Mukajanga: The royal executioner caught between rock and hard place

He is undoubtedly the most hated person whenever the Catholic world joins Ugandans to celebrate the Uganda Martyrs Day. Mukajanga was Buganda kingdom’s chief executioner around 1886 and played a pivotal role in the demise of the 45 young Christians at Namugongo.
Today as we celebrate the Martyrs Day, the most puzzling question surfaces once again of whether Kabaka Mwanga II and Mukajanga were justified in killing the Christians.
On Monday this week, someone came up with an interesting angle to the martyrs story. Nsubuga Mukajanga, a Buganda kingdom activist calling himself a descendant of the no nonsense Mukajanga went on CBS radio and threw a spanner in the works of Christian faith by urging Ugandans to storm Namugongo in big numbers notably the chief executioner’s museum at the Anglican shrine and see the good work his great great grand father accomplished.

Important landmark
Nsubuga Mukajanga sounded so serious when he was hosted on the “Kalisoliiso” morning programme, reminding Ugandans and the whole world that today Namugongo looks magnificent, thanks to the great work of Kabaka Mwanga and Mukajanga. He even called upon the Ugandan government to accord Mukajanga’s burial site located 22 miles along the Kampala-Hoima highway a historical landmark of great importance. “Mukajanga was simply a royal officer who did nothing wrong in executing orders received from Kabaka Mwanga. It was then sacrilegious to disobey the Kabaka,” he amused.
Nsubuga Mukajanga’s CBS radio comment is nothing but an insult to the Christian faith, at least according to some believers.
Ssegirinya Joseph of City House in downtown Kampala says Mukajanga’s grand son must apologise and realise the great devil Mukajanga must have been.
“Nsubuga is trying to rewrite Ugandan history. It’s totally wrong to justify the crimes committed by those in power during the era of Kabaka Mwanga and even now,” he said.
Ssegirinya compares Mukajanga to today’s security operatives who are often seen brutalising innocent wananchi by arresting them in inhuman style, unleashing cans of teargas and beating them up while acting on orders from above.
Michael Kasasa could not agree more. He thinks it’s a good idea for Buganda kingdom’s top leadership to openly apologise for the “cold blood” killing of Christians.
“We all make mistakes but realizing them is the most important thing someone can do in a lifetime,” he reasons.

What of today?
In a sharp contrast, Elisabeth Nambatya, a student at St Lawrence University says the best way to understand Mukajanga’s situation and dilemma is to relate it to today’s Uganda and Africa as a whole.
“No serving officer in the UPDF army can dare disobey or question an order from above or from his Commander-in-Chief and be spared of facing the court martial. Besides, just like Kabaka Mwanga’s lawful courts tried the martyrs and later sentenced them to death is exactly what is happening today when those convicted of various crimes are sentenced to death and sent to Luzira to face the gallows.”
According to Nambatya, no one should forget that Mwanga II was the last absolute monarch of Buganda and therefore had full powers and acted like a typical African dictator doing whatever it takes to get rid of his opponents in order to stay in power for long.
“Do you think if those “walk to work” activists lived during Mwanga’s time they would be spared?” she questions.

Mukajanga’s soft side
All in all, history has judged Kabaka Mwanga unfairly by only looking at his evil side. And there are those with a reasoning that Mwanga was not after Christianity as such but those individual “State House” staff that always missed at work under the guise of going for prayers at Fr. Mapeera’s place.
Otherwise one may argue that if Mwanga hated Christianity that much, then how come he didn’t execute Fr. Mapeera as well or chase him away from his kingdom? Besides, it is not a secret that the Catholic and Anglican churches, unlike the Muslims, have benefited most from Buganda kingdom’s generosity by taking a lion’s share of its vast land right from the days of Mwanga and during the following monarchs.
As for Mukajanga, the African Holocaust by J.F Faupel highlights the executioner’s soft side, thus trying to suggest that he was not all that barbaric as we are made to understand- at least as not as dangerous as the Buganda kingdom’s chancellor of the time by the name of Mukasa (not the martyr)
For instance during the execution of the first martyr, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe at Nakivubo on November 15, 1885, Mukajanga is said to have intentionally delayed in carrying out his distasteful task. He knew from experience that the Kabaka, especially in the case of old friends or pages was liable to revoke or commute the death sentences passed out in anger and had often earned the gratitude of both Kabaka and victim by delaying an execution until the royal had had time to cool down.
In the end after delaying for a reasonable period of time, Mukajanga executed Balikuddembe by beheading before placing him on the fire, apparently sparing him much pain. Around the same time, Mukajanga showed some concern by pleading desperately with his adopted son, Mbaaga Tuzinde, to renounce Christianity, this to the point of promising to hide him.
“Please do give up this foolishness which will send us to stance. Only say that you have abandoned religion and I will hide you ,” Mukajanga reportedly promised with a sad voice.
Most important of all, we are told how Mukajanga died a repentant person even though he was never baptized. So is the Christian world justified in continuing to condemn him year after year especially on Martyrs Day ?

MARTYRS AT GLANCE

1. St. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe
AGE: About 25
MARTYRDOM: Beheaded and burnt at Nakivubo -November 15, 1885
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of chiefs and politicians
2. St Pontiano Ngondwe
AGE: About 40
MARTYRDOM: Speared and hacked to death at Ttaka Junge-Munyonyo -May 26, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of soldiers, policemen and militia
3. St. Athanasius Bazzekuketta
AGE: About 20
MARTYRDOM: Hacked to pieces at Nakivubo-May 27, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of treasures, banks and cooperatives
4. St. Denis Ssebugwawo
AGE: About 16
MARTYRDOM: Beheaded at Munyonyo-May 26, 1885
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of musicians and choirs
5. St. Charles Lwanga
AGE: About 25
MARTYRDOM: Burnt over slow fire at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of African Catholic youth action.
6. St. Jean Marie Muzeeyi
AGE: 35
MARTYRDOM: Beheaded and body thrown into swamp at Mengo- January 27, 1887
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of doctors, nurses, hospitals and dispensaries
7. St. Achiless Kiwanuka
AGE: 17
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of clerks, press, journalists and writers
8. St. Mbaaga Tuzinde
AGE: 17
MARTYRDOM: Clubbed to death before body being burnt at Namugongo -June 3, 1886. (Being a son of Mukajanga who didn’t want him to feel much pain).
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of religious vocations, seminaries, novices and aspirants.
9. St. Bruno Sserunkuma
AGE: 30
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of penitents, tempted lust of flesh, to drinking, violence and unlawful marriages.
10. St. Mukasa Kiriwawanvu
AGE: 25
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of hotels, restaurants and all kinds of public recreation.

11.St. Adolf Mukasa Ludigo
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886

PATRONAGE: Patron saint of farmers, herdsmen and hunters.
12. St Mugagga
AGE: 17
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of clubs, tailors and community development.
13. St. Noa Mawaggali
AGE: About 35
MARTRYDOM: Speared and savaged by dogs at Mityana-May 31, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of workers, the poor , artists and technicians.
14. St. Kizito
AGE: 14
MARTYRDOM: Burnt at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of children and primary schools
15. St. Ambrose Kibuuka
AGE: 18
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo- June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of Societies, scouts, guides, young Christian workers and Xavarians.
16. St. Anatole Kiriggwajo:
AGE: 20
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo- June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of Diary farmers and veterinary people.
17. St. Gyaviira Musoke
AGE: 17
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo- June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of Communication, traffic and travellers.
18. St. Gonzaga Gonza
AGE: About 24
MARTYRDOM: Speared and beheaded at Lubawo- May 27, 1886.
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of prisoners and the afflicted
19. St. Luke Banabakintu
AGE: About 35
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886.
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of sailors, fishermen, merchants and blacksmith
20. St James Buzabalyawo
AGE: About 30
MARTYRDOM: Burnt to death at Namugongo-June 3, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of traders
21. St, Matthias Kalemba Mulumba
AGE: About 50
MARTYRDOM: Dismembered and left to die at Old Kampala-May 30, 1886
PATRONAGE: Patron saint of chiefs and families
22. Andrew Kaggwa
AGE: About 30
MARTYRDOM: Arm cut off , beheaded and hacked to pieces at Munyonyo-May 26,1886
Patronage: Patron saint of catechists, families and teachers.