President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has arrived at Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo for Julius Nyerere prayers, part of the spiritual preparation for the Martyrs Day Celebrations on June 3.
Accompanying Mr. Museveni was Father Vincent Lubega the Parish Priest of Namugongo. Today’s mass is being led by Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.
Tanzania each year has a substantial representation at the Ugandan celebrations, with Maria; the widow of the country’s founding President Nyerere, always attending and arrived at Namugongo today just after Museveni.
It is an important day on the Catholic calendar worldwide and Pope Francis celebrated a mass attended by thousands during his November 2015 visit to the country.
On Monday, at least 27 out of 45 Tanzanian pilgrims heading for the Namugongo festivities were injured, some seriously, in an accident on Masaka highway.
Police said the Falcon Bus, Registration T967-BTA, rolled on its left side after the brakes failed while ascending a hilly stretch between Kyotera and Masaka town.
Three sustained limp fractures or “serious head injuries”, says Dr Charles Kajoba of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital where the victims were booked for treatment.
