{UAH} Exciting Besigye message as Martyrs' Day pours millions of pilgrims to Namugongo!

Contrary to all expectations, the Namugongo shrines welcomed an estimated four

million people who travelled from all over the globe. And reports indicate thousands of them have been arriving daily on foot especially days before the official June 3 celebrations. Therefore the Pope's visit last November was just more of a catalyst to pull multitudes to Africa's most celebrated shrines. Pilgrims adding to businessmen / women, journalists and media personnel, security operatives,and nosy onlookers, and the numerous clergy and religious

enabled the figures to skyrocket to millions. And indeed millions as the Namugongo crowds have always been described as phenomenal and difficult to evaluate because of their very deep intensity in gathering. All went on very well! Many of us from abroad were able to follow all events thanks to online media viewing and broadcast.    Personally , I was one of those who watched everything on NTV Uganda and many others followed other TV channels right from Namugongo where by the eve crowds had swollen to foretell  an inumerable presence for the great day starting from midnight when the real one million strong figure was hit.

The service at both shrines was excellent. And NTV showed to us a well-prepared Kiyinda-Mityana doing only wonders at the Catholic shrine where their famous Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa gave a very touching sermon which was indeed very rich in substance! Other speakers at the end of Mass such as Archbishops Cyprian Lwanga and J.B. Odama (Chairman of the Ugandan Episcopal Conference), and V-P Hon E.K. Ssekandi also spoke very well.

There was a very impressive presence of foreign pilgrims especially at the Catholic Shrine where over 4,000 of them had been registered! Very many of them had trekked to Namugongo on foot! Ugandans have to be thanked for the hospitality they used to extend to these pilgrims and others wherever they passed! Their zeal and love towards the Martyrs are among the many things which drew multitudes to Namugongo.

Martyrs Day is a great event that captures even the attention of foreign countries. And this will indeed help boost programmes on religious tourism.

Martyrs Day in Uganda was equally characterized by something of a remarkable happening : that's the world circulated missive in form of a VIP message with a Luzira Upper Prison stamp puroptedly written and signed by Dr Kizza Besigye! In the message Besigye wishes a good Martyrs Day to all and informs that he is well!

This has brought excitement in many circles and has continued to portray a determined Besigye who last week went on to announce a cabinet. people are praying for a Uganda martyrs miracle that will help bring together Museveni and Besigye's group to form a joint cabinet with equally shared powers in order to end a looming political uncertainty for Uganda and the entire region. Besigye doesn't deserve any illtreatment when better peaceful ways to end the conflict are numerous. Leading powers are fixed on a Museveni - Besigye dialogue of  mutual understanding that will make things very easy for the two men and the country.

And many Ugandans abroad see nonsense in what press reports have indicated regarding manoeuvres by some NRM big wigs to approach Gen Salim Sale in order to win secondment for ministerial and other key appointments! If true, this signals darkness ahead as the nation will be driven to incompetence! And it will demean Uganda in dignity and social esteem! And it will be an occasion for the masses and the diaspora and the foreign countries to give formal and official recognition to Besigye's cabinet!! 

G.H.K.

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