{UAH} The Royal Kasubi Tombs - "Muzibu Azaala Mpanga"

Muzibu Azaala Mpanga

-          By Moses Wilson (June 2014)

I had hoped to present my narrative on my visit to the Royal Kasubi Tombs in just 4 parts.  But the final report has proven a little too long to present in one go.  As such, I have broken it into two which I shall issue in quick succession.

Let preface these, my final reports, with a disclaimer that I am not an expert on Kiganda culture.  That which I relay here is based on what I saw during my visit, information given me by my guide, interviews with respected Baganda elders and other online research.

The Royal Kasubi Tombs are locally known as "Amasiro ge Kasubi."  The term "Amasiro" means the official burial site of a past king (Ssekabaka) of Buganda.  As such, the known burial site of each Ssekabaka is known as "Amasiro ge ……….…" with the last reference being the name of the place (usually a hill).  For this reason, "Amasiro ge Kasubi" means the royal burial site on Kasubi Hill.  Another nearby royal burial site is "Amasiro ge Wamala."  There are 28 known "Amasiro" locations scattered throughout Buganda.

The main tomb building (or palace) at Kasubi is officially known as "Muzibu Azaala Mpanga."  Originally built as a residential palace by Ssekabaka Suuna II in 1820, the most recent structure was rebuilt by his son and successor Ssekabaka Mutesa I in 1882.

The official interpretation of the name "Muzibu Azaala Mpanga" is "a tough one brings forth powerful ones."  However, the actual phrase was a reference given to Ssekabaka Mutesa I and meant that only one like him (a Kabaka) could father another like him (another Kabaka).  "Mpanga" is the Luganda name for the dominant male bird within a given flock and (with specific reference to domesticated chickens) is the rooster which is considered to have a regal demeanor and appearance.  As such, use of the word "Mpanga" can also mean "the first or most dominant amongst all others."  So the original name of the main tomb building was "Olubiri lwa Muzibu Azaala Mpanga" or "the Palace of Ssekabaka Muteesa I." 

Historically, when Baganda kings died, the traditional practice was to bury each Kabaka at a separate site and to establish a royal shrine to house his jawbone, which was believed to contain his spirit, at another site. These shrines were started by descendants of the Kabaka's leading chiefs, his wives, his ritual half-sister, and by a spirit medium through which the dead Kabaka communicated with his successors. Many of these shrines are still maintained today.

However, Ssekabaka Muteesa I decreed that upon his death, he was to be be buried in his palace and that his jawbone should not be removed from his body.  In so doing, he broke two long-standing traditions; first that he be buried whole, and the second that he be buried in his palace at Kasubi.

In comparison other traditional structures of the era, Muzibu Azaala Mpanga was massive measuring an external diameter of 31 meters and an internal height of 7.5 meters.  Visually, the building featured a beautiful thatched roof which extended all the way down to the ground.  Entrance to the building was through a low, wide arch flanked on both sides by richly woven reeds.  The inside was partitioned using a huge bark cloth which secludes the "sacred forest" where the four royal graves lay. Entrance to the "sacred forest" was limited to the widows of the Kabakas, the royal family, the Naalinya, and Katikkiro. The inside of the house was adorned with power insignias such as drums, spears, shields, medals, and photographs of the Ssekabakas buried there.  The floor was covered with a thick layer of lemon grass and palm leaves mats.  The whole structure was supported by gigantic straight wooden poles wrapped in bark cloth.  Together, these all created a striking impression of harmony and power.

Over the years, various upgrades had been done to the building including periodic replacements of parts of the inner ceiling, the outer thatching and the installation of a concrete brick wall and metal frame to improve the building's structural integrity.

With four successive Kabakas of Buganda being buried in the same tomb, the Kasubi tombs site became an important shrine.

Muteesa I 1835-1884	Mwanga II 1867-1903	Daudi Chwa II 1896-1939	Muteesa II 1924-1969

Many princes and princess directly descended from the four Kabakas are also buried at Kasubi behind the main shrine, consequently making the site culturally important as the official burial site (Ekijja or Elijja) of the royal family of the Buganda kingdom.

The Royal Kasubi Tombs are registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (international recognition and protection as a place of special cultural or physical significance).

-          Ssabasajja Awangale