Uganda Martyrs
Uganda martyrs, or martyrs of Uganda are the 45 young men who died for their faith, Christianity, after the then reigning king of Buganda called Kabaka Mwanga II called for it. Kabaka Mwanga II ordered the killing, brutal killing really of the Uganda martyrs after they refused to denounce their faith which the Kabaka had asked them to do. Kabaka Mwanga II saw that a number of his subjects and people of Buganda were converting to Christianity and leaving behind the ancient cultural gods and beliefs, something he did not like and appreciate. Kabaka Mwanga II then proceeded to ask them to denounce their faith, especially his subjects, who refused to denounce Christianity and thus ordered for their killing. Of the 45 martyrs of Uganda, 23 of these were Anglican converts while 22 were Catholic converts.
The Anglican missionaries arrived in Buganda in 1877 upon invite by the then reigning Kabaka Muteesa I, while the Catholic missionaries arrived later in 1879, and most of them settled in the Buganda region and thus started their missionary work of among others converting the locals into Christianity. As a young prince, Kabaka Mwanga II loved and enjoyed Christianity as well as the white missionaries. Upon the death of Kabaka Muteesa I in 1884, Kabaka Mwanga II replaced him as king of Buganda.
As time did go on however, Kabaka Mwanga II saw the growing contradiction of Christianity with the traditional beliefs in the kingdom which saw a number of his subjects abandon the traditional religion and beliefs, practices and the way of living of the converts was totally different from the originally known and accepted cultural and locally religious beliefs and practices in the kingdom. As earlier mentioned, Kabaka Mwanga II did love the missionaries and Christianity as a young prince but things did change when he took over the throne; he saw that the foreigners (missionaries) were greatly interfering into the traditions of the Buganda kingdom, which he feared would ultimately bring his powers and influence down. He then started to strongly hate, oppose and reject not only the missionaries but also the converts. Just after a year into power as king of Buganda, Kabaka Mwanga II ordered the killing of Yusuf Lugalama, Nuwa Selwanga nd Makko Kakumba who were killed on 31st January 1885, thereby being the first Uganda martyrs. In October of 1885 still, Kabaka Mwanga II had the then newly appointed Eastern Equatorial Africa Bishop James Hannington.
Following the killing of Bishop Hannington, Joseph Balikudembe Mukasa who was a senior advisor of Kabaka Mwanga II, he strongly opposed and condemned it and was thus beheaded on 15th November 1885. Joseph Balikudembe Mukasa was the first Catholic Uganda martyr.
A number of Kabaka Mwanga II’s subjects had converted to Christianity, and seeing its growing influence and hold on them asked that they denounce it or face death, which a number of them refused to do. The Kabaka then had them killed too, which saw them being paraded and walking from Munyonyo to Namugongo, and being lit on fire! This was done for 26 young converts on 3rd June 1885. This was the largest at-once killing of martyrs of Uganda, which was done in Namugongo from where today the Uganda martyrs are celebrated and remembered. The last Uganda martyr is said to have been beheaded in 1887 at Mengo, called Jean-Marie Muzeeyi who was a Catholic convert.
There is a total of 45 Uganda martyrs recorded to have been killed by orders of Kabaka Mwanga II, of which there may be more that may not have been noted. The Uganda martyrs recorded to have been killed by orders of Kabaka Mwanga II include Yusuf Lugalama, Makko Kakumba, Nuwa Selwada, Balikudembe Mukasa, Mukasa Musa, Kagwa Anderea, Ngondwe Ponsiano, Sebugwawo Denis, Bazzekuketta Antanansio, Gonza Gonzaga, Mbwa Eriya, Muddu-agum, Mulumba Matiya, Muwanga Daudi, Kayizzi Kibuuka, Mawaggali Nowa, Mayanja Kitoogo, Muwanga, Lwanga Karoli, Baanabakintu Lukka, Buuzabalyawo Yakobo, Gyaviira, Kiuuka Ambroisio, Kiriggwajjo Anatoli, Kiriwawnvu Mukasa, Kiwanuka Achelileo, Kizito, Lugido Mukasa Adolofu, Mugagga, Sseunkuma Bruno, Tuzinde Mbaga, Kadoko Alexanda, Mubi-Azalwa, Munyangabyngu Robert, Kifamuunyanja, Kiwanuka Giyaza, Kizza Frederick, Kwabafu, Muwanga Njigija, Lwakisinga Mukasa, Lwanga, Nakabandwa Danieri, Waaswa, Walukagga Nuwa and Muzeeyi Jean-Marie.
In 1920, Pope Benedict XV affirmed the 22 Catholic Uganda martyrs as Blessed and in 1964 October 18th, Pope Paul VI canonised them as saints. The 22 Catholic Uganda martyrs are the very first black and Africans to be canonised as saints, something of a privilege to the Catholic Church in Uganda.
The Uganda martyrs are celebrated and remembered by millions of people worldwide, with pilgrimages even made to celebrate their life and faith every 3rd June of the year. The 3rd June Uganda martyrs prayers attract millions of Faithfull to Namugongo Catholic Shrine as well as the Namugongo Anglican Church. Notable figures to visit the Uganda martyrs are Pope Paul VI, the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie, Pope John II, Pope Francis, among so many others. Visiting the Uganda martyrs especially at either the martyrs museum or in the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine is one of the sites you can include for your Kampala City Tour.
