As the June 3, 2023 Martyrs day is nearing and hundreds of thousands of pilgrimages continue to arrive at Namugongo, the Directorate of Traffic Police has issued movement and parking guidelines for the pilgrimages on how they will access the venues both at the Catholic and Anglican sites.
While addressing journalist at Naguru Police based Police Headquarters in a weekly press briefing, SSP Kauma Nsereko Rogers said that only VIP people and priests with stickers will be allowed to access the venues with their vehicles and Traffic flow has been diverted.
Nsereko informed the reporters that the foreign pilgrimages with blue stickers on their vehicles will be allowed to access the venue via Kyaliwajjala and will park at Vienna College; the VIP with red stickers will access the Basilica via Semambo road.
The Medical teams who will have Green stickers will be allowed to access both venues from all routes and service providers with purple stickers will be accessing the venue using St. Kizito Lwanga Road and their vehicles will stop accessing both venues at midnight (12:00AM).
The priest from Jinja Diocese who is the organizers for this year’s event will have brown stickers and they access the venue via Seeta and will park their vehicles at Uganda Martryrs SSS Volleyball court, other priest from other Dioceses will leave their vehicles in places before reaching the restricted red points.
On Martyrs day, Motorists moving in the areas of Najjeera, Kira, Bweypogerere, Naalya, Seeta, Namugongo will be regulated and vehicles will not be allowed beyond the cutoff points. Taxi and bodaboda stages in areas of Kyaliwajala, Naalya, Namugongo and Sonde will also be closed and according to SSP Nsereko , any taxi or bodaboda found on the stage loading passengers will be impounded and a penalty will be imposed in addition to the fees for hauling the vehicle or motor cycle.
The Police spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga who also addressed reporters in the same place conference said that so far there has been no major crime reported save the accident which occurred at Nairambiri, Kamuli District at the roundabout along Jinja – Iganga high way were two pilgrimages sustained serious injuries and were rusted to Iganga hospital were
Enanga also said that the IGP has ordered the territorial commanders to increase deployment in the venue and along the ways were the pilgrimages are passing so as to abet the crime incidences. The IGP also implored police commanders for the job well done so far.
Although government has released UG Shs 2 billion to help in the preparations of the event at all sites of the martyrs, the organizers are say that the funds are still lucking for them to organize a colorful ceremony.
Father Gerald Buto the Head of Finance committee for the catholic organizers of this years event said that they made a budget of Ug Shs 2.3 b but they are still short of 1.5 b yet its five days remaing to the D-Day and he called upon all individual well-wishers and corporate companies to donate generously towards the organization.
By George Bukenya