Among the survivors were Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira and Henry Katumba Tamale, who later rose through the ranks to become bishops in the Church of Uganda before retiring from active ministry.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has recounted the 1984 massacre at Namugongo, which also affected Uganda Martyrs’ Seminary Namugongo, where retired bishops Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira and Henry Katumba Tamale narrowly survived after government soldiers raided villages while pursuing rebels and killed more than 100 civilians.
According to Archbishop Kaziimba, the attack happened in May 1984 when troops of the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), operating under Milton Obote’s government, stormed Namugongo while hunting for suspected rebels.
Among the students at the seminary during the attack were the now-retired bishops Luwalira and Katumba, as well as Rev. Canon Elizabeth Julia Katumba, who later married Bishop Katumba. Kaziimba revealed that Canon Elizabeth was shot during the raid and lived with the bullet lodged in her flesh for some time. One of the tutors at the seminary, Mary Cerine Nabakooza, was also among the survivors. She later passed away in 2018.
Church of Uganda Pushes for Virtual Martyrs Day Celebrations Amid Ebola Concerns
It is alleged that the seminarians were severely beaten by the soldiers, leaving many of them injured and bleeding.
The Archbishop also remembered the seminary principal, Rev. Godfrey Bazira, who was killed while defending the students from the soldiers.
“As the soldiers kept accusing the students of being rebels, their principal, Rev. Bazira, insisted that they were innocent students. The soldiers then shot him dead,” Kaziimba narrated.
He added that Rev. Bazira sacrificed his life while trying to save the seminarians and suggested that the church should consider recognising him as a martyr.
“Rev. Bazira died while protecting his students from soldiers who accused them of being rebels. Shouldn’t he be considered a martyr for sacrificing his life to save others? We need to examine the criteria and see whether he can officially be declared a martyr,” the Archbishop said.
Kaziimba made the remarks while receiving renovation works at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo undertaken by Uganda Christian University ahead of this year’s Martyrs Day pilgrimage.
Historical accounts indicate that Namugongo experienced four days of violence during the military operation, resulting in the deaths of civilians and church leaders. Although those behind the killings were never prosecuted, the government later acknowledged responsibility for the massacres.
Among the survivors were Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira and Henry Katumba Tamale, who later rose through the ranks to become bishops in the Church of Uganda before retiring from active ministry.