poor waste management posed a grave health risk to the event.

“Most of the areas at the periphery of the shrine and the surrounding bushes were littered with fecal matter and soiled by urine. A repulsive stench hangover those places which was really shameful,” said Robert Okwi.

“Worse still, the toilets were locked and this became an excuse for shameless pilgrims to ease themselves at the venue,” added Okwi urging organisers of next year’s festival to address the issue of waste management.

Thousands of pilgrims from across the globe Monday thronged the Namugongo shrine to intercede with the 45 Protestant and Catholic martyrs, who were killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II in 1886, after they refused to renounce their faith.

“It was really very shameful for our foreign visitors to see us fail to manage our own waste,” said Joan Kamukama.

Catholics and Anglicans celebrate martyrs day taking place on June 3, at Uganda Martyrs shrine Namugongo. Believers gather to remember the martyrs who were melancholically burnt by Mwanga.

Martyrs Day is the biggest single event in Uganda, attracting thousands of people from all over the world. This year, over 2 million pilgrims visited the shrine.

Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesman Ibin Ssenkumbi said the failure of pilgrims to access sanitary facilities at the shrine caused disorderliness since they were forced to move in and out of the venue in search of the facilities.

“There was already a long queue at the entrance, so, the continuous movement of pilgrims in search of convenience facilities proved a security and order inconvenience for police especially at the metal detection machines,” noted Ssenkumbi.

He further urged the organisers of future Martyr’s day festivals to improve maintenance of the existing sanitary facilities and build new ones to meet the demands of the millions of pilgrims.

“Alternatively, they can hire mobile toilets as many as possible to meet the demands of all pilgrims,” stressed Ssenkumbi.