The government has announced that this year’s Heroes Day celebrations will be held on a much smaller scale, with fewer than 25 invited guests expected to attend the national function at State House Entebbe.
The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, said the decision was influenced by heightened health precautions following the Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda marks Heroes Day annually on June 9 to honor individuals who made significant contributions to the country’s liberation struggle and national development. Traditionally, the event is celebrated through large public gatherings hosted in different districts and presided over by the President.
However, Babalanda explained that this year’s commemoration will not feature the usual public ceremony due to strict Standard Operating Procedures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola.
“The implication is that there will not be a public gathering in any district venue as has happened in previous years,” Babalanda said. “The country is currently observing strict SOPs because of the Ebola situation.”
According to the minister, President Yoweri Museveni will officiate at the function from State House, accompanied by a small group of invited guests drawn from the three arms of government, religious institutions, and representatives of the Luwero Triangle Veterans Association.
She noted that Ugandans across the country will instead follow the President’s address through Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and other television and radio stations with nationwide coverage.
Babalanda also revealed that thanksgiving prayers will be conducted in churches, mosques, and other places of worship across the country between June 5 and June 7 to mark the occasion. She encouraged citizens to participate in the prayers according to the schedules prepared for different faiths.
Despite the scaled-down celebrations, Heroes Day will remain a national public holiday.
The minister further said the National Organising Committee resolved to maintain the same theme used during the recent presidential inauguration ceremonies.
This year’s celebrations will be held under the theme: “Protecting the Gains as We Make a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has reported 15 confirmed Ebola cases and one death in Uganda, with officials indicating that many of the infections are linked to Congolese nationals crossing into the country.
The changes in this year’s celebrations also come amid broader government efforts to reduce public expenditure.
Recently, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, announced that beginning with the 2026/2027 financial year, government funding for large national celebrations and public gatherings would be significantly reduced.
Ggoobi said future national commemorations would largely be conducted through radio and television broadcasts from State House as part of wider cost-saving measures intended to redirect resources toward wealth creation and national development programs.
Heroes Day was established to commemorate the events of June 9, 1981, when Edidian Mukiibi Luttamaguzi was reportedly killed in Nakaseke after refusing to reveal the whereabouts of Yoweri Museveni and National Resistance Army fighters during the Bush War.
Although initially intended to honor those connected to the 1981–1986 liberation struggle, the day has since expanded to recognize civilians, security personnel, and community leaders who have made outstanding contributions to Uganda’s progress and service to humanity.
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