Lubaga Hill: the cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, parish and seat of the Archdiocese of Kampala. The ecclesial center. Not an execution site.
On the ground West of the center. Vehicle or taxi. The Archdiocesan offices sit beside the church.
Kampala
A Catholic city that can still take you from its cathedral to the ground of its martyrs
Lubaga is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kampala. Munyonyo is the court of May 1886 and the beginning of the road. Namugongo is the Catholic basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, not the Anglican shrine further east. The three belong together. They are not a casual walk.
- Region
- Buganda · East Africa
- Suggested time
- One full vehicle day for Lubaga, Munyonyo, and Namugongo; half a day for the cathedral plus one shrine
- Places
- 3
- Saints
- 1
Orientation
How the city gathers
Come here to pray with the Church of Kampala, and to honor the Uganda Martyrs on the ground of their witness. The twenty-two Catholic martyrs were canonized on October 18 1964. Their feast is June 3. You can still go to Mass at the cathedral of the archdiocese, stand where the 1886 court condemned the pages, and finish at the basilica where Charles Lwanga was killed.
Planning a pilgrimage here?
Let the guide decide the days
Sacred Geography
West, south, and east of the center
Catholic Kampala is not one district. The cathedral sits on Lubaga Hill west of the center. Munyonyo is south, in Makindye, toward the lake, inside the city. Namugongo is in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, east of Kampala, about eleven kilometers as the shrine measures it. Knowing which of the three you are in decides the day. The Anglican shrine at Namugongo is a further, distinct place.
Munyonyo: the court and the beginning
The ground of Kabaka Mwanga II's court in May 1886, where the pages were condemned and the road toward Namugongo began. A modern basilica on old ground.
On the ground South, Makindye, toward the lake. Inside Kampala. Vehicle from Lubaga; not a walk to Namugongo.
Namugongo: the Catholic basilica
Where St. Charles Lwanga was killed on June 3 1886. The Catholic minor basilica. The Anglican shrine is another site, further east.
- Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo
- Anglican shrine at Namugongo (distinct site)
On the ground Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, about eleven kilometers northeast of Kampala as the shrine measures it. Vehicle. On June 3, do not expect ordinary roads or parking.
The martyr geography
From the cathedral to Namugongo
Three places, in an order of meaning: the living Church, the court of judgment, the hill of June 3. This is not a scheduled itinerary. The one-day guide makes the vehicle decisions.
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Lubaga: the Church that remained
The cathedral on Lubaga Hill is where this local Church keeps its ordinary life. Paul VI said farewell here in 1969. Francis met the clergy here in 2015. Begin here so that the shrines are not detached from the diocese.
St. Mary's Cathedral Lubaga West of the center, on the hill
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Munyonyo: judgment and baptism
In May 1886 the court was here. Charles Lwanga baptized four catechumens as death approached. Andrew Kaggwa and Denis Ssebuggwawo were killed here. Francis stood here on November 27 2015.
Uganda Martyrs Basilica, Munyonyo South, toward the lake
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Namugongo: the thirteen, and the living shrine
Thirteen of the twenty-two were killed on this hill on June 3 1886. The Catholic basilica stands here. The other nine died in other places. The Anglican shrine is not this basilica.
Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo East, in Kira, beyond the city line
The one-day guide, From Munyonyo to Namugongo, is the vehicle itinerary. This line is the argument.
Essential places
Where to begin in Kampala
cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral Lubaga
LUBAGA HILL
The cathedral of Kampala, consecrated in 1925. The living Church. Not a martyr execution site.
basilica
Uganda Martyrs Basilica, Munyonyo
MUNYONYO
The court of May 1886, St. Andrew Kaggwa's death, and the start of the movement toward Namugongo.
basilica
Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo
NAMUGONGO · KIRA
Where St. Charles Lwanga was killed on June 3 1886. The Catholic basilica, east of the city, not the Anglican shrine.
Sacred map
Kampala Sacred Places Map
3 Essential Places shown.
Select a marker to visit or save that place. The list above stays complete on its own.
Each entry named and sourced
Tombs, relics & sacred objects
At Namugongo, pilgrims pray before the first-class relic the shrine tradition identifies as St. Charles Lwanga, at the basilica altar. Munyonyo keeps the tomb of St. Andrew Kaggwa and a relics chapel.
Venerated at
BASILICA OF THE UGANDA MARTYRS, NAMUGONGO
Relic identified as St. Charles Lwanga
Relic venerated at the altar as St. Charles Lwanga, according to the shrine tradition.
The shrine places a first-class relic, identified as bone of St. Charles Lwanga, in glass at the front of the mahogany altar associated with his martyrdom.
Visit Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo
Venerated at
MUNYONYO MARTYRS SHRINE
Tomb of St. Andrew Kaggwa
The tomb and relics chapel as the shrine keeps them, distinct from the basilica.
The shrine keeps the grave of St. Andrew Kaggwa, killed at Munyonyo on May 26 1886, and a Relics Chapel on that ground.
Visit Uganda Martyrs Basilica, MunyonyoVisit plans
Plan your time in Kampala
Plan 1
A focused half day
Lubaga and Munyonyo, or Namugongo alone. Do not pretend to do all three in a morning.
Plan 2
One Catholic Kampala day
Lubaga in the morning, Munyonyo, then Namugongo. This is the shape of the Munyonyo-to-Namugongo guide. It is a vehicle day. The historical road is not the modern highway.
Plan 3
Around June 3, if you can
Uganda Martyrs Day rearranges Namugongo. Come with a parish pilgrimage, not as a same-day driver. Use the other day for Lubaga and Munyonyo in ordinary time.
Practical, not booking
Before you go
Namugongo is in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, east of Kampala. It belongs to this pilgrimage geography. It is not in central Kampala.
The historical movement from Munyonyo to Namugongo is on the order of twenty-seven kilometers. A modern pilgrim travels it by vehicle. Do not walk the modern roads as if they were the 1886 path.
June 3 is Uganda Martyrs Day. Ordinary parking, access, and Mass lists at Namugongo do not apply. Come with a parish pilgrimage if you can.
The Catholic basilica and the Anglican shrine at Namugongo are distinct sites. Francis named an ecumenism of blood. He did not make them one place.
Lubaga and Rubaga are one hill. The Archdiocese explains Rubaga as a missionary pronunciation of Lubaga.
Confirm Mass at the cathedral, at Munyonyo, and at Namugongo with the official sites. Do not use office hours as shrine hours.
Pray St. Charles Lwanga and companions at Munyonyo and Namugongo.
Connected saints
Saints woven into Kampala
The twenty-two Catholic Uganda Martyrs are why this geography exists. Their feast is June 3. Pray them at Munyonyo and Namugongo. The papal witness who celebrated Mass at Namugongo on February 7 1993 is St. John Paul II.
Photo credits
- Kampala; Kampala city hero. Photo: Alvinategyeka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Namugongo is a pilgrimage basilica, not a monument you inspect from the road. The circular church is in Kira, east of Kampala.; West, south, and east of the center. Photo: Z thomas, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY 4.0.
- St. Mary's Cathedral Lubaga. Photo: Ssemmanda will, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Uganda Martyrs Basilica, Munyonyo. Photo: Wulman83, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo. Photo: Tusk media, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.