Kasubi Tomb
Kasubi Tomb: The Kasubi Tombs site is an active religious site in the Buganda kingdom and is located on Kasubi Hill, approximately 5 kilometers from Kampala’s center. As the final resting place for Buganda’s four previous Kabakas, it serves as a significant religious hub for the royal family and the entire Buganda kingdom. The Kabaka and his delegates often perform significant Ganda cultural rites there.
There are three primary regions on the Kasubi tombs hill: the main tomb area at the western end of the site, an area behind the tombs with dwellings and graveyards, and a sizable tract on the eastern side of the site that is mostly utilized for farming.
BujjaBukula the gate house: Bujjabukula is a nicely constructed gatehouse that serves as the site’s entryway. In accordance with Ganda custom, the guards in charge of site security conceal themselves behind a transparent woven reed screen to maintain constant surveillance and manage access. This gatehouse was built with woven reed walls and wooden columns that held up a thatched roof. The Bujjabukula leads to a tiny courtyard with the Ndoga-Obukaba, a circular building that houses the royal drums.
The home of royal drums, Ndoga-obukaba This forecourt leads into the main courtyard (Olugya), which is surrounded by a reed fence and a number of cottages constructed for the Kabakas’ widows and other ceremonial uses. The main tomb edifice, Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga, the architectural marvel of this ensemble, is immediately visible upon entering this courtyard, making it a remarkable experience.
Muzibu Azaala Mpanga: The primary structure is shaped like a dome and has a circular floor layout. Kabaka Mutesa I reconstructed the first main building in 1882 since the first palace, constructed by Mutesa I’s father, Kabaka Suuna II, in 1820, is no longer standing. Its 31-meter external circumference and 7.5-meter internal height demonstrate its enormous size. But The main tomb and the smaller houses surrounding it were destroyed by a destructive fire that devoured the tombs in March 2010. The principal tombs’ symbolic media, including the royal regalia, were destroyed. Certain buildings, such as the one that housed the royal drums, were not affected by the fire. The cause of the flames is still a mystery. Although the Commission that was established to look into the cause of the fires completed its job, the public has never been permitted to access the report. Many were left to speculate and point fingers as a result. Some believe it was arson, while others believe it was a lightning strike or someone’s sheer carelessness. The Kasubi tombs were listed as World Heritage Sites in Danger in 2010 as a result of this regrettable incident.
History of the Kingdom of Baganda and the Kings Interred at the Kasubi Tombs
We must comprehend the history of the Baganda people and their kings in order to appreciate the cultural significance of the Kasubi tomb. Prior to the arrival of foreign settlers, the Buganda Kingdom was one of the most powerful in Africa. The early 13th century was the beginning of the Kingdom’s rich history and civilization. The Bantu group, which extended all the way up to Southern Africa, includes the Baganda. According to legend, Kintu was Buganda’s first king. He had a bride named Nambi, who was given to him after he performed great acts that won over her father, the god of the sky, Ggulu. Instead of dying, Kintu vanished into the Magonga forest.
Following Kintu, Buganda was controlled by a number of kings. Regretfully, nothing is known of their reign as kings. Accurate dates were only documented under Kabaka Suuna II’s rule (1836–1856). Throughout the Kingdom, the Buganda kings favored erecting their palaces atop the main hills. This allowed them to see their territory clearly, identify any threats, and put an end to any internal uprisings. It was customary to bury the King’s body in one shrine and the Jawbone in another after they died. Their spirit is still thought to have been preserved in the jawbone. Like the majority of African tribes, the Baganda have the belief that a person’s spirit lives on after death. Through a spirit medium, the deceased Kabaka would speak to his heirs. Following burial, a successor is chosen as soon as the King or a member of his household passes away. To placate the spirit of the deceased king, a number of rites are carried out, such as animal sacrifice and gift-giving (including financial exchange).
The Kasubi tombs include the remains of four kings:
I, Mutesa (1835-1884). Born circa 1835, Muteesa 1 ascended to the throne in 1856. He was the first to be interred at the Kasubi tombs and the 35th Kabaka of Buganda in Uganda. In the exact location of the Kasubi tombs, he constructed his palace. With more wives than any of his predecessors, Mutesa was a very strong monarch. He locked his brothers up in a big trench because he believed they posed a danger to his authority. In the trench, many of them perished, leaving him unopposed. During Muteesa 1’s reign, a significant influx of foreigners began to arrive in East Africa. He became the first king to be impacted by foreign cultures as a result. After seeing the Arabs who had traveled from the coast of East Africa in search of ivory and slaves, he converted to Islam. Europeans also piqued Mutesa 1’s interest. He welcomed Henry Morton Stanley in 1875 and John Speke, the first white visitor to Buganda, in 1862. The race for Africa was gaining momentum at the time. Although he made sure they never challenged his authority, Mutesa One permitted his Muslim and Christian acquaintances to convert his royal entourage. Mutesa 1 was interred at the Kasubi tombs after passing away in 1884. Mutesa instructed his subjects not to take his jaw bone for a separate burial before he passed away. He was the first king to break with an old custom in this way.
Mwanga II Basamula (1867-1903) Mwanga, Mutesa’s son, succeeded him after his death in 1884. The last king to govern a fully autonomous Buganda was him. When foreign influence grew quickly, Mwanga became Kabaka. In 1886, he slaughtered a large number of Muslims and Christians who had converted under his father’s rule because he believed that Christianity and other foreign religions were a threat to his authority. His Muslim and Christian leaders were alarmed by this widespread murder and banded together to overthrow him. After being thrown into exile, Mwanga teamed up with Kabalega, the King of Bunyoro, to fight the British colonialists and regain his throne. His efforts proved fruitless, and they were vanquished and banished to the island of Seychelles. In 1903, Mwanga passed away on the island. By that time, he had adopted the Christian name Daniel. In 1910, his remains were returned and interred in the Kasubi mausoleum. Once more defying long-standing customs, his burial at the tombs transformed the location into a significant resting place for monarchs to come.
Kabaka Daudi Chwa II (1896–1939): In 1897, Mwanga’s one-year-old son Daudi Chwa succeeded him. Christian regents provided Chwa with assistance until he turned eighteen. He was not as strong as the previous kings, and his reign was quiet. Daudi Chwa’s burial at the Kasubi tombs after his death in 1939 enhanced the tombs’ standing and significance on a cultural and spiritual level.
Muteesa II, Fredrick Walugembe (1924–1969): His son, Mutesa II, succeeded Daudi Chwa after his death. A dispute arose between Sir Andrew Cohen and the King on changes to the 1900 Buganda Agreement. Following this argument with the colonial government agent, the King was banished to England. Following his return from exile in 1955, the king was sworn in as Uganda’s constitutional president on the country’s independence day. Mutesa’s relationship with Prime Minister Milton Obote, who was more powerful, became strained. In 1966, Milton Obote ordered government forces under Idi Amin to attack his palace. After his escape, the King went into exile in England, where he remained until his death in London in 1969. His remains were returned and interred at the Kasubi tombs in 1971.
Features at the tombs of Kasubi
The splendor of the thick thatched roof that reaches all the way to the ground immediately captivates guests as they enter the courtyard. The entrance to the Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga is a broad, low arch with elaborately braided reeds on either side. The four royal burials are located in the “sacred forest,” which is enclosed by a massive bark cloth that divides the inside. Only the widows of the Kabakas, the royal family, the Naalinya, and Katikkiro are permitted entry to the “sacred forest.” Power symbols like drums, spears, shields, medals, and pictures of the Kabakas interred there are displayed throughout the interior of the house. A thick layer of mats made of lemon grass and palm leaves covers the floor. Huge, straight wooden poles covered in bark cloth support the entire structure. This gives off a strong sense of power and harmony.
The Kasubi Tomb’s outward appearance just scratches the surface of its traditional way of existence. While the architecture itself has meanings associated with Ganda traditions, the tombs and the site setting as a whole have significant spiritual and social value. The interplay between environment and culture, as well as between the spirits and the living, is reflected in the rich decorative elements that are imbued with spiritual qualities. The vast roof’s 52 spear grass rings serve as one illustration. The fifty-two Ganda clans are represented by their number.
As previously mentioned, the “sacred forest,” or kibira, is the concealed area within the great mansion. The Kabakas spirits are said to reside in this hallowed space. The sacred forest is only accessible to the Kabakas’ widows.
Other customary rites are performed all year long in addition to the royal funerals. Among these are the mediums’ consultation and the new moon ceremony. However, as numerous rituals are conducted in secret within the buildings, the main spiritual life is hidden from the average tourist. The populace is aware of and continues to appreciate this facet of the Ganda tradition.
The mythology surrounding the genesis of death are likewise observed by the Baganda. Every person’s death is thought to have a spiritual cause. When a King or a member of his family passes away at Kasubi, a successor is crowned right away following the funeral and ceremonies are carried out to placate the ghosts. In the many shrines, gifts of all kinds, including cash, are placed and animals are sacrificed.
A diverse group of Baganda medicine men and women also travel to Kasubi, seeking blessings for their profession by consulting the spirits of the Kings.
The Kasubi tomb’s thatching method is very distinct and scarcely comparable to any other thatching method in Africa or Europe.
With the exception of the initial layers at the bottom, the grass is prepared in conical bundles and simply laid over the roof framework without being tied. One of these bundles can be easily removed and replaced if it becomes rotten. This intriguing method greatly simplifies the massive thatched roof upkeep labor.
Members of the Ngeye clan, also known as the Colobus monkey clan, are the only ones permitted to perform thatching. During an apprenticeship, younger clan members learn the thatching techniques from the elders.
Younger clan members are willingly taking on this significant duty at the location, demonstrating how much this practice is still practiced today. When repairing a roof, certain traditions are followed. For instance, widows are prohibited from entering the building when it is being thatched. Their presence is thought to result in leakage. During renovations, pregnant women are also prohibited from entering the building. Furthermore, it is forbidden for thatchers to engage in sexual activity while thatching. The decorators of the poles, who are members of the leopard clan, follow the same tradition.
Bark cloth, a fascinating art of the Baganda, is a fabric produced from the soft bark of the fig tree (ficus natalensis). The Ugandan people place great ritual significance on this bark cloth. The tree’s outer bark is carefully removed, and the fibers are then alternately soaked and pounded with a wooden mallet with grooves until they become pliable, creating this soft and durable fabric. After a year, the bark can be harvested once more because it has grown again.
Bark cloth was once widely used for clothes, but these days it’s more often used for crafts like handbags, hats, mats, and book covers. The dead are also wrapped in it. In fact, many Ugandan groups consider the bark cloth to be a sacred object in their funeral rites.
Maintaining the thatched roofs in excellent condition is the main conservation challenge. Even while thatch is still readily available and thatching techniques are still highly skilled, maintaining the roofs calls for constant attention to detail and replacement of the deteriorated grass. Additionally, money is required to pay the craftspeople and buy the new thatch, and money isn’t always accessible when it’s needed.
Other hazards also harm the facility. Among these is the roof’s shape, which has evolved over time. According to old photos, the slopes were steeper in the beginning, which made it possible for the rainwater to drain more quickly. The changing environment, which results in higher humidity than formerly, is another issue harming the roofs.
How to get to the tombs of Kasubi
Depending on the level of traffic in Kampala, it takes roughly fifteen minutes to get from the city center to the Kasubi Tomb site. Pass through the main gate of Makerere University and then turn along the Nakulabye road to arrive at the tombs. Join the Hoima road after the Nakulabye roundabout and continue driving for approximately one kilometer. Make a left turn and ascend Kasubi Hill. The gate or entrance to the graves can be seen after you reach the very top of the hill and turn onto Masiro Road. Visitors are given a ticket after completing their information and being inspected by the royal guides. The cost of admission to the Kasubi royal tombs is approximately $5,000 USD, or 10,000 Ugandan shillings. The money is used to pay the site staff and to maintain the tombs. After paying the admission charge, a local guide is also provided to show you around.