Every June 3rd, people from different parts of the world and Uganda Christians throng Namugongo to mark the Uganda Martyrs Day. The day is in remembrance of the now 24 Uganda martyrs who were killed for their Christian faith. All the 24 Uganda Martyrs are Catholics, but they were killed along with other Anglican Christians. […]
Jildo was of great help to Daudi a fellow martyr in gathering the children for the instruction with his gentle way and infantile insistence. He knew also how to entertain them with interesting village games and noisy and merry meetings. He had spontaneously and very willingly offered to go with Daudi to teach God’s word […]
Daudi of Payira is said to have been young man of peaceful and shy character, diligent in his duties as a catechist and loved by all. He never got involved in tribal or political disputes, fairly frequent at that time, as submission to the British government was often followed by ill-concealed intolerance. But then due […]
Originally called Musoke, he was 30-35 years of age at the time of his martyrdom but was given the name MUZEEYI because he was exceptionally brilliant and an excellent adviser. Muzeeyi, a member of the Buffalo (Mbogo) Clan, was born in the hamlet of Kisomberwa, near Minziiro, in Buddu County, between the years 1852 and […]
As a son of an important chief, Sserunkuuma was brought up in a loose way and grew up with abhorable manners. When he became a catholic, Sserunkuuma simply strove to master his temper and to control his passions. As a result, he was found worthy of receiving the sacrament of Baptism. On one occasion King […]
He was not publicly known as a Christian, and when, on the fateful morning of 26 May 1886, he ranged himself with Charles and the other Christians, the Chancellor himself tried to save him by stating that Mugagga was not a Christian. The sixteen-year-old boy would not accept the chance of escape thus offered to […]
Of all the martyrs, Mbaaga Tuzinde had faced the biggest hurdle in terms of temptations to save his life by renouncing his religion. During the week, which the martyrs spent at Namugongo awaiting execution, he was separated from his companions, deprived of their moral support and he had to single handedly face entreaties of his […]
Anatole Kiriggwajjo was a Munyoro from Kyaka in Toro and is known to have been in the service of Kisomose, a former Chancellor of Muteesa, who was deposed after arousing the enmity of the Queen Mother by his rejection of her amorous advances. Kisomose had already been degraded and relegated to a small sub-chieftainship before […]
Achilles Kiwanuka entered the royal service at about the same time with Ambrose Kibuuka, the martyr. At first, Kiwanuka was in the service of the county chief, but later became a dependant of Ssaabakaaki, the man who presented him at Court on the accession of Mwanga. Achilles Kiwanuka belonged to the Scaly Ant-eater (Lugave) Clan, […]
After the martyrdom of Joseph Mukasa, when it was likely that other Christians too might, at any moment, would face persecution, Kibuuka, together with other pages, stole by night to the Catholic mission to ask for immediate baptism. Pere Lourdel baptized Kiwanuka and Kibuuka on the night of 16 November 1885, receiving the names Achilles […]