Church fails to enforce kaveera ban at Namugongo

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Although the Uganda Episcopal Conference declared the Uganda Martyrs Catholics shrine at Namugongo, a Kaveera free zone under a campaign dubbed ‘Tuvve ku Kaveera’, the ban is yet to be enforced.

Pilgrims freely enter the premises with the polythene bags in all forms. Service providers inside the shrines are also using the same to wrap items including food stuff on sale.   The shrines are also littered with polythene 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 shrines the secretariat at the shrine wasn’t much involved, which has affected enforcement.

At the shrines causal laborers sensitize the pilgrims and dumb polythene bags and other waste in the bins.  While others are seen picking the litter and place it in the bins.

Alex Kakooza, one of the causal laborers at the shrines, says that it has been hectic for them to sensitize the pilgrims.

“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.

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