Although the Uganda Episcopal Conference declared the Uganda Martyrs Catholic shrine at Namugongo, a kaveera-free zone under a campaign dubbed ‘Tuvve ku Kaveera’, the ban is yet to be enforced.
Ahead of the June 3 Martyrs Day celebrations, pilgrims are freely entering the premises with the plastic bags in all kinds of forms and sizes. Service providers inside the shrines are also using mostly plastic bags to wrap items including foodstuffs on sale. The shrines are also littered with plastic bags despite the fact that several bins are in place with clear warning against littering.
Rev Vincent Lubega, says although the Uganda Episcopal Conference declared the kaveera ban, the secretariat at the shrine wasn’t involved in the strategic planning which has affected enforcement. He said no alternatives were offered to replace the kaveera and as such it has become hard to enforce the ban.
Alex Kakooza, one of the causal laborers at the shrines, says that it has been hectic for them to sensitize the pilgrims about the dangers of plastic bags.
“Littering and use of kaveera has become part of Ugandan culture, which makes it very hard to have a kaveera free area more so in such a place with people from different areas,” he said.
He says that at first they tried to stop people from entering with kaveera but gave up as the number of pilgrims increased. Fr Phillip Odii, the director communications at the Catholic secretariat, says although they have met challenges of enforcing the ban this year, they will continue sensitizing the public and hopefully they will register success in subsequent Martyr’s Day celebrations.
Ahead of the June 3 Martyrs Day celebrations, pilgrims are freely entering the premises with the plastic bags in all kinds of forms and sizes. Service providers inside the shrines are also using mostly plastic bags to wrap items including foodstuffs on sale. The shrines are also littered with plastic bags despite the fact that several bins are in place with clear warning against littering.
Rev Vincent Lubega, says although the Uganda Episcopal Conference declared the kaveera ban, the secretariat at the shrine wasn’t involved in the strategic planning which has affected enforcement. He said no alternatives were offered to replace the kaveera and as such it has become hard to enforce the ban.
Alex Kakooza, one of the causal laborers at the shrines, says that it has been hectic for them to sensitize the pilgrims about the dangers of plastic bags.
“Littering and use of kaveera has become part of Ugandan culture, which makes it very hard to have a kaveera free area more so in such a place with people from different areas,” he said.
He says that at first they tried to stop people from entering with kaveera but gave up as the number of pilgrims increased. Fr Phillip Odii, the director communications at the Catholic secretariat, says although they have met challenges of enforcing the ban this year, they will continue sensitizing the public and hopefully they will register success in subsequent Martyr’s Day celebrations.