FROM MUNYONYO TO NAMUGONGO
Having been sentenced to death in munyonyo on wednesday May 1886, the condemned martyrs then embarked on their own walk to ‘Calvary’-a two days journey to Namugongo, where they arrived on Thursday May 27,1886. Some had already been killed in Munyonyo,others were killed along the way,and others more were burned alive in Namugongo on june 3 june.
First station of the Martyrdom:Munyonyo
Although the first Ugandan Catholic to be martyred for his faith was St.Joseph Mukasa Balikudembe (in Nakivubo), Munyonyo is a blessed and sacred place.It was here, that the trickle of martyrdom broke forth into a mighty and terrible deluge; what started in munyonyo had its climax in Namugongo. The opening chapter on the Uganda martyrs began vividly and unmistakably in munyonyo and it was Munyonyo’s soil, which was to receive the first blood of this ferocious and prolonged purge of Christ’s Flock. Munyonyo was, in fact, the first station of the cross for Christ’s beloved Uganda Martyrs. Judgment.
On the morning of 26th May 1886, Kabaka Mwanga (who was in his palace in munyonyo)demanded that his whole court be brought before him.
The Christians,professing the faith and not ashamed to be identified with Christ their Beloved, were then separated from the others.
The king then demanded to know if they intended to remain Christian.When their answer was a resolute and steadfast “yes” made possible by the Holyspirit working through their simple faith, Mwanga condemned them all tp death.
After the Judgment, those whose clothes were soon to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, walked a few days to Namungongo-a designated place for executions in Buganda kingdom at that time.
