{UAH} AMIN, NRM DECLARED JUNE 3rd PUBLIC HOLIDAY

In The New Viison of Monday June 3rd 2020, on page 36 under a headline
"HOW MARTYRS' DAY EVOLVED," the writer Mathias Mazinga quoted Rev. Fr.
Richard Nyombi , a senior priest of the Missionary Society of White
Fathers as saying that June 3rd was declared a public holiday in 1972v
by the then President Idi Amin after a request by the then Arch Bishop
Kampala Diocese and later Cardinal, Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga.
However, according to Mazinga, Fr. Benedict Ssetuuma, a Catholic
celebrated researcher, and Fr. Joseph Mukasa Nkeera the Information
Secretary of Metropolitan Arch Diocese of Kampala disagree and said
that it was done by President Yoweri Museveni in the early years of
NRM.
It is true that Idi Amin declared June 3rd public holiday. Other
additional public holidays included among others Eid Al Adhuha (Feast
of Sacrifice for Muslims) and in December 1977, added on Mauled Birth
Day of Prophet Muhammad), Isra wal Miraaj (Ascension to Haven by
Prophet Muhammad) in additional to Friday. Saturday, which Amin had
declared a public holiday in the early years of his rule, became a
half public holiday from 12.00 noon as workers were supposed to be in
offices and other places of work in the morning for a half a day.
However all those public holidays were scrapped off by UNLF Government
under Prof. Yusuf Kironde Lule. On Martyrs' day, those opposed to it
were of the view that the martyrs were traitors who had been convicted
of treason by Kabaka Mwanga for collaborating with foreigners who were
plotting to colonize the country which they eventually did.
When government came with proposals to reduce public holidays in 1991
in National Resistance Council, at end of the debate, they were
increased. Among the new ones included Uganda Martyrs Day, Eid Al
Adhuha( proposed by the late Haji Abbey Kafumba Mukasa who was Deputy
Minister of Finance), International Women's Day and National Heroes
Day.
So Amin had declared June 3rd a public holiday but it ended with his
rule until NRM came in and its legislative wing declared it again and
now it has become traditional.

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