Hoima’s native martyrs

This year as the diocese of Hoima leads Uganda and the rest of the world in celebrating the Martyrs Day holy mass at Namugongo Martyrs shrine, three martyrs from the Bunyoro region will be in the spotlight.
St Andrew Kaggwa (Kahawa), St Anatole Kiriggwajjo and St Adolf Mukasa Ludigo. While St Andrew Kaggwa and Anatole Kiriggwajjo were brought to Buganda in the 19th century directly from Bunyoro as captives from tribal wars with Buganda, Adolf Ludigo grew up in Toro-Mwenge which was considered to have been a royal county of Bunyoro kingdom.

St Andrew Kaggwa
Andrew Kaggwa previously known by his Kinyoro name, Kahawa, before the Baganda renamed him Kaggwa is the most popular of all the three martyrs.
As a youth, Kaggwa is said to have been captured and carried off as a slave by a party of Baganda after a raid on the border county of Bugangaizi. The African Holocaust by John F Faupel describes Andrew Kaggwa as having been a well-built boy presented to the Kabaka as part of his share of the spoils.
He was later placed amongst the royal pages where his cheerfulness, willingness and kind-hearted disposition soon made him a favourite, both with his peers and his elders, who used to refer to him as “That funny Munyoro”.

Kaggwa was fond of cracking jokes that amused everyone such that if he lived today, he would possibly be a great comedian.
In September 1879, Andrew Kaggwa was among the pages ordered by the Kabaka to build houses for Catholic priests. His was close to the pages’ first leader, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe.
Kaggwa’s palace role changed came when Morton Stanley and Col. Gordon visited Kabaka Mutesa’s palace. The colonialists presented the king with a European drum and musical instruments. Andrew Kaggwa was one of the pages sent to Toli, an Arab instructor at Natete hill, to train in the art of drumming.
It is said that Kaggwa was quick to learn and completed his course before anyone else and thus became a qualified mudongo (musician and entertainer).

The African Holocaust quotes Leo Kyagwogera, also a music pupil, describing the saint to having been “an exceedingly kind man. He was of slight build, dark colouring, squint eyes and a very good bugler. He had also learned to shoot and was renowned for his courage. Kaggwa was indeed a friend of persons of every class.”
James Miti, a foster brother of Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe at one time, paid tribute to Andrew Kaggwa’s good nature and popularity, saying, “Andrew Kaggwa must have been very young when he was brought to Buganda for he had neither cuttings on his body nor gaps in his teeth. He had become a pure Muganda.”
Kaggwa is believed to have been the first to come into contact with the Catholic priests through his music instructor Toli, who frequently went to see the priests and lend them valuable aid as a carpenter.

Martyrdom
After being sentenced to death for his Christian faith, the Buganda Kingdom chancellor instructed one of the top executioners, Bidandi, to put Kaggwa to death.
Knowing he could change his mind any moment, the Kabaka added, “Be quick about it and bring me his arm to prove you have done your work. I will not touch food until I have seen it.”
Historians say at the time of his death Kaggwa was wearing a reddish-brown barkcloth and a white loincloth and holding a small book in his hand as he begged the executioners not to strip him naked. They threw him down, lay him flat on the ground and cut off his arms with a knife so that white tendons could be seen hanging out.
“Oh my God! “ Kaggwa exclaimed before Bidandi cut off his head and finally chopped his body into pieces that were scattered all over the ground.
This was at Munyonyo on the afternoon of Wednesday May 26, 1886. Kaggwa’s bleeding arm severed at the shoulder was presented to the chancellor.
St Andrew Kaggwa is the patron saint of catechists, families and teachers.

ANATOLE KIRIGGWAJJO

According to historians, although Anatole Kiriggwajjo was captured by a raiding party, he was brought to Buganda as a slave boy.
Kiriggwajjo first studied the Catholic religion under the guidance of Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe and Yoanna Maria Muzeeyi. After the death of Kabaka Mutesa I, the young prince Mwanga recalled him to serve in the Court of the Audience hall, where he was under the command of the newly appointed page-in-charge, Charles Lwanga. A little later, the young Kabaka singled out Kiriggwajjo for promotion to a post of importance at the court but he refused to accept it and in so doing, offended Mwanga.
The position offered was one that entailed close attendance to the many royal princesses who were forbidden to marry and were restricted from association with men.
St Anatole Kiriggwajjo was among those Catholic and Anglican martyrs burnt to death at Namugongo- Nakiyanja on June 3, 1886. St Anatole Kiriggwajjo is the patron saint of Dairy farmers and veterinary people.

ADOLF MUKASA LUDIGO

Adolf Mukasa Ludigo lived and grew up in Toro-Mwenge. He was brought to Buganda as a captive from Buganda raids carried out on other kingdoms. He is said to have been a tall, slender, dark-skinned young man whose forehead bore the tribal marks of his people. He is believed to have been 24 at the time of martyrdom.
Mukasa Ludigo started to follow instructions in the Catholic religion around 1881, when the court was at Nabulagala with the Catholic Mission very close by at Kasubi. He continued his lessons when his duties allowed at the home of his great friend and fellow tribesman, Andrew Kaggwa. He was burnt at Namugongo on June 3, 1886. He is the patron saint of farmers, herdsmen and hunters.