Arson Suspected in Kasubi Tombs fire
The Kasubi Tombs a UNESCO World Heritage site and burial location of four kings of Buganda has been destroyed by fire. Kasubi Tombs situated on Kasubi hill within Kampala, Uganda, is an active religious place in the Buganda Kingdom, an important spiritual and political site for the Buganda, as well as a tourist attraction. The burial ground for the previous four Kabakas, the Kasubi Tombs is a place where the Kabaka and others in Buganda’s complex cultural hierarchy frequently carry out important centuries-old Ganda rituals.
To the Buganda, the Kabaka is the unquestioned symbol of spiritual, political, and social state of the Buganda nation. The royal enclosure at Kasubi hill was first built in 1881. Also known as the Ssekabaka’s Tombs, these are the royal tombs where the following Kabakas are buried: Mutesa I (1835-1884), Mwanga II (1867-1903), Daudi Chwa II (1896-1939) and Sir Edward Mutesa II (1924-1969).
The World Heritage site consists of a main tomb area or palace, called Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, which is located at the western end of the site, a large area on the eastern side of the site which is primarily used for agricultural purposes and a secondary graveyard and living area that is located behind the main tombs containing a number of buildings. The entrance to the site is a beautifully built gatehouse called Bujjabukula. According to Ganda tradition, the guards who control access to the site hide behind a see-through woven reed screen, to keep watch around the clock. The site also includes an area that holds an active fireplace where a flame burns continually. The fire is not meant to be extinguished as it symbolizes the immortality of the kings. The fire is tended by a caretaker called ‘Musoloza’. The main hut (royal palace), is known as Muzibu Azaala Mpanga – meaning, “A tough one brings forth powerful ones” was originally built by Ssekabaka King Suuna II in 1820 and rebuilt by Ssekabaka Mutesa I in 1822. Inside the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, an area is made out of long and wide bark clothes which is known as ‘the sacred forest’.
The first Kabaka of Buganda was Kintu, who is believed to have been married to Nambi, the daughter of Ggulu, the god of the sky. The first Kabaka to be buried at Kasubi was Muteesa I, who was the 35th King. The dates of the reigns of the Kabakas are only precisely known from Kabaka Suuna II, who ruled from 1836 to 1856.
As the structure is made mostly of thatch, it is believed that the site has been completely devastated by the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown, however, there are speculations on Radio Sapientia that students razed down the structure in retaliation for the fatal shooting of two students of the Makerere University by a security guard on Monday night. A third student who was critically injured in the same incident is battling for his life at Mulago hospital.
