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The Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrines, about 15 km north-east of central Kampala, mark the place where many of the Uganda Martyrs, young Christian converts at the court of Kabaka Mwanga II, were burned to death on 3 June 1886. There are two sites a short drive apart: the Catholic Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, shaped like a traditional Ganda hut, and the Anglican Martyrs’ Shrine with its museum. Both are open daily, entry is free, and a visit takes one to two hours. Every 3 June, on Martyrs’ Day, millions of pilgrims gather here.
This guide explains the history, what to see at each shrine, how to get there and how to fit a visit into a safari that starts in Kampala or Entebbe.
Who the Uganda Martyrs were
Christian missionaries reached the Buganda kingdom in the late 1870s, Anglicans of the Church Missionary Society in 1877 and Catholic White Fathers in 1879. Many of their early converts were pages at the royal court. When the young Kabaka Mwanga II came to the throne in 1884, he saw the converts’ loyalty to a foreign faith as a threat to his authority, and their refusal of some of his demands as defiance.
The killings began in 1885. The Anglican converts Joseph Rugarama, Mark Kakumba and Noah Serwanga were killed in January, and Bishop James Hannington was killed in Busoga in October on Mwanga’s orders. In November the Catholic leader Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, who had protested Hannington’s murder, was beheaded. In May 1886 Mwanga ordered the arrest of the remaining converts at court. Those who refused to renounce their faith were marched to Namugongo, the traditional execution ground, and burned there on 3 June.
In all, 45 martyrs are honoured: 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans, killed between 1885 and 1887. Charles Lwanga, head of the royal pages, is the best known. He was burned separately from the others on the same day, at a spot now marked by the basilica’s altar. The 22 Catholic martyrs were canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1964, and the Anglican Communion commemorates its martyrs on the same day.
The Catholic basilica
The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs is the shrine most visitors know. Pope Paul VI, the first pope to visit Africa, came to Namugongo in 1969, and the basilica was completed in 1975. Its design copies the cone-shaped thatched hut of Buganda, raised on 22 copper-clad pillars, one for each Catholic martyr, with the altar over the place where Charles Lwanga died. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993 and Pope Francis in 2015.
Below the basilica is the Martyrs’ Lake, an artificial lake with an island pavilion used for the Martyrs’ Day Mass, and around the grounds are smaller chapels, statues and gardens. Inside, the basilica is calm and cool, and stained-glass and paintings show scenes of the martyrs’ lives. Masses are held daily, mostly in Luganda and English, and visitors are welcome to attend or simply sit quietly.
The Anglican shrine and museum
The Anglican Martyrs’ Shrine stands on the site of the old execution ground, a few minutes’ drive from the basilica. It holds a church, a set of striking sculptures showing the martyrs bound and the executioners at work, and the Uganda Martyrs Museum, which tells the story through panels, objects and reconstructions. Many visitors find the Anglican site the more moving of the two, because it shows plainly how the executions were carried out. Guides at both sites will explain the history, and a small donation is appreciated.
Martyrs’ Day, 3 June
Martyrs’ Day is a public holiday in Uganda and one of the largest religious gatherings in Africa. Pilgrims come from across Uganda and from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, DR Congo, South Sudan and beyond. Many walk for days, sleeping along the roads, and camp around the shrines in the week before. Catholic and Anglican services are held at their own sites, each led by a different diocese every year.
It is a powerful experience if you want to see it, but expect vast crowds, heavy security, closed roads and gridlocked traffic across north-east Kampala for several days. If you are only passing through Kampala on the way to a safari, avoid the area from about 1 to 4 June. Our guide to Martyrs’ Day in Uganda covers the pilgrimage in more detail.
Getting there
Namugongo is in Kira Municipality, on the north-east side of Kampala. By car it is usually 30–60 minutes from the city centre, depending on traffic. From Entebbe Airport it is on the opposite side of Kampala, about 1–2 hours via the Entebbe Expressway and the Northern Bypass, so it does not sit “on the way” to anywhere in the west. Most visitors come with a private driver or as part of a Kampala city tour.
You can also take a shared minibus taxi from Kampala’s Old Taxi Park towards Namugongo and walk or take a boda-boda for the last stretch, though this is slower. Read our Kampala traffic guide before planning a tight schedule.
Tips for visiting
These are active places of worship, so dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and keep voices low inside. Photography is generally allowed in the grounds, but ask before photographing people at prayer or during Mass. Weekday mornings are the quietest. Small shops near both shrines sell rosaries, books and religious souvenirs, and there are simple local restaurants nearby.
A half-day tour can combine Namugongo with other landmarks in the city, such as Lubaga Cathedral, Namirembe Cathedral and the Uganda National Mosque, and an evening show at the Ndere Cultural Centre, which is in the same part of town. See our guide to Kampala’s churches and mosques.
Fitting it into a safari
The best time to visit is on a spare day in Kampala at the start or end of a trip. Gorilla parks are a full day’s drive west, so do not try to squeeze Namugongo in on the morning you set off for Bwindi. If your flight leaves Entebbe in the evening, a morning at the shrines on your last day works well, as long as you allow for Kampala’s traffic on the way back to the airport. Our guide to the drive from Kampala to Bwindi helps with planning the rest of the route.
Frequently asked questions
No. Both the Catholic and Anglican shrines are free to enter, though donations are welcome, especially if a guide shows you around.
45 are honoured: 22 Catholics, canonised in 1964, and 23 Anglicans, killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II.
About 1–2 hours by car, depending on traffic, as Namugongo is on the north-east side of Kampala and Entebbe is to the south-west.
3 June every year. It is a public holiday, and millions of pilgrims gather at Namugongo.
