In preparation for the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations on June 3, 2025, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety has issued a detailed traffic management plan to ensure order and safety for the thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries expected in Namugongo.
The advisory, delivered on Saturday by Traffic Police spokesperson ASP Michael Kananura, outlines extensive road restrictions, route changes, and parking arrangements aimed at easing congestion during one of Uganda’s most significant religious events.
While traffic along the Jinja–Kampala highway will flow normally, access to Namugongo will be heavily regulated starting at midnight on the day of the celebration.
Specific roads leading to the area will operate under one-way restrictions or be closed entirely to general traffic.
Notably, the Kireka–Kyaliwajjala road will be reserved for one-way traffic toward the Martyrs Shrine, and the Kyaliwajjala–Naalya Interchange will only serve vehicles heading to Kyaliwajjala.
Pedestrian movement will also be controlled, with the right side of the road between Kyaliwajjala Trading Centre and the Catholic Church set aside for foot traffic, while the left lane will be used exclusively by VVIPS and emergency responders.
Authorities have emphasized the need for all attendees to observe these designations to ensure safety and prevent unnecessary congestion.
Strict access protocols will be in place for VIPs and service providers. VIPs with red stickers heading to the Catholic Church will access the venue via Kyaliwajjala and Ssemambo Road and will park at Namugongo Boarding Primary School.
Those attending the Protestant Church will enter via the Bweyogerere–Butto–Kyobe Road and will park at the designated church farm.
Foreign pilgrims attending the Catholic celebrations will be dropped at Kyaliwajjala Trading Centre, with their vehicles redirected to Vienna College for parking.
Medical teams with green stickers and service personnel with purple stickers must enter through designated routes like St. Kizito Lwanga Road. Notably, service vehicles will not be allowed in after midnight.
Domestic pilgrims have also been directed to specific parking areas based on their routes. Those arriving from the Northern Bypass will park at Hillside Nursery & Primary School.
Pilgrims from Ntinda, Kiwatule, Najjera, and Kasangati will use Kiira Town Council playground and Kiira Municipal Mayor’s Garden.
Attendees coming from the east en route to the Protestant Church are advised to follow the Seeta–Sonde–Bweyogerere–Butto–Kyobe corridor, with parking provided at the church farm.
To maintain order, vehicles without the appropriate authorization stickers will be turned away at checkpoint areas.
No public parking will be allowed at either the Catholic or Protestant Church grounds, and nearby taxi stages, including those around Kyaliwajjala, Sonde Road, Namugongo Road, and Naalya, will remain closed throughout the event.
Any unauthorized taxis or vehicles found parked along restricted areas will be impounded, and owners penalized.
ASP Kananura appealed to all road users and pilgrims to adhere strictly to the guidelines, urging early planning, patience, and cooperation to ensure a smooth and secure event.
The Uganda Martyrs Day, which commemorates the execution of 45 Christian converts between 1885 and 1887, continues to draw millions of faithful from within Uganda and abroad, marking it as one of the country’s most solemn and well-attended religious observances.
