Waluleta: Luweero’s treasured pilgrimage site

Luweero- On June 3 every year, Christians from near and far converge at Namugongo Shrine, Wakiso District to commemorate Uganda Martyrs who died for their religion.
But what many people do not know is that in Luweero District, there is a place with a history of Namugongo.
Every last Sunday of July, Catholics, particularly those hailing from Greater Luweero districts, trek to Kigwe Village, Waluleta Parish in Makulubita Sub-county, to pay homage to St Kizito, the youngest of the Uganda Martyrs.
Waluleta is one of the recently promoted tourism sites by the Uganda Tourism Board in partnership with the Catholic Church to raise awareness about the birth place of St Kizito who was killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga in 1886.

Location
Located about 6km from Wobulenzi Town, the shrine is now under rehabilitation to suit global standards. It was officially gazetted by the Catholic Church in 1995.

Rev Fr Lawrence Kizito Kimbowa, who is in-charge of the shrine, says its rich historical artefacts, including the Mvule tree believed to have provided the resting shed for Kizito and his siblings, are some of the things expected to draw tourists to the site.

“To many Christians paying homage to the religious sites, especially areas where the martyrs were executed, adds value to their faith notwithstanding the fact that many faithful perceive the pilgrimage as the only chance to draw closer to God,” he says.

In his early days as bishop of Kasana-Luweero Diocese, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, currently the Archbishop of Kampala, reached out to elders from Makulubita Sub-county for some information regarding the life of some of the surviving descendants of St Kizito. He ensured all the facts were recorded and then cross-checked

Archbishop Lwanga arranged for mapping of the area and had graves of some of St Kizito’s close relatives reconstructed.
The graves are only a few metres away from the famous Mvule tree.

A replica of the home, a small hut, a kitchen and sculptor of St Kizito with a Holy Bible and a cross in his hands are some of the pronounced features one will find at the shrines. The green environment renders the place holy.

Mr John Mary Kangave, 78, a resident of Bowa Village, about 4kms from the Waluleta shrine, believes that paying a homage to the birth place of St Kizito, is a heavenly gift which the Church should nurture and transform.

“The Church has a big opportunity to develop this area as a tourist site although the world outside the religious circles would be more interested in visiting the site like any other tourism site not much guarded by the strict church tradition that calls for strict guidelines for people visiting such a site,” he says.

On December 5, 2016, the Waluleta religious shrine was sanctified at Mass led by Archbishop Lwanga.

Among other residents lending credence to some of the artefacts at the shrine is Erukana Kakembo, aged 80.

“I saw this Mvule tree and this particular area was a resting area way back in 1949 when we played as young children. This tree was almost the same size as it is today. This perhaps lends credence to the fact that the Mvule tree could be more than 200 years old,” Mzee Kakembo says.

“I also got to know about the story of Kizito who was executed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga. This was before the name of Kizito was pronounced as a martyr,” he adds.

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