Anglican youth to commemorate Martyrs Day with Trek of Faith

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An extraordinary walk of faith intended to help youthful Anglicans to reflect more deeply on the life and Christian witness of the Uganda Martyrs has been launched at the Church of Uganda Provincial Headquarters at Namirembe, in Rubaga Division, Kampala city.

The May 5, 2026, function was presided over by Church of Uganda provincial treasurer Balaam Muheebwa and witnessed by provincial director of mission and outreach the Rev. Canon Simon Peter Dembe lya Yesu, diocesan youth co-ordinators and leaders from Anglican dioceses, including Namirembe, Mukono, Luwero and Kampala.

Muheebwa encouraged Christian leaders to mobilise as many young people as possible to participate in the spiritual exercise, which he said was intended to encourage young people to prayerfully reflect on the life, faith and spiritual examples of the Uganda martyrs, their sacrifice, and the journey of the Christian faith in Uganda.

“The young people are the majority, which is why we thought it right and just to give them special consideration. The walk of faith to Namugongo will, among several other things, inspire our young people to cultivate a renewed commitment to the faith as they emulate the deep faith and courage of the Uganda martyrs. It will create space for discipleship, youth engagement and Christian witness for them. I encourage all the dioceses to participate fully in the exercise, which is a moment for our young people to rise and walk for faith, unity, the future of Uganda, and the glory of God,” Muheebwa said.

The Provincial Treasurer of the Church of Uganda, Balaam Muheebwa, delivers his remarks during the launch of the Uganda Martyrs Anglican Youth Walk of Faith at the Church of Uganda Provincial Headquarters at Namirembe, in Rubaga Division, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by Mathias Mazinga)

He thanked the Government of Uganda, through the tourism ministry, for partnering with the Church in organising the celebration, referring to the partnership as a demonstration of the intersection of faith, heritage and national identity.

The senior tourism officer at the tourism ministry, Bernadette Asiimwe Bazirake (who spoke on behalf of the ministry permanent secretary Doreen Katusiime), also encouraged young people to participate in the exercise, which she said was a great opportunity to strengthen faith-based tourism and also to elevate Uganda’s position as a global faith-based tourism destination. She later pledged greater collaboration between the Government, the Church and the private sector in promoting faith-based tourism.

Ddembe lya Yesu encouraged Christians of all denominations to participate in the exercise.: “The faith walk to Namugongo is an opportunity for young people and the nation to pray for our city, to declare our faith, and to make a statement on what the Uganda Martyrs did and stood for. The blood they shed became the seed of the faith. So, what we are planning to do is not a physical walk. It is a spiritual and supernatural exercise which is not limited to the youth. It is for all believers. So, we encourage the adults to participate. We also invite our brethren from other denominations; the Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Orthodox, etc.”

The Church of Uganda Provincial Director of Mission and Outreach, Rev. Canon Simon Peter Ddembe lya Yesu, delivers his remarks during the launch of the Martyrs Youth Walk of Faith at the Provincial Headquarters at Namirembe, in Rubaga Division, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by Mathias Mazinga)

“When we pray and walk together, we make a statement that this ground, city and country belongs to God. Even when we have different denominations, there is only one empty tomb. So, together, let’s make a statement of faith. Walking together as Christians and Ugandans will give us authority over the devil. We shall also be able to release a blessing over the city and the country,” Ddembe lya Yesu said.

The Faith Walk plan

According to Rev. Richard Musinguzi (the youth co-ordinator of the Diocese of Kampala), the Uganda Martyrs Youth Walk of Faith will take place on May 29, 2026. The young people and all the other pilgrims will first assemble at several pick-up points, including Kampala City Square, St Phillip’s and Andrew’s Cathedral, Mukono, and Spear Motors Stage at Nakawa, at 6:00am. They will then be taken to St Peter’s Church of Uganda, Kamuli (in Nakawa division), from where they will be flagged off at 8:00am. During their trek, they will make a stopover at St Francis Basilica, Kyaliwajjala, where they will participate in prayers, after which they will proceed to the Uganda Martyrs Anglican Site, Namugongo, where there will be more prayers, lunch, and talks, all focusing on the faith and Christian witness of the Uganda Martyrs.

The Provincial Youth and Students Coordinator, Rev. Emmanuel Koboi, said, “By walking to Namugongo together, we shall be putting our faith in action. It will be an important moment for our young people to be anchored to Christ, be inspired by the Martyrs, and get more committed to the faith. It will be a journey of faith and fellowship from which we shall come with renewed faith, unity and zeal to establish God’s Kingdom.”

Joan Nankabirwa, who represented the authorities at Kira Municipality, said preparations for the event were already in high gear.

“The roads are well-maintained. The area is clean. We are also going to do deeper mobilisation of our young people to take full participation in the event,” she said.

Security precautions

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala reassured the potential pilgrims and all Ugandans that the security agencies were committed to ensuring peace and security during and after the Walk of Faith and all Uganda Martyrs’ Day-related events.

The Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson, SP Rachael Kawala, delivers her remarks during the launch of the Uganda Martyrs Anglican Youth Walk of Faith at the Church of Uganda Provincial Headquarters at Namirembe, in Rubaga Division, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by Mathias Mazinga)

She nonetheless urged the pilgrims and all Ugandans to exercise greater caution and vigilance during the season. Kawala was even more emphatic as she urged motorists to exercise caution and consideration of other road users to minimise road crashes and traffic congestion.

She also urged the pilgrims to walk in organised groups for easier/better co-ordination. She also asked them to wear reflective jackets during the night to minimise crashes and security risks. But more importantly, she said it was preferable that the pilgrims walked during the day. She also asked them to walk on the right side of the road.

Kawala also asked parents to be more vigilant. She said it was more preferable that the parents left their children with trusted relatives at home, citing various cases of child abduction and disappearances which had been recorded in the past.

Other Precautions as Highlighted by Kawala

-Motorists must observe speed limits

-Any suspicious persons and objects must be reported

-Pilgrims should not move with valuable things such as land titles

- Pilgrims must not carry dangerous objects such as knives, machetes or razor blades, which can endanger the life of others.

The walk of faith will run under the theme: Walking with Christ – Step by Step.