Kigungu landing site
This is a site located on the shores of Lake Victoria, past Entebbe international airport. On this spot, it is where the first catholic missionaries to Uganda landed on the 17th day of February in the year of our Lord 1879. The missionaries who landed in this site include Rev. Simon Lourdel and Brother Amans who belong to the white furthers group. This spot is therefore considered the birth place of the catholic faith in Uganda.
The pilgrimage taken by Catholics to the site every 17th February of every year to pay homage to the spot where their faith was born.The area consists of numerous bird species, insects and butterflies; birds include the kingfisher, black kites and the fish processing plant. The monument on the spot where these white fathers first landed to enter the land of Uganda to spread the catholic faith. Many people visit this spot especially the Catholics.
Namugongo shrine
At times this refers to as the Uganda martyrs shrine. This is a site where the disloyal pages of the Kabaka were murdered during the violent religion wars that occurred in the Buganda land in the last quarter of the 19th century. After these pages were converted to Christianity, they refused to obey the King’s orders such as the refusal to work on Sundays, claiming that it was a holy day, proclaiming the Kingdom that does not belong to the Kabaka thus jeopardizing his authority and requesting the kingdom to come through their preaching such as let your “Kingdom come”, refusal to practice homosexuality with the King on his orders were among the reasons for the murdering of the pages.
Namugongo was then, the place of execution, which started in 3rd June with the killing of Joseph Mukasa Balikedembe 15th November 1885. In this site, more than 73 Muslims, 22 Catholics and 23 Protestants were killed according to the tour guide Mutenua Ben.
The shrine is built on the sport where the massacres took place. The shrine stands on 22 pillars representing the 22 Catholic martyrs killed and the shrines depicts the traditional way in which the Uganda build their houses. It was constructed in 1967, 1975, by the local construction and can accommodate 1000 people.
In 1969 2nd August during the visit of pope John Paul II, the martyrs were canonized and the sites was made on official site for Christians all over the year make a pilgrimage to pay homage to the martyrs and ask for God’s blessings.
The two churches in the site i.e. the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Uganda. But of paramount importance is the Roman Catholic Church, which is built in the style of Buganda culture and people pay religious pilgrims, so this site on every 3rd June of the year stands on 22 pillars depicting the 22 martyrs of Uganda constructed by Roko and accommodate 1000 people.
At the catholic shrine is also an artificial lake that is believed to have been formed from the well that belongs to one of the Kabaka’s soldiers. Many Christians believe that the waters are holy have cleansing power and viewing of clear waters. The surrounding vegetation is also a great resource to the area. This permits nature lovers to view the vegetation.
In the shrine underneath, the alter are also soils, bones of the martyrs which in great attraction for pilgrims and the wonderful paintings on the walls of the shrine. The bird life surrounding the area, a lot of birds inhabit the area ranging from the small to the kites and this can promote Avi-tourism. Local cultural heritage especially the human population through their crafts dance and drama can promote cultural tourism in the area.
