Pilgrims from different parts of the world have continued to pour in at the Namugongo Martyrs’ shrine to celebrate martyrs’ day.

Today Uganda is joined by the world to celebrate this year’s Martyrs’ day at namugono martyrs shrine.

Roads leading to both the Catholic and Anglican Martyrs shrines at Namugongo are being walked on foot with no possibility of using any automobile.

The security at the shrines is very tight with several checkpoints and all pilgrims are checked before accessing their final destinations.

The Catholic shrine is almost full even though more pilgrims are still arriving with the hope of accessing this site and mass is already underway.

Due to massive movements to the site, transport fares to Namugongo have been hiked with commuter taxis charging as high as Shs6,000 compared to the normal fare of Ushs2,500. Boda-bodas from Kireka charge 8,000 to Namugongo from the usual Shs2,000.

The Uganda Martyrs involved 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity who were executed on orders of former Buganda king (Kabaka) Mwanga II between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887.  

The main reason for their execution was their refusal to denounce their new faith as required by the Kabaka who saw the act as a threat to his tradition and Kingship.

Since their execution, the Martyrs have been celebrated worldwide among the Christian community as great heroes of faith.

The Catholic Martyrs were canonized by Pope Paul VI on 18 October 1964 and he also mentioned of the Anglican Martyrs during the canonization ceremony. “Nor, indeed, do we wish to forget the others who, belonging to the Anglican confession, confronted death in the name of         Christ.”

Every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk to Namugongo from all parts of Uganda and from the neighboring countries. Walking symbolizes that the believers share the pain and sacrifice that the martyrs went through as they were forced to walk to Namugongo, their site of execution while being tortured by the Kabaka’s soldiers.

Pilgrims from very distant areas walk to Namugongo in groups for about 400km and they usually start their journey a month earlier. There are always several stopovers along the journey to rest and gain some energy for the next phase of the journey. They usually reach Namugongo 2-3 days earlier before the real day of the celebration on 3^rd June.       

Yesterday the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni joined throngs of pilgrims at Namugongo with Mama Maria Nyerere, the widow of former Tanzania President Mwalimu Julius Kambalage Nyerere. She came along with about 500 pilgrims from Tanzania.

The president described his former Tanzanian counterpart as one of the most important personalities in the history of African politics.

“For about 4.5 million years ago, which the Western world labeled the dark ages of Africa’s underdevelopment, no African fought for the struggle of Africa’s unity and independence like Nyerere did. For us Ugandans, we are grateful,” Museveni said.

The president was speaking during the annual commemorative Mass of the Julius Kambarage Day at Namugongo Catholic Martyrs Shrine. The Mass is held to pray for the beatification and canonization of the late Julius Nyerere to sainthood. His Mass always precedes the Martyrs day on 3 June.

The two English giants will tonight rock horns in a mouthwatering final in Madrid fighting to win Europe’s most prestigious club football trophy in a rare all-English final.

It will be the first time two teams both from the same country face off in a Champions League final since Manchester United and Chelsea met in 2008.

The final will kick off at 10 pm local time in Wanda Metropoliano stadium in Madrid, Spain. The 68,000 capacity stadium belongs to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and very close to their city rivals Real Madrid’s Santiago Banabeau.

Both Liverpool and Spurs fans will share 33,226 tickets to watch the final while the rest of the tickets will be reserved for neutral fans, officials and invited guests.

Liverpool will be hoping to win their 6^th Champions League final while it will be the first time spurs have won this trophy if they triumph in Madrid tonight. Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in last year’s final.

The Reds have won the competition five times with the most recent in 2005 in a dramatic comeback that saw them beat Ac Milan on penalties while they lost the 2007 final to the Italian giants before losing to Real Madrid in last year’s final.

The Reds finished two places and 26 points ahead of Spurs in the Premier League and they were beaten to the title by Manchester City by just one point. Their 97 points and a single defeat throughout the season was a record for a team finishing runners-up in the top flight.

Coaches of both clubs are without a trophy to their name at their current clubs. Jurgen Klopp has lost his last six finals including two Champions League finals with Borussia Dortmund in 2013 and last year with Liverpool while he has also not managed any domestic trophy since his arrival at Anfield in 2015.

The German was calm and relaxed when asked by reports about his chances of winning this final and what he feels about his previous final failures;

“All the circumstances were different, the teams were different,” said Klopp. “If I were the reason for losing six finals then everyone needs to worry. Last year was a world-class goal and two strange goals we normally don’t concede which defeated us.

“My career so far is not unlucky. I haven’t a problem with my career. My wife always asks when the final game of the season is because since 2012, apart from 2017, my teams have been in finals.

“I don’t see myself as a loser and we would have a problem if I did.”

While Liverpool will be counting on their previous success and experience in European final, it will Spurs’ first ever final of the premier European competition.

The north London club has not won any trophy in the past 11 years since they last won the League Cup in 2008. Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino will also be looking to win the first trophy of his managerial career. The former Espanyol and Southampton manager has hinted that could return to his native Argentina if he wins the Champions League for Spurs.

During the pre-match news conference on Friday, the Argentinean praised his team’s resilience that has helped them to reach this milestone despite the challenges along the way.

“Our team became very robust from the start of the season, 10 months ago. At that time, we couldn’t bring in new players. As we couldn’t, we decided not to sell anybody. We sold Mousa Dembele in January to China because it was his dream.

“we haven’t been able to play in our new stadium; we had to play in Wembley until a couple of months ago.

“We have come to the crucial part of the season and all of that has made us strong. We have had to overcome those difficulties.”

Eden Hazard scored a brace while Olivier Giroud and Pedro Rodriguez scored one each that saw Chelsea defeat their London rivals Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League final.

After a balanced first-half display from both teams saw the first half end goalless, a disastrous second half saw Arsenal concede four goals in the space of 23 minutes after the break.

Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock in the 49^th minute after heading Emerson’s cross past Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech. Pedro Rodriguez tapped in Eden Hazard’s pass to score Chelsea’s second at an hour mark.

Eden Hazard registered his name on the score sheet when he converted a penalty after a foul was committed on Giroud by Ainsley Maitland Niles in the area. Hazard completed his brace in the 72^nd minute with a sublime finish after Chelsea got their opponents on break to put the game beyond reach for Arsenal.

Alex Iwobi had restored some hope for an arsenal comeback with a fine long-range strike in the 69^th minute but it just proved to be a consolation in the end.

What does defeat mean for Arsenal?

Arsenal’s failure to win the Europa League means that they will be playing in the same competition next season for a third season in a row. Having failed to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season, all Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition next season were hanging on winning the Europa League.

Chelsea’s triumph saw them finish Maurizio Sarri’s first season at the bridge with silverware and now they will turn their attention to the futures of Hazard and Sarri who are reportedly wanted by Real Madrid and Juventus respectively.

How Arsenal’s defeat unveiled

Most of the talk on the eve of the game was about UEFA’s decision to choose Baku as the venue for the final and the travel difficulties for the fans of both clubs.

After a goalless and drab first half, the atmosphere in the stadium that was far from full remained tense in the fans of both clubs.

The best chance in the start fell on Arsenal’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who shot wide from inside the box after Chelsea’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to deal with the ball at the near post.

Arsenal saw their penalty appeal brushed off by Video Assistant Referee after Alexandre Lacazatte was taken down by Arrizabalaga as he took the ball past him.

Arsenal came close to scoring again when Granit had his powerful effort from 20 yards clipped top of the bar as Chelsea were still struggling to build momentum.

Chelsea started improving in the latter stages of the first half when Emerson Palmieri forced a save from Cech in the 34^th minute before Cech excellently made a one-handed save to deny Olivier Giroud the opener.

After the break, Giroud broke the deadlock when he expertly headed Emerson’s cross into the net to take his Europa League goal tally making him the competition’s top scorer this season.

After Giroud’s opener, Chelsea took control of the game and scored two-quick succession goals to give them and advantage.

Pedro converted Hazard’s cross into the net scored in the 60^th minute before the Belgian converted a penalty after Niles barged Giroud in the back in the box.

Alex Iwobi who came in as a substitute for Lucas Torreira pulled a goal back with a powerful strike from outside the box in the 69^th minute before Giroud made an assist to help Hazzard score his second for the night.

The closing stages of the game saw Cech make saves from Hazzard and substitute Willian and Lacazette was denied by Arrizabalaga the other end before Joe Willock who came in for Ozil curled wide from the box and that seemed to be final chance of any arsenal unlikely comeback.

What next for Arsenal?

Having seen their only chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League blown away in a humiliating fashion, Arsenal will be heading into the break with a lot of questions on their mind as the transfer window opens.

Unai Emery’s first season at the Emirates has been a mixture of good and bad results and the gunners will regret not seizing the chance they had to finish in the top four at home after winning only once in their last five Premier League games.

Arsenal’s major problems this season have been in defence after conceding more than 50 goals in Premier League and their weakness at the back was evident last night when they failed to deal with Chelsea’s attacking threat. Strengthening the backline looks to be the priority of Unai Emery’s plans while an overhaul of the squad also looks likely with the north London club looking set to offload a number of players. Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, and Danny Welbeck have already left the club and they are likely to be followed by many others with among those frequently mentioned including Ozil, Mustafi, Mkhitaryan, Elneny, Monr

Apolo Robin Nsibambi who served as Uganda’s Prime Minister between 1999 and 2011 has died of cancer aged 78.

Nsibambi died peacefully yesterday evening at his home in Bulange Mengo in Kampala. He leaves behind a widow, Esther Nsibambi and five children.

Government spokesperson Mr. Ofwono Opondo said that both the President and Prime Minister were informed about the passing of Nsibambi and were in touch with the family.

“The Prime Minister and the President have been briefed and we are in contact with the immediate family, especially the widow, Esther,” said Mr. Opondo at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala yesterday evening.

Professor Apolo Nsibambi was appointed Prime Minister in 1999 succeeding Kintu Musoke and served in this position until 2011 when he was replaced by Amama Mbabazi. He remains the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Uganda (12 years).

Nsibambi’s widow Esther, told mourners that her husband died peacefully in his home.

“He was able to speak well before he rested. He had a peaceful death,” Esther said in her short emotional statement.

“He has been suffering from cancer for nearly 10 years. And he received medication as our fathers in Christ kept on praying for us,” she added.

Who is Apolo Nsibambi?

Birth and education background

Apolo Robin Nsibambi was born on 25^th October 1940 to his father Simeon Nsibambi. He attended Kings College Buddo for his higher education before joining Makerere University where he studied Bachelor of science in Economics. He went on to obtain a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Chicago, United States. Nsibambi crowned his education career with a Doctorate in philosophy which he obtained from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Academic and political career

Nsibambi served as the dean of Faculty of Social Science at Makerere University from 1978 to 1983 and served in the same position between 1985 and 1987. Between 1987 and 1990, Nsibambi served as the Head of the Department of Political Science at Makerere University, before becoming Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research between 1994 and 1996.

Nsibambi started his political career in 1996 when he was appointed Minister of Public Service in the Uganda Cabinet a position he served in until 1998 when he was appointed Minister of Education and Sports. In 1999 Nsibambi was appointed Prime Minister and leader of Government Business in Parliament. He was the 8^th Prime Minister of Uganda.

 In 2003, Nsibambi served as the chancellor of Makerere University a position he occupied until 2007. He also taught at the same institution in the 1960s.

Marriage and family and religion

Nsibambi married his wife Ether in 2003 after the death of his first wife Rhoda in 2001. He had four daughters and five grandchildren. He a staunch Anglican by religion.  

Reaction to his death

Immediately after the breaking news of Mr. Nsibambi’s passing, messages of condolence from friends, politicians and many others started flowing in.

President Yoweri Museveni wrote, “I have learnt of the untimely passing of the former Prime Minister, Prof Apolo Nsibambi. He was a true patriot and great academic. The country will miss him. I have instructed Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to lead to lead a team that will ensure we give Prof Nsibambi a befitting send-off”.  

Norbert Mao, the president of Democratic Party wrote, ‘I’m saddened to learn the death of former Prime Minister Prof. Apollo Nsibambi. I convey my condolences to his family and also Ugandans. An accomplished academic who transitioned smoothly into the political arena, Nsibambi served with integrity, dignity and class. RIP”.

Uganda is one of the countries that are blessed with the big five game that include lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and the cape buffalo that are all readily seen on a wildlife safari.

The term big five was initially used by the big-game hunters who referring to the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot though it is now commonly used by safari tour operators worldwide.

Uganda has got all the big five game within her parks and all but rhinoceros and can be found within the country’s major parks of Murchison Falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kidepo valley national park.

Uganda’s Rhinoceros are protected within the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary at Nakasongola on your way to Murchison Falls national park. Tourists always have a stop over here to track the rhinos before they proceed to Murchison to complete their big five safari.

The African elephant

It is scientifically referred to as Loxodonta Africana and arguably the largest animal in the world. Uganda has got both savanna and forest elephants with the savanna elephants relatively larger than their forest counterparts.

There are over 5000 elephants in Uganda’s wilderness and they are commonly found in Murchison Falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kidepo Valley national park.

The African lion

Not very may in number like the buffaloes and elephants in Uganda.  These large carnivores scientifically known as Panthera Leo are widely known as the Kings of the jungle. Lions are well known for their formidable natural strength that allows them to lure any prey including those far bigger than them like elephants and buffaloes.

Uganda’s lions are found in several national parks across the country but the presence of the unique tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth national park stars as the major feature of Uganda’s lions. The tree –climbing lions are found in the Ishasha sector of the park where tourists flock every day to enjoy this magnificent view. However, a safari to other parks Murchison, Kidepo

The African cape buffalo

The African cape buffalo is the most numerous in Uganda among the country’s big five game. In all the parks where they are found in Uganda, buffaloes are the most numerous among all the big five with Kidepo valley national park having more than 10,000 buffaloes.

Buffaloes are fond of grazing in large groups of about 2000 individuals which gives tourists such a magnificent view of these enormous animals in the parks. Large herds of buffaloes can be seen by tourists while on their game driving safari in Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison Falls national park and Kidepo valley national park in the northeast, Lake Mburo national park and Semuliki national park.

Leopard

The major distinguishing feature between leopards and the other members of the big five family is that they are nocturnal which makes them rarely seen during day. They are strong cats, ever fierce and never scared despite their small size.

Leopards are present in Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park, Mount Elgon national park, and Kibale forest national park. A nocturnal game drive in these parks is the best to see to see these carnivores and cat family members.

The Rhinoceros

 These large and thick-skinned mammals complete our Uganda big five game package and they should not miss on your Uganda safari list.

Rhinos possess one or two upright horns on their nasal bridge as their trade mark. Rhinos in Uganda have been exclusively protected at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary along the Kampala-Gulu highway where tourists enjoy a brief stopover to visit them before they continue to Murchison falls national park or Kidepo valley national park for more game viewing experience.

The sanctuary has got over 20 individuals of white rhinos that were introduced here in 2005.

With the presence of all the big five game in the country, a wildlife safari to Uganda is really very rewarding and the travelers can always choose to complement their itinerary with other wildlife encounters like gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest national park.

Our journey to Ssese Islands started at Nakiwogo landing site at Entebbe where we boarded the MV Kalangala, a state-owned ferry and the largest among all the ferries that operate on Uganda’s side of Lake Victoria.

Sailing with MV Kalangala

Each passenger on the ferry is charged Ushs14,000 to sail with MV Kalangala from Entebbe to the Ssese Islands, a charge so fair considering the 3-4 hours’ journey thanks for the government’s hand to help citizens travel at discounted prices.

The ferry is large enough to take up to about 200 passengers with some sitting in the passengers’ lounge while the more adventure-loving ones decide to sail while standing in the outer part having fun and viewing everything on water and the nearby landing sites.

The ferry has got on-board services like catering and beverages with waiters and waitresses always moving around to receive orders for food, tea, and beverages from the passengers.
The water journey from Entebbe to Ssese Islands took us 3 and a half hours and it was all comfortable and fun with no strong winds on the water to challenge the ferry.

Setting sights on the beautiful Ssese Islands

Before reaching the shores at Bugala Island, one of the 84 Islands that make up Ssese, you see a large beautiful green cover shoreline that surrounds the waters. The shoreline of Bugala Island is covered by a large white sand beach with shallow waters very comfortable for those who love swimming.

There is a warm reception from lodges and resorts managers who stand with placards with names of their facilities ready to take those arriving with the ferry to their accommodation facilities.

We booked our accommodation with Brovad Sands Lodge, arguably the best luxury lodge at the Islands and their driver was ready with the hotel van to take us to their premises.

There is no much activity at this landing site apart from loading and off-loading of passengers and commodities and reception of visitors by their hosting hotel attendants.
From here we headed straight to Brovad Sands Lodge for check in and we were received warmly by their staff who also briefed us about the lodge, the Islands, and the activities to do on the islands.

Accommodation at Brovad Sands Lodge

Having arrived late in the evening, we checked in to our rooms after the briefing and we waited for dinner that was served at 8 pm. Each room is well furnished with nice beds, towels bathrooms, soap, and a closet. All rooms have also got a TV set with a large flat screen.

The meals at the lodge are also very attractive with a fat menu comprised of among others fish, pork, chicken, beef, vegetables, and all the local foodstuffs.
The lodge also offers recreation activities like boat riding and beach volleyball.

Tour activities at the Islands

According to our guide, Mr. Edrine, Ssese is made up of 84 Islands and Bugala, where we visited, is the largest of them all. He added that the Island is generally the second largest on the whole of Lake Victoria after the Ukerewe Island in Tanzania.

The major tour activities on the Island include visiting the largest palm tree farm in Uganda that is located on this island. The palm seeds are used to produce various products that include cooking oil, soap, Vaseline, among others. Palm trees are the chief cash crop grown on the Island.

The forest next to the farm contains a famous tree that is used to provide the traditional stick (Ddamula) which is given to the Prime Minister (Katikiro) of Buganda when he is being enthroned.

On your way to the palm farm, you pass through a forest that has got several mammal species including antelopes, zebras, impalas and several primates dominated by the vervet monkey.

After the palm tree farm, there is a nice elevation where visitors stand and have a beautiful panoramic view of most of the islands that make up Ssese.

There is also a brief visit to a cultural site known as Kiwumulo/Kalaya cave where several traditional practices are performed. The cave is also reportedly regularly visited by the Kabaka of Buganda every time he pays a visit to Ssese Islands.

There is a short trip the busiest Island known as Mweena which is highly populated with several fishing-related activities and trade. The Island reportedly faces a high rate of HIV infection.

According to Mr. Edrine, out of the 84 Islands that make up Ssese, 64 are inhabited by people while the rest are not settled because they are rocky and also inhabits dangerous reptiles like crocodiles.

The return journey with MV Vanessa

After the conclusion of our 2-days Ssese tour, we booked our return journey with MV Vanessa, the newest and modern boat that also runs trips between Entebbe and Ssese Islands.
Sailing with the 54-seater MV Vanessa gives you a unique experience which is so exceptional par the Ugandan standard.

The cruise in this brand new boat which is managed by the Nyanza Water Ways is so smooth and comfortable even during the stubborn waves in the middle of the waters.
Even when we met some strong waves that seemed to shake the boat a little bit, the staff just told us to relax and enjoy the cruise and indeed there was nothing to fear at the end.

MV Vanessa is way faster than the veteran MV Kalangala. The new boat spends only one hour and fifteen minutes for each return journey connecting Entebbe and Ssese Islands.

The boat departs every Friday at 4 pm from Entebbe at Water Front Club to Kalangala and returns to Entebbe on Sunday at 2 pm. Each journey takes just 1 and a quarter hours.

To sail with MV Vanessa, adults are charged Ushs65,000 for a return journey and Ushs35,000 for one way. Children aged between 4-10 years pay Ushs55,000 for a return journey and Ushs30,000 for one way while those aged 3 and below travel for free. The maximum weight of luggage allowed per client is 15kg.

Former patron of Boda Boda 2010 Association Abdallah Kitatta has been sentenced to eight years and six months in jail after being convicted of possession of firearms and ammunition illegally.

The sentence was read on Tuesday by Lt Gen Andrew Gutti the chairman of the Court Martial. Lt Gen Gutti said that Kitatta is eligible to appeal the sentence.

Arrested on 20th January 2018, Kitatta had spent one year and four months in jail before he was sentenced on Tuesday.

Before his arrest, Kitatta worked as the chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) for Lubaga. He was arrested at Vine Tea Hotel in Wakaliga, Rubaga division and he was charged and remanded at Makindye Military barracks.

Kitatta’s arrest followed an attempt from a group of people to block the arrest of his young brother Huzairu Kiwalabye who was charged with the murder of former Case Hospital accountant Francis Ekalungar.

On Monday the Court Martial acquitted seven people who were remanded together with Kitatta before convicting him with his former bodyguard Ngobi Sowali of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Ngobi who was a police detective was part of the other 10 people who were charged together with Kitatta.

As the chairman of NRM party in Lubaga division, Kitatta reportedly used his position to convince the then Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura to disband the Kampala Union Boda Boda Cyclists Association.

Kitatta claimed that the association was supporting hooligans who burnt Nateete police station during the Walk-to-work protests after the 2011 presidential elections.

After succeeding in disbanding the Kampala Union Boda Boda Cyclists Association, Kitatta went ahead to create his own Association which was named Boda Boda 2010 and he became its leader as a patron.

Kitatta’s Association became radicle in nature by going head to head with the walk-to-work protesters that were mobilized by former presidential candidate Dr. Kiiza Besigye challenging president Museveni’s victory in the 2011 presidential elections.