The Minister for Presidency and Member of Parliament for Budiope West Constituency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has today informed the general public that this year’s Heroes’ Day celebrations will be held at State House Entebbe, and there will be no public gathering at Kololo as it used to be in the previous years.
Speaking to Ugandans at Uganda’s Media Centre today, the minister informed Ugandans that Uganda is scheduled to hold celebrations marking the 37th Heroes’ Day Anniversary at State House Entebbe in a scientific manner on the 9th of June 2026, an implication that there won’t be a public gathering in some specific venue as it has been in the previous years.
She noted that the change in the nature of our commemoration has been due to the fact that the country is observing strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) due to the Ebola pandemic.
“As you may recall, on 16th May 2026, H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda, after consultation with the National Epidemic Response Task Force and religious leaders, decided to postpone the much-anticipated Annual Uganda Martyrs’ Pilgrimage due to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is on account that Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from Eastern Congo which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak; hence the need to safeguard everyone’s life”, she said.
“Subsequently, on 17th May 2026, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and that it constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)”, she added.
Minister Babalanda also noted that, as it may be noticed that the Heroes’ Day celebrations fall only 6 (six) days after the Uganda Martyrs Day of 3rd June, it thus makes sense to assume that it may not be possible to congregate Ugandans at Kololo on 9th June 2026.
“Since the 37th Heroes’ Day Anniversary Celebrations fall immediately after a successful function of the swearing-in and inaugural ceremonies of the president-elect, the National Organising Committee has decided to maintain the theme of the swearing-in at the 37th Heroes’ Day Celebrations: “Protecting the Gains as we make a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status,” she said.
Minister Babalanda also informed the public that the function will be officiated by the Commander-In-Chief, H.E. Rtd. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, joined by less than 25 guests from the three (3) arms of the government and the rest of Ugandans, will receive the president’s message through national broadcaster, the UBC, and other media houses.
“H.E. President Yoweri Museveni will officiate at the function and will be joined by less than twenty-five (25) guests, chosen from the three (3) arms of government, religious leaders and representatives from the Luwero Triangle Veteran Association. The rest of the country will receive the president’s message via the national broadcaster, the UBC, and other broadcasters that have national audiences,” she said.
She also noted that there will be thanksgiving prayers across the country and appealed to Ugandans to attend to them in their respective places of worship.
“Thanksgiving prayers shall be held throughout the country to commemorate this auspicious day. I call upon all Ugandans to attend these prayers in your respective places of worship on the designated dates as follows: Friday 5th June, 2026: Prayers in all mosques, Saturday 6th June, 2026: Prayers in all Seventh Day Adventist Churches and Sunday 7th June, 2026: Prayers in all the other churches.”
The minister informed the media that the country has not yet received any indications of state visitors to grace the occasion, and she will brief the country on the matter as new developments unfold.
She urged Ugandans to stick to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) put in place by the Ministry of Health to combat the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
“As the government takes charge of managing the Ebola situation, I urge all Ugandans to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to combat the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Regularly wash your hands with clean water and soap, or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser; avoid touching bodily fluids (blood, saliva, sweat, vomit) and surfaces.
“The Heroes’ Day remains a public holiday,” she said.
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