Over 1,400 Ugandan Muslims cleared for pilgrimage to Mecca
Kyewalyanga said the first group will depart on May 14 this year, other factors remaining constant.
Over 1,400 Ugandan Muslims have been cleared to travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. (File photo)
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Over 1,400 Ugandan Muslims have been cleared to travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for this year’s annual pilgrimage.
Sheikh Zakariyah Kyewalyanga, the chairperson of the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs (UBHA), made the revelation during a press conference in Kampala on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
“So far, 1,200 visas have been issued, and the rest will be issued in the next two days. We therefore call upon all those who have paid to get ready for the journey,” Kyewalyanga.
Kyewalyanga said the first group will depart on May 14 this year, other factors remaining constant.
Kyewalyanga thanked President Yoweri Museveni not only for his continued support of the firm but also for sponsoring several Muslims to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.
About Hajj
Hajj is the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith, and every Muslim with the financial means is required to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.
Hajj is considered a powerful means of atonement, where a person’s past sins are forgiven by God, similar to being reborn without sin.
The ultimate reward for an accepted Hajj is entry into paradise, a place of eternal bliss and reward in the afterlife.