The Bishop of Kasese Diocese, Rt. Rev. Francis Acquirinus Kibira, has officially launched the planting of “Martyrs Trees” as part of preparations for the upcoming Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations scheduled for June 3, 2026 at Namugongo Shrine. The trees planted were in the names of the Uganda martyrs who were killed for the word of God.
While officiating at the launch held at Uganda Martyrs Nyakasanga Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, Bishop Kibira, who served as the chief planter, emphasized the importance of environmental conservation under the theme “Making Uganda Martyrs alive through Laudato Si (care for mother earth).”
He urged the public to protect the environment in order to sustain essential resources such as clean air, water, and food, which he described as irreplaceable.
The bishop also warned against the indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste, noting that it poses a serious threat to the environment.
Bishop Kibira further encouraged communities to embrace tree planting not only as a conservation measure but also as a source of economic empowerment, calling on believers to integrate tree planting into important life events, including anniversaries.
Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. John Baptist Kule, the chairperson of the organizing committee for the Namugongo pilgrimage, revealed that about 2,000 pilgrims from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to join others in Kasese for the long journey to Namugongo.
Remember kasese diocese is set to animate the Namugongo celebrations this year and this would take them about 21 years to have this chance again.
He added that the government has so far contributed 2 billion shillings towards the 4 billion shilling budget for the event, leaving a funding gap of 2 billion shillings. He called upon well-wishers and the general public to support the preparations.
In a related development, the Director of Caritas Kasese, Rev. Fr. Anyesio Mbusa, urged all Catholic parishes, institutions, and individuals to actively participate in planting and nurturing Martyrs Trees as a way of combating climate change.
He emphasized the need to ensure that the planted trees are well maintained to achieve long-term environmental benefits.
At least 2,000 trees were planted during the launch at Nyakasanga, with the diocese targeting more than 50,000 trees across Kasese.
Rev Anyesio also indicated that along the routes of their pilgrimage, Christians will also be planting trees at different stopovers; Fort portal diocese, Kira Mityana diocese, and Kampala diocese respectively.
