KASAANA LUWEERO DIOCESE

THE RELATION SHIP BETWEEN THE UGANDA MARTRYS, CULTURE,

SPIRITUALITY, DEVELOPOMENTS, THE CLASH BEWTEEN AFRICAN CULTURE
AND CHRISITIANITY AND HOW THEY CAN LEAD TO PERSONAL SOCIETAL
TRANSFORMATION INOUR TIMES
The Uganda Martyrs were a group of young Christian and Muslim men who were killed
between 1885 to 1887 because they chose to defend their faith. The men were executed under the
orders of the Kabaka (King) Mwanga of Buganda. The original Catholic Uganda Martyrs were
22 in number but more 2 Christian men were killed in 1918 in a village called Paimol which is
located in northern Uganda. This brings the total number of Catholic Uganda Martyrs to 24.

The two young Acholi Christian Martyrs from northern Uganda were persecuted in the
hands of raiders. The two men were Daudi Okello, a catechist and Jildo Irwa who was his
assistant. They were brutally picked from their huts at midnight and speared to death. It is
important to remember that other than the 22 Martyrs killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga,
23 were Anglican and a few Muslim.

The majority of the Martyrs who were killed by Kabaka Mwanga were servants in his palace.
Out of the 22 Roman Catholics he killed, 13 of them were burnt to death at Namugongo.
Namugongo village was used as an execution ground for prisoners and all people who fell victim
to the King’s anger. 9 of the remaining Roman Catholic Martyrs were killed from different
locations.

What were the reasons why the Uganda Martyrs were killed? On 15th of November 1885, a
man called Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe who was the leader of the Christians at the King’s
palace and one of the King’s advisors was killed because he had pleaded with Kabaka Mwanga
to spare the life of Bishop James Hannington. Hannington was an Anglican missionary who had
tried to enter the Buganda kingdom from its Eastern side. It was a taboo to enter the Buganda
Kingdom from this direction and anyone who did so was believed to be an enemy of the
Kingdom. Joseph Balikuddembe Mukasa was beheaded and then burnt at the Nakivubo swamp, a
place that is currently located within center of Kampala City.

The major executions that occurred in Namugongo started on the 25th of May 1886 at the
King’s royal enclosure in a place called Munyonyo, just at the shores of Lake Victoria. The King
ordered the Christian men working for the Kingdom to abandon their Christian faith. When they
refused, he became furious and sentenced them all to death. He started with Denis Ssebugwawo
who was killed by a spear after which another Martyr called Andrew Kaggwa was also killed on
the same day. On the 26th of May, another Martyr called Pontian Ngondwe was killed by a
spear from the hands of the palace chief executioner known as Mukajjanga. According to
witnesses at the time, the corpse of Pontian was cut into several pieces and scattered in different
directions at a place formerly called Ttabataba. The place was later renamed Ttakajjunge and is
not so far away from Munyonyo. The following morning (which was the 27th of May 1886), one
of the Martyrs called Athanasius Bazzekuketa volunteered to be killed at the same Mengo hill
where his leader Joseph Balikuddembe Mukasa was earlier killed.

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 Several other Christians who refused to denounce their faith and working within the Kings
palace were rounded up and forced to march towards Namugongo for their execution. The
Martyrs of Uganda were tied to one another by slave yokes and chords on both their feet and
necks. It is important to note once again that among the people forced to march for execution in
Namugongo where Catholic Martyrs, 23 Anglicans and 6 prisoners who had been on death row
for crimes not related to religion.

Along the way to Namugongo from Mengo, a Martyr called Mathias Kalemba Mulumba
refused to walk further when they arrived at old Kampala. He also requested to be executed right
away and his wish was granted. The executioners picked him out of the group and cut off both of
his hands, legs and some part of his back. The executioners applied herbs on his wounds to
control the excessive bleeding but 3 days later he breathed his last due to thirst while left alone
in the bush. The rest of the Martyrs continued to walk to the execution ground which was about
10 miles from where Mathias Kalemba was killed. As they were almost arriving at Namugongo,
a Martyr known as Gonzaga Gonza was so worn out from the long trek and could hardly move
anymore. He collapsed and was speared to death on the 27th of May 1886 at Lubawo hill around
midday. You may want to read about the Uganda Martyrs Day Celebrations in Namugongo.

The Uganda Martyrs finally arrived at Namugongo but were not killed immediately on
arrival. They were instead confined for more 7 days while their executioners were organizing all
the necessary supplies for the execution like adequate firewood and papyrus reeds. These
preparations went on until the 2nd of June. The execution day eventually came and that was on
the 3rd of June 1886. A traditional ritual had to first be performed before the mass killings
begun. One Martyr by the names of Charles Lwanga was chosen for the ritual sacrifice and then
taken away to a place which was about 50 yards from the main execution ground. He was
permitted to organize for his own death by preparing a pyre made out of wood. Lwanga was
wrapped in papyrus reeds and then placed on the pyre where he slowly burnt to death.

At around midday on the same day of 3rd June 1886, the rest of the Uganda Martyrs were
burnt to death at Namugongo. The 12 men included Adolphus Mukasa Ludigo, Achilles
Kiwanuka, Bruno Sserunkuma, Ambrose Kibuuka, James Kiriggwajjo, Mbaaga, Tuzinde,
Mukasa Kiriwawanvu, Mugaaga and Kizito who was a teenager and the youngest of them all.
Kizito was later declared the patron saint for children in Uganda. It is important to note once
again that the Catholic Martyrs were burnt together with other 23 Anglican Martyrs and 6
prisoners.

As earlier mentioned, the Uganda Martyrs were killed in two groups. The first are the ones
who were killed in Namugongo and the second were those killed in other locations. The martyrs
killed outside Namugongo were Joseph Balikuddembe Mukasa and Athanasius Bazzekuketa who
were murdered at Nakivubo swamp. Denis Ssebugwawo and Andrew Kaggwa were murdered at
Munyonyo. Mathias Kalemba Mulumba was murdered in old Kampala, Pontian Ngondwe in
Ttakajjunge, Noa Mawagali at Kiyindi-Mityana, John Mary Muzeeyi at Mengo-Kisenyi and
Gonzaga Gonza at Lubawo hill in Kamuli. You can also read about the Uganda Martyrs Shrine
in Munyonyo.

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 The Uganda Martyrs who were taken to Namugongo eventually died but their bodies did not
turn into ashes. The executioners tried all their best to continue burning the corpses to ashes by
continuing to fuel the fire but they couldn’t succeed so they eventually abandoned the site. The
executioners had never experienced what they saw with the Martyrs. Their victims accepted to
be killed willingly and sang songs of praise/worship even as they slowly burnt to death in the
flames. Many of the executioners abandoned their execution roles for good. The execution
ground was never used as a place for executing more people after the death of the Uganda
Martyrs.

The corpses of the fallen martyrs were not buried by the executioners because there was a
law that prohibited burying any persons that had been condemned to death by the King. The
local people believed that such people were unworthy of decent burials and whoever was caught
doing otherwise was charged with treason. About 6 months later, 3 Christians by names of
Matayo (Mathew), Lewo (Leo) and Kirevu Bwaliri Kamya used the cover of darkness and
sneaked into the forbidden killing ground. They collected the remains of Charles Lwanga who
was the first victim of the killings and then took it to their spiritual Father Simeon Lourdel. The
priest cleaned and wrapped the remains in a red cloth, placed it in a copper box and then buried
it in the sacristy of the church in Nabulagala. This church was later burnt down and abandoned
due to the religious wars that had broken out in Buganda. The church site became a bush and
the copper box could no longer be located. However, on the 13 th of October 1893, the copper box
was discovered by a Catechist while cultivating his land. The box was taken to Father Hurth in
Tanganyika in 1899 because of political instability and later brought back by Henry Stretcher
who was the then Archbishop of Buganda. The remains of Charles Lwanga were kept at the
Archbishop’s chapel until 1964 when it was taken to Rome for the ceremony of canonization. All
the other Martyrs were also canonized and when the present day Namugongo Martyrs
shrine was constructed, some of the relics of Charles Lwanga were brought back for veneration.
His relics are still at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo and acts as a constant reminder
of the bravery exhibited by the Uganda martyrs.
List of the 22 Catholic martyrs

Killed
Name Date of death Patron saint of
using

Journalists, press
3 June 1886 at
1. Achilles Kiwanuka writers, printers and Fire (burnt)
17 years
artist.

2. Adolphus Ludigo- 3 June 1886 at farmers and

Fire (burnt)
Mukasa 24 years herdsmen

3. Ambrose Kibuuka 3 June 1886 at societies and youth Fire (burnt)

Katekamu (Kateka movements such as

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 Killed
Name Date of death Patron saint of
using

scouts, YCW, Xaverians

Mulundaggana) 18 years
etc.

4. Anatolia hunters and

3 June 1886 Fire (burnt)
Kiriggwajjo herdsmen

5. Andrew Kaggwa 26 May 1886 at teachers, catechists Panga and a

Kaahwa about 30 years and families knife

Those in charge of
6. Athanasius 27 May 1886 at
finance, treasury and Spear
Bazzekuketa Kizza 20 years
banks.

Alcoholic, the
violent, those with lust
7. Bruno Sserunkuma 3 June 1886 Fire (burnt)
of flesh and improper
marriage.

8. Charles Lwanga 3 June 1886

9. Denis
25 May 1886 at singers, musicians
Ssebugwawo
16 years and choirs
Wasswa

Prisoners, travelers,
10. Gonzaga Gonza 27 May 1886 at
ill-treated and those in Spear
Nghonzabato 24 years
trouble.

11. Gyavira Mayanja 3 June 1886 at traffic Fire (burnt)

Musoke 17 years communications and
those troubled by

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 Killed
Name Date of death Patron saint of
using

witchcrafts

12. James
Buuzabalyawo 3 June 1886 at merchants and co-
Fire (burnt)
Kalumba 26 years operatives
Ssebayigga

13. John Mary

Kiwanuka 27 January 1887 Panga
Muzeeyi

14. Joseph Mukasa 15 November Panga and

politicians and chiefs
Balikuddembe 1885 [45] at 20 years fire

young children
15. Kizito 3 June 1886 particularly those below Fire (burnt)
the age of 15

Fishermen, sailors,
16. Luke (Lukka) 3 June 1886 at
mechanics, students and Fire (burnt)
Baanabakintu 30 years
black-smiths.

17. Mathias Kalemba 30 May 1886 at Knife and

Chiefs and Families
Mulumba Wante 50 years Pangas

vocations mainly of
3 June 1886 at the seminarians, Stick and
18. Mbaaga Tuzinde
17 years aspirants, postulants and Fire
novices

19. Mugaaga Lubowa 3 June 1886 at clubs, community Fire (burnt)

16 years development, culture

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 Killed
Name Date of death Patron saint of
using

and home craft

20. Mukasa hotels bars and

3 June 1886 Fire (burnt)
Kiriwawanvu restaurants

Tied on the
the poor, tree and dogs
21. Noa Mawagali 31 May 1886 technicians and the bit and then
artists thrown on the
road

26 May 1886 at soldiers, policemen

22. Ponsiano Ngondwe Spear
30 years and militia

REFFERENCES;
 INTERNENT
 INTERACTION WITH THE FELLOWS
 NAMUGONGO MAGZINE 3RD JUNE 2002