The Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Namugongo.
Uganda annually observes Martyrs’ Day on June 3. This is a public holiday in Uganda, that is why everyone has an opportunity to make pilgrimage to Namugongo, Holy Land of Uganda.
Namugongo became the place of pilgrimage for people from Uganda and its neighboring countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The pilgrimage begins from May 25 and lasts till June 2. June 3 is the climax of celebration and it’s an official day off.
The Uganda Martyrs are 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts, who were executed between November 1885 and January 1887. The execution was held under Kabaka Mwanga II, king of Buganda from 1884 till 1888 and again from 1889 till 1897. The widest series of executions were held in Namugongo between May 25 and June 3, 1886. 22 men converted to Catholicism were buried alive.
The climax celebrations of Martyrs’ Day are organized by dioceses year after year. The Mass begins at 10 a.m. and it’s accomplished by liturgical dances. The celebration is attended by ministers, representatives from embassies and other states.
Namugongo. Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Namugongo.
“Here is a number of men and boys who, within a few years from first hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have courage to live and die by its paradox: ‘Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for my sake, will save it.'”
Bishop Joseph Willigers, Bishop of Jinja, 15th October, 1984 in the introduction to African Holocaust, The Story of the Uganda Martyrs by J.F. Faupel, Third edition, 1984.
There are 24 Catholic Uganda Martyrs. The 22 martyrs were killed between 1885 and 1887 by Kabaka (King) Mwanga of Buganda in the South of Uganda; 13 of the martyrs were burnt to death at Namugongo. The twenty-two martyrs were beatified by Pope Benedict XV on 6th June 1920 and canonized by Pope Paul VI on 18th October 1964. The other 2 martyrs were speared to death in Paimol, Gulu in the North of Uganda in October 1918. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 20th October 2002.
There are also Anglican martyrs that were killed by King Mwanga between 1885 and 1887 together with the Catholic martyrs. While paying tribute to the 22 Catholic martyrs Pope Paul IV also paid tribute to the Anglican martyrs in his homily at the canonisation. “And we do not wish to forget”, he said ,”the others who, belonging to the Anglican confession, met death for the name of Christ.”
All these martyrs are honoured on 3rd June every year.
Pope Francis prays at the Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo, Uganda, on November 28, 2015.
The 22 Martyrs, 1885-1887Many of the martyrs were pages in the Kabaka’s palace while others were working in chiefs’ homesteads. Each family was selecting very hardworking boys, well behaved too, to go and work for the King. It was also a sign of showing loyalty to the King as it was prestigious to work for the King.
It is in the King’s palace and chiefs homes, therefore, that the Martyrs began to learn religion after the coming of the Anglican and catholic Missionaries in 1877 and 1879 respectively. The Christian Missionaries were invited by Kabaka Muteesa I, Mwanga’s father, in his letter dated 14th April 1875 that was published in the Daily Telegraph of 15th November 1875 in England.
The first martyr to die was King’s major domo and leader of all Christians, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, on 15th November 1885. He was killed because he had pleaded to King Mwanga to abandon the vice of homosexuality and not to kill Bishop Hannington, an Anglican missionary who had entered Buganda from Busoga (the backdoor of Buganda kingdom).
From that time he became angry with all Christians as they all refused to give in to his sinful demands and were persuading all other pages to do the same. On 25th May, 1886, King Mwanga ordered for a number of Christians to be brought before him and he passed on them the death penalty. 20 of the 22 martyrs were killed between 26th May 1886 and 3rd June 1886.
Some Martyrs were hacked to pieces like Andrew Kaggwa, Pontian Ngondwe, Matthias Mulumba and Denis Ssebuggwawo. Others were speared to death like Gonzaga Gonza, while others like Charles Lwanga and 12 others were burnt alive at Namugongo.
John Maria Muzeeyi was the last of the 22 martyrs to be killed on 27/01/1887. He was beheaded and his body was thrown into a swamp.
The burning place at Namugongo
The twenty-two Roman Catholics martyrs are:
The 12 Uganda martyers.
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“These that are clothed in white robes, who are they? And whence come they?’ (Rev 7:13)””Yes, they are Africans and they are martyrs. ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, therefore they are before the throne of God’ (Rev 7:14-15”
St. Charles Lwanga was a Muganda by tribe from Buddu county (Birinzi village) but there are mixed findings about his parents. 
St. Matthias Mulumba Kalemba was a Musoga by tribe from Bunya county in Busoga. His biological parents, however, are not known. 
St. Noe Mawaggali was a Muganda by tribe from Ssingo county and of Bush-Buck (Ngabi) clan -Tragelaphus Scriptus. His father was Musazi and mother Meme. 
St. Kizito was the youngest of all the Martyrs who died at the age of 14. He was a Muganda by tribe from Bulemeezi county. 
St. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe was the head of Catholic Church during the absence of Catholic Missionaries and a leader all Christians. 
St. Denis Ssebuggwawo (Musajja-mukulu) was by tribe a Muganda from Bulemeezi county. His father was Kajansi and mother, Nsonga ( Musoga). . 
St. Pontian Ngondwe was a Muganda by tribe from Kyaggwe county and of White Egret (Nnyonyi) clan -Bubulcus Lucidus. . 
St. Andrew Kaggwa Muddu-aguma Mugoowa was a Munyoro by tribe from Bugangayizi county but his parents are not known as he was just captured from his home-land by Buganda raiders. 
St. Athanasius Bazzekuketta is a Muganda by tribe. Though his county of origin is unknown, his father was Kafeero Kabalu Sebaggala and his mother Namukwaya (Buffalo Clan).. 
St. Gonzaga Gonza was a Musoga from Bulamoogi county. His parents are not known, though it is said in various writings that he belonged to Lion (Mpologoma) clan.. 
St. Luke Baanabakintu a Muganda by tribe from Ggomba county. His father was Mukwanga and mother Kusuubiza of Seed Clan. Baanabakintu was of Lungfish (Mamba) clan—Protopterus.. 
St. James Buuzaabalyawo was a Muganda from Mawookota county. His father was Sebikejje but his mother is unknown. He was of Black and white Colubus Monkey (Ngeye) clan -Colobus Polykomos.
St. Gyavira Musoke was a Muganda from Busiro county, his father was Semalago but his mother is not known. He was of Lungfish (Mamba) clan—Protopterus.. 
St. Ambrose Kibuuka Katikamu was a Muganda by tribe from Ssingo county. His father was Kisuule and mother Ampera. . 
St. Anatoli Kiriggwajjo was by tribe a Munyoro. His parents and county of origin are not known as he was captured during the inter-kingdom wars and brought to the king’s palace. 
St. Achilles Kiwanuka was a Muganda by tribe from Ssingo county. He is from Scaly Ant-Eater or Pangolin (Lugave) clan. 
St. Mbaaga Tuzinde was a Muganda by tribe from Busiro county and of Lungfish (Mamba) clan – Protopterus. 
St. Mugagga Lubowa was a Muganda by tribe from Mawookota. His father was Mazinga and his mother Nassubwa. He was of Leopard (Ngo) clan -Felix Pardus. 
St. Mukasa Kiriwawanvu was a Muganda by tribe from Kyaggwe county and of Sheep (Ndiga) clan – ovis. His father was Lumanyika and mother Malokuvaawo (Musoga). 
St. Adolphus Mukasa Ludigo was a Munyoro by tribe from Mwenge-Toro . His parents are unknown because he was captured in the inter-kingdom wars and brought to the palaca as a captive.. 
St. Bruno Sserunkuuma was by tribe a Muganda from Buddu county. His father was Namunjulirwa and mother Ndibaliza.. 
St. John Mary Kiwanuka Muzeeyi was the last Catholic Martyr to be killed by king Mwanga. He was a Muganda from Buddu county. 
Blessed Jildo Irwa was born about 1902 by Tongpfur Daniele (father) and Atoo (mother) from Labongo Bar- Kitoba clan of Acholi. 
Blessed Okello Daudi was born about 1900. His father was Lodi and mother; Amona of Ongon Payira clan. . The 2 Martyrs of Paimol, Gulu, 1918
These two martyrs, Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa, were young catechists from Paimol, Gulu at the beginning of the 20th century. Having just received Baptism and Confirmation, they realized that to be a Christian means to share one’s faith, even at the cost of life itself, should this become necessary. So they started at once to work as catechist, and carried on until they shed their blood.
Daudi and Jildo were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 20th October 2002.Jildo was younger. He was born at Labongo Bar-Kitoba around 1906. He was baptised when he was not quite 10 years old.
People who opposed the new religion took advantage of socio-political unrest to stop the preaching of the Gospel in Paimol. The two catechists were hounded, threatened, ordered to give up their activities, and finally speared to death. It was the week end of 18th – 20th October 1918.
Credit to Uganda Martyrs Shrine
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