Archbishop Sentamu set to lay foundation stone for Hannington Chapel

The small town of Budimo in Busia District where the late Bishop James Hannington’s body was hidden is set to become a pilgrimage site for the Christian faith.

Construction of a shrine in memory of the first Bishop of Central and Tropical Africa is underway at the site where two of his faithful servants, Ochola, a Samia from Lunyo Uganda, and Osore of Odiado Samia Kenya hid his body.

As part of the commemoration of the death of former Archbishop Janani Luwum, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is set to pay homage to the village where, among other things, he will hold an ecumenical service.

The head of the organising committee of the Archbishop’s visit to Budimo, Justice James Ogoola, says the ecumenical service is meant to celebrate the life of Hannington and the 48 Samia ‘martyrs’ who were killed with him.

“Archbishop Sentamu will also lay the foundation stone for the altar of the prayer park in Budimo where chapels are going to be constructed, to turn the place into a pilgrimage site like Namugongo,” Justice Ogoola says.

Budimo was declared a holy site in 1998. When the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, visited Uganda, the people of Budimo invited him to come and pay homage to the tree where Hannington’s remains were kept by two of his surviving porters. During his visit he declared the place a holy Shrine.

According to Justice Ogoola, research is being done to identify the names of the 48 Samia ‘martyrs’ and have them honoured and recognised like the ones in Namugongo.

“We want to have this place visited the same way people visit Namugongo,” Ogoola explains.
He also adds that the February 18 celebrations will be attended by the head of the Anglican Church in Uganda, other religious and political leaders from both Uganda and Kenya.