We all saw the pilgrims flocking on foot to Namugongo last week. Understandably, the mood was jubilant after two years of being unable to gather in large numbers. But we did not see them walking back. Yes, Martyrs’ Day has come and gone. Those who walked for weeks just to get a five-litre plastic container (jerrycan) of ‘holy water’ and a special blessing are already back in the comfort of their homes. The buses and taxis did the walking for them. After all, there are neither martyrs nor holy water wherever they returned to. Arguably, they do not feel the presence of God in their homes.

As for the Natukundas1 of this Muhogo Republic2, they will remain a statistic. While those who should have guided her were actually retreating at a cool Island somewhere in the region where she walked from, as they prepared their robes for the showbiz of 3rd June. Something that would make the Martyrs turn in their graves. Who gave us the right to turn their persecution into such a mockery! Well, the world has since moved on to discussing the Parliament’s pair metallic toys for the Speakership worth UGX. 2.8 billion, and some Ugandan villagers who dream of daily kameeza3 money to the tune of UGX. 1 million. One can only hope that they would do the same if the tables were turned. Then the routine pre-budget presidential state of the nation address, preceded by the ministry of health alarm over the resurgence and rising of COVID-19 cases. It goes without saying that National Heroes’ Day is also vying for our attention. And now, the National Budget, amid soaring fuel prices! There is never a dull moment in the Muhogo republic. Why not take another bite of that cassava! Keep a drink too nearby.

Like Tertullian and others, I have great respect for the Martyrs, and I too strongly believe that their blood is a seed for the church and Christianity.4 Hence I’ve continued reflecting on the events of Martyrs’ Day. The fevered build up to this annual festival that is serially captured by media inspired me to pen this piece and I believe there is no better time than after recently welcoming two beautiful babies: little Joshua born to dear friends the Kolobos, and the little Zephaniah born to my other very dear friends the Mananos.

You see, no parent welcomes a baby in this world and thanks God, and then says, “You, my little child, you shall be a Martyr!” – though I’m told in some religions it might be possible, because of their understanding of Martyrdom. However, as a parent, I know very well the untold joy of holding a little baby and imagining the millions of possibilities this world holds for them-challenges and all. The last thing I would imagine is them as a martyr. Why? I might perhaps consider it if becoming a martyr were something they could study to attain at a preferably later stage of life. But what does it mean to be a Martyr? As a country, we routinely commemorate the Uganda Martyrs as a major event of Ugandan and Church history. Yet, with all the fanfare surrounding this annual celebration, we are more in love with heroism and populism than martyrdom. Martyrs are regarded as a relic of the past. We hardly honour them, or what they stood for and I daresay, the church leads the way on this grotesque path of materialism, consumerism, immorality, and even idolatry!

Historically – Introduction of Christianity and Martyrdom in Uganda
• Christian Missionaries’ first arrival in Uganda, specifically at Kabaka Mutesa’s Courts
– 30th June 1877.
• Martyrdom of the now 45 Uganda Martyrs (both Anglicans and Roman Catholics) for
apparently choosing to honour the King of Kings over the king of Buganda, Kabaka
Mwanga: between 1883 – 1886 at different locations. I choose to say apparently,
because when it comes to the tensions between Buganda, Mwanga and the Imperialists,
and how the stories come down to us; we have to be honest that there were major
political undertones to the tensions than there were religious ones. Nonetheless, these
people that were killed were converts, and their faith played a role in their defiance
against the king especially that some had been Baganda, who should have been loyal to
the Kabaka. As for the slaves from Bunyoro, Ankole, Acholi, it is hard to tell.
• It is also believed that there were about 70 Muslims who displeased Mwanga and were
put to death at Namugongo, but their names remain unknown.
Interestingly, 100 years later Janaani Luwum lost his life for taking a stand and speaking up to
Idi Amin (another ‘king’ of sorts) against the state of affairs of his day, especially the injustices
and state-managed extra-judicial killings – 1977.
Using the close to 100-year pattern of how God appears to be raising Martyrs in Uganda, one
could reliably predict that the next significant Martyrdom event will be in 2077 later.
Otherwise, we can continue to gather, at the different shrines, and have the ‘king’ and his
regime trumpet its achievements, confident that no matter the state of affairs, no one is about
to risk losing their lives by confronting the powers that be. I will never forget a church leader
who remarked in my presence how John the Baptist, though a great Evangelist, ended up with
his head on a platter. That if I didn’t mind mine on a platter, then I could continue doing what
I was doing.

Martyrs and the Church – Who/What is a Martyr?
The Merriam Webster defines a martyr as a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty
of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion or; a person who sacrifices something of
great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle. Hebrews 11 presents us a Biblical
cloud of witnesses, Heroes of the faith, some of whom were actually martyred.

Maimed, castrated, burnt, hacked, beheaded, speared, clubbed, dismembered, or savaged by
beasts, were the kind of means used by the Kabaka’s executioners on the now Uganda Martyrs.
Their blood fell on this land, and their story on fertile souls. As Tertullian suggested, that blood
has been a seed to the church and Christianity in Uganda, the region, and beyond. But how
much impact is their story having on a generation that goes to Namugongo for “holy water”,
pork and merry making? Might we need more Martyrs? Perhaps a fresh story?

At the time when our motherland gave us what we now commemorate, and idolize as the
“Uganda Martyrs”, it was the Pearl of Africa. Right now, well, centuries later, it has become
many things far from that, among others a “Muhogo Republic.” Consider the level of
materialism, commercialization, immorality, and idolatry that we continually exhibit not only
in the name of commemorating the Martyrs, but so much more at all what we call ‘Christian
festivities’! Be it Christmas, or Easter! I will not discuss Consecrations and Enthronements!
What sort of Martyrs would be born out of the Uganda of today?

If this were to happen, the children being born now might be here to witness this event 55 years or more from now. Those perpetrating evil and injustice now will likely be gone but the church will still be here because it was built to remain, no matter the varied gates of hell fashioned against it. Is the church prepared for the time when the country will need another set of martyrs? Currently, there does not seem to be any conviction whatsoever from scripture, or circumstance, or historical pattern that might lead us to expect one. On the other hand, we continue to make heroes on demand because they appeal to us more than the martyrs. Bearing in mind that the head of state has the power to declare anyone a hero (even if you object to Enanga’s Medal). But only God has the power that makes Martyrs. Right from Stephen in Jerusalem, throughout history, to the next one in Jos (Nigeria), or somewhere unknown.

Confronted by the ruthless Kabaka Mwanga, the Martyrs faced an entirely different milieu from us today. Whereas some of the Martyrs were slaves, we are free to pick and choose our lives and livelihood. That is not to say that there are no people in circumstances beyond their choices, like refugees, among others. What thread runs through the martyrs’ lives and ours? Unlike these largely young uneducated, uninitiated boys (I hope this reminds you of Acts 4:13) that we claim to commemorate without the real commitment to emulate, we actually have the privilege of education, initiation through the Scriptures and theology through the years, and their example, yet we cannot dare to attempt even a quarter of what they did.

Martyrs’ Day Commemoration, Populism and Heroism
As we continue to call Namugongo a “holy site” enshrined to the Martyrs, we ought to ask ourselves what happened to our faith when we weren’t able to gather by the masses over the past two years. If the Martyrs have anything to do with our faith and intercession before God, we ought to ask how they faced those dark days.

Martyrs’ Day and Heroes Day are dually celebrated in the month of June, six days apart. However, between Martyrs and Heroes, who matters most? Undeniably, heroes are more appropriately honoured than martyrs in our country. There is a good chance that we mix up the two. But are they the same? Definitely not. Martyrs are to Faith, as Heroes are to Nation. Whereas the martyrs are long dead, heroes are often celebrated while they are alive and this is what appeals to us. We love stories which we can be part of. Our very acts of pilgrimage and intercession are evidence of our efforts to somehow become integrated into the story. But the Christian faith, in which we identify with the Martyrs, is not built on such precepts.

Many mainstream religious denominations, including Islam, capitalize on commemorating the Martyrs. While the Muslims pray for Allah to have mercy on the martyred dead, the Roman Catholics set up more holy water collection points, and the Anglicans subtly mimic the Roman Catholics whilst denying it. More Martyrs’ museums and memorial sites are instituted to gather people. Neither worship nor God’s glory are the aim of this. Mammon must be gloating as we fall at his fiscal feet. Whereas in the earlier days, it was risky to be identified with the martyrs, today everyone wants a piece of the Martyrs’ Day pie; the pork and beer, the glory or organising and leading the events! O, the millions of shillings involved.

But how did we get here? And how come we don’t seem to mind it is this way?
Listening to the Spokesperson of the Anglican Martyrs’ Day Commemoration Team, the budget for this year 2022 was over UGX. 800 million. In a trans-pandemic period, when as a country we are experiencing all of the inflation-related challenges you can imagine, this comes as a shock. Why wouldn’t the church use this watershed moment and invest that money into another school and hospital? Is it better to spend it on a one-day event bringing in both local and international travellers instead of investing it in a project that could potentially transform the communities from which the pilgrims hail?

A country steeped in greed, extravagance and irrational expenditure does not deserve to celebrate the martyrs who, even when all they had was their lives, never despaired or held back. Our failure to fairly distribute national resources reveals how we are simply living for self. What if, instead of trekking to Namugongo, Christians rallied together in pilgrimage against greed, evil and all manner of injustice? What if the money we spend on Martyrs’ Day revelry was redirected to help the orphan, the homeless, the widow and the refugee? Or strategically allocated to boosting the poorly funded Missions, Evangelism, and Discipleship, which undoubtedly must have been the reason for the grounding of the Martyrs, as a product of seeds sowed by those before us. Why are we afraid of sowing the right seeds?

Martyrdom and Dying to Self
Before anyone is killed as a martyr, they have already considered themselves dead to the flesh and the world. This was the mindset of Steven in Acts 8, Justyn the Martyr, Hugh Latimer and the Ugandan martyrs too. Unless we truly die to the world and the flesh, it will continue to be difficult for our generation to witness genuine willingness to hand over one’s life amid persecution because it already belongs to Christ.

Remember in Daniel 3 when Nebuchadnezzar was going to throw a group of young men into a fiery furnace? He asked them “… who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Their reply resounds forever. It must be written wherever the Martyrs be. “…Our God will deliver us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not ….”

The Apostle Paul attests, “…, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. (Philippians 1:19-23). What death? And by what means? It is not surprising that even when he is warned against returning to Jerusalem where he would potentially face arrest and imprisonment for the proclamation of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul is not deterred by such threats to his life. For having known Christ, or rather been known by Christ, he counted everything but loss, … ‘as garbage’, he would add. Phil. 3:1-11.

In his 2015 Martyrs’ Day communication, the former Archbishop Stanley Ntagali urged Christians to “remember the mandate to not only proclaim the Gospel in Word, but wholistically, by also advocating for social transformation in our homes, communities, and nation. And like the Martyrs’, Christians in Uganda ought to be bold and courageous and rise up to say no to vices like corruption, sexual immorality, idolatry, among others.”

Similarly, Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi of Jos in North-eastern Nigeria, arguably one of the most persecuted regions today, also rallied Christians to the frontlines of witnessing to the world, no matter how much persecution, tribulation, suffering it may come with, even unto death. For it is not a task of only Bishops and priests to fulfil, as they are simply too few, and often too safe to hit the frontlines.

Even amid crises like that in Jos, Nigeria, Kwashi argued that; “The Gospel of reconciliation, where man is reconciled to God, and man to man; and peace from God to man is extended to other men; that Gospel, is the power of God as the Apostle Paul says, bringing salvation to all irrespective of nationality.” For this witness to happen he added, “Believers need to clean their minds and hearts of all bitterness, resentment, thoughts of vengeance against those that have done them harm … even those that have killed our loved ones. For to bear witness in many ways means dying to self and living for Christ who died for us.”

To celebrate the Uganda Martyrs without any willingness to die to ourselves and our carnal desires is vain. In fact, the Apostle Paul puts it graciously that, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Monuments and museums are meaningless when little investment is given to the guidance of the Spirit with regard to the living church, the movement of saints and the nation in form of Missions, Evangelism and Discipleship. This can strengthen the conviction of believers, their presence, and the church’s prophetic voice when it comes to vices like injustices.

Pilgrimage can be spiritually problematic, unless it’s to Canaan or Calvary where God Himself is leading, and humanity is participating, following, and trusting. In the case of walking from Fort Portal or Rubirizi, Arua, or Karamoja to Namugongo to venerate, honour, celebrate, and even worship the martyrs, God seems to be told, “Sit back and watch Lord! See how ‘sacrificial’ and faith-filled we are being Aren’t we great Christians!” In a country where it is increasingly hard to eke out a living, survival is for the fittest. Motivational speakers are popular heroes and the story of the Ugandan Martyrs remains ceremonial. It is no wonder that museums are being constructed to that effect. If their story is to remain relevant, it must be lived out, even unto death, by those who claim to profess the same faith as the Martyrs; not trekked out.

Shall we ever produce any more Martyrs? Well, only God knows. However, when it comes to heroes, the Eastern hills of Kapchorwa have produced world class marathoners, and we can reliably trust that there will be more to come. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine that the home of globally celebrated martyrs will ever produce any more. Especially given the trend of unconcerned Church Leaders on the status quo, who have rather for several decades devoted the church’s passion and resources to planting monolithic buildings as its legacy. But buildings do not get martyred. Not too long ago, St. Peter’s Church of Uganda in Ndeeba was demolished. But some will ask, “Who needs martyrs anyway? Isn’t that taking things a bit too far? Isn’t prayer and fasting enough?” Who needs martyrs, when we can be heroes!

When all is done, as babies Joshua and Zephaniah grow older, it is important that they find in place a Biblical and worthwhile understanding and celebration of the Martyrs. One that will reveal to them the story of Christianity and the church, not soaked into the pride of denominations and tribes, nor marred by materialism, commercialism, immorality, politicking, and idolatry. It doesn’t have to be in 2077, but any time now. May they find us not trekking, but dead to self, walking and living transformed lives, not scrambling for ‘holy water’ but streaming with living water from the river of life Himself. Yes we can give the world more Martyrs! But first, ones whose lives are wholly given for God and Country, not more Muhogo!