Kenyan pilgrims trek to Namugongo seeking blessings, healing
Mr Simon Makokha Wafula holds the Kenyan flag after crossing to Uganda. PHOTO BY DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- This time around, Ms Bunali says while at the holy shrine, she intends to dedicate her prayers to reclaiming her piece of land that was grabbed.
Singing, praying, and reciting the rosary, Mr Simon Makokha Wafula has been walking to mark Martyrs' Day in Namugongo for the past 18 years.
This year, Mr Makokha is joined by nearly 200 pilgrims from parishes across the Bungoma Diocese in Kenya, along with others from Kakamega, Kisumu, Kisii, Homa Bay, and as far as Nairobi. Together, they journey on foot, many waving Kenyan flags and carrying crosses, united in faith and hope.
According to Mr Makokha, about 609 Kenyan foot pilgrims are expected in Namugongo for this year’s Uganda Martyrs' Day celebrations.
“We have pilgrims who started walking at the beginning of this month from Machakos and Nakuru, and they'll cover nearly 700 km by the time they arrive in Namugongo,” Mr Makokha said.
He explained that while pilgrims entered Uganda through the Busia and Malaba borders, a Ugandan police policy requiring all pilgrims to be escorted forced them to merge into one group.
For Mr Makokha and many others, the long walk is more than a physical journey—it’s a deep spiritual commitment.
“I started walking to Namugongo for prayers 18 years ago and have never missed, save for the COVID-19 outbreak,” he said. “I've been able to collect holy water and spend a lot of time praying for my family whenever I go to Namugongo.”
Mr Makokha believes his dedication has brought blessings to his family, his children have excelled in school and secured good jobs.
“My lastborn is Charles Lwanga, and my grandson is Andrew Kaggwa,” he revealed, proudly naming his children after the Uganda Martyrs.
For Ms Mary Bunali, 65, from Kisii Diocese, the annual pilgrimage has brought peace to her once-fractured family.
“My own children were quarreling all the time; they didn't want to meet or talk to each other,” Ms Bunali recalled. “Today, I'm the happiest mother because all my children are united, and I see peace flourishing in the family.”
This year, Ms Bunali hopes for another miracle.
“Some people encroached on my land, and I have nowhere to farm. I want to take time and dedicate this to God so that I can have my land back,” she said.
Mr John Opondo’s story is one of healing. He shared how his wife had long suffered from a mysterious illness, despite multiple visits to gynecologists in Kenya.
“I spent huge sums of money hoping to have my wife cured, but it didn't work,” he said. “I prayed passionately for her healing at Namugongo, and miraculously, the sickness disappeared.”
Mr John Ndindi Dubi, 64, echoed similar blessings.
“The water we fetch at the shrine has worked wonders for me and my family. I'll keep walking to Namugongo for blessings as long as I'm alive,” Mr Dubi said.
A Police patrol car escorts Kenya pilgrims shortly after they crossed the border into Uganda. PHOTO/DAVID AWORI
For Mr Samuel Omondi, who first made the trek to Namugongo at 17 in 2009, the inspiration came from watching an elderly woman walk the same path.
“I thought to myself, ‘If she can do it, why can't I?’” he said. His yearly pilgrimage has since become a renewal of his Christian faith.
