Nakayima Tree

Nakayima Tree: Nakayima Tree is located in the Mubende district, around 100 kilometers away from Kampala and only a 3-hour trip away. One of the oldest trees still standing is the Nakayima tree. Named for Princess Nakayima, a royal princess who wandered around the tree and is thought to have vanished into it, it is thought to have existed for roughly 650 years. According to legend, the tree possesses unique abilities for healing, prosperity, and good health. The tree is located around 4 kilometers west of Mubende town, near the summit of Mubende Hill. The old Bachwezi dynasty previously stood on the level tabletop of the hill it sits on, which is nearly 215 meters high. The ancient empire of Kitara is said to have been founded by the Bachwezi.

Due of its alleged significance in African mysticism, the tree has recently grown to become another popular tourist destination in Uganda. Many traditionalists and individuals from all across the nation visit the tree, offering sacrifices in exchange for blessings; the larger the offering, the more people visit. The Chwezi gods are said to bestow gifts like wealth, fertility, and good health in proportion to the size of the sacrifice. People can be seen carrying a variety of goods, such as drinks, goats, and cows.

With its 18 segments or openings, the deep buttress-rooted tree resembles a cave. The spaces are referred to as spiritualists’ rooms, and here is where caregivers and those who come to pray sit. They settle down on some mats or the grass. It is thought that a distinct spirit resides in each of these rooms, such as Ndahura, Nalongo Jajja Mukasa, Kilunda, and Jajja Musoke.

The Nakayima tree is still a mysterious witch tree after all these years. A tree that allows you to make wishes by placing a coffee bean and a small payment into niches created by the buttress roots of the tree, rather than tossing coins into the water. Located near Jajja Nakayima’s grave, this is one of the 18 compartments of the deep buttress roots. After placing the offertory, the caretaker, who is typically an elderly woman, prays for the person who made the offering. But she doesn’t administer medication.

Since Ndahura, the local ruler of the Chwezi dynasty, stayed here before giving ownership to his son Wamala, it is thought that Nakayima planted the oldest and strongest tree. The reason this well-known tree has survived to this day is because it is thought to contain the spirit of Ndahura, the deity of smallpox. It was said that Nakayima was its caretaker and that she served as a conduit between the community and Ndahura’s spirit. Occasionally, Ndahura’s spirit would take over her body and cause her to contract smallpox for a few days.

Nakayima was said to possess supernatural abilities that could cure smallpox and other illnesses that other herbalists were unable to treat, such as helping infertile ladies. Every tree that is fortunate enough to grow near it is also a remedy, and the water that its stems create helps treat certain illnesses.

Visitors traveling to Fort Portal and Kibale National Park will find this to be a great place to stop and see the African belief site of a tree that never loses its leaves, even throughout the dry season.