By Partiot Corps
Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe was beheaded and burned at Nakivubo swamp in Kampala because he pleaded with King Mwanga not to kill Anglican Missionary Bishop James Hannington. This act marked the start of a tragic series of events that led to the martyrdom of many Christians.
On June 3, 1886, Charles Lwanga was wrapped in reeds and burned slowly from his feet to his head. Thousands of pilgrims from around the world converge in Namugongo, Wakiso District, Uganda, every year to honor these martyrs on June 3rd.
Pilgrims, some walking over 300 kilometers, make their way to the heavily guarded Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo. This event commemorates the 45 Anglican and Roman Catholic converts who were executed between January 31, 1885, and January 27, 1887, by the orders of Kabaka (King) Mwanga of Buganda.
This year, the Nebbi Catholic Diocese, located in northwestern Uganda, leads the liturgy under the theme “But as for me and My Household, We Shall Serve the Lord,” taken from Joshua 24:15.
The Catholic Martyrs were mostly pages in the king’s palace before their execution. Thirteen were burned to death at Namugongo, while others were killed in various locations. The first martyr, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, was executed on November 15, 1885, for opposing the killing of Bishop Hannington.
The main persecution began on May 25, 1886, at Munyonyo, near Lake Victoria, when King Mwanga ordered the death of Christians, starting with Denis Ssebuggwawo. Pontian Ngondwe was speared and dismembered the next day. Athanasius Bazzekuketta was killed on May 27, 1886, and Mathias Mulumba died from severe torture.
On June 3, 1886, Charles Lwanga became the first victim of the Namugongo executions, burned alive after being singled out by Ssenkoole, the Guardian of the Sacred. Twelve Catholics, including Charles Lwanga, were executed alongside thirteen Anglicans and six other prisoners.
Martyrs killed outside Namugongo include Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, Denis Ssebuggwawo, Andrew Kaggwa, Pontian Ngondwe, Mathias Kalemba Mulumba, Noe Mawaggali, Gonzaga Gonza, and John Mary Muzeeyi.
Thirty-one years after the Namugongo executions, two young Christians from northern Uganda, Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa, were martyred by raiders on October 18, 1918. Their bodies were later buried by the local community.
After the executions, the remains of the martyrs were initially left unburied due to fear of being charged with treason. However, three brave Christians later collected the remains of St. Charles Lwanga and delivered them to Fr. Simeon Lourdel. These relics were eventually returned to Namugongo for veneration and now hang in a glass case at the front of the altar in the shrine.