KAMPALA. The government has announced that June 3 will remain a public holiday despite the postponement of this year’s Martyrs Day celebrations over concerns related to the Ebola outbreak.
In a statement issued Monday, Mr Allan Kasujja, the Executive Director of the Uganda Media Centre, said the day remains an official public holiday, and all institutions, schools, and both public and private offices will remain closed.
“Martyrs Day, observed on June 3, 2026, remains a public holiday,” Mr Kasujja said.
The clarification follows an announcement by President Museveni on Sunday that postponed the annual celebrations at the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine due to an escalating Ebola outbreak in the region.
According to the President, the decision was reached after consultations with the National Epidemic Response Task Force and religious leaders.
The annual celebrations, which attract millions of pilgrims from Uganda and neighbouring countries, will now be held at a later date yet to be announced.
“This decision was made because Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from eastern Congo, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak,” Mr Museveni said in a statement.
“To safeguard everyone’s lives, it is essential that this event be postponed,” he added.
The President urged pilgrims who had already begun travelling to return home and continue observing preventive health measures.
“I encourage those who have begun their journey to return home, continue observing the precautionary measures, and report anyone who is sick,” he said, adding that “protection of life must come first.”
This is not the first time the annual religious celebrations have been disrupted by a public health emergency.
In 2020 and 2021, commemorations were either conducted virtually or limited to scientific gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest development comes after the World Health Organization declared the current outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
By May 17, 2026, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had reported at least 80 deaths and more than 240 suspected cases in Ituri Province.
Uganda has also confirmed at least two Ebola cases in Kampala involving travellers from the DRC, including one fatality recorded on May 14.
Martyrs Day is one of Uganda’s largest religious events, drawing Catholic, Anglican, and other Christian faithful from across Africa to commemorate the Uganda Martyrs who were killed in the 19th century for their faith.
The celebrations usually attract pilgrims from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan.