Buganda, Bunyoro Kingdoms Scramble for Nakayima Cultural Site

Located on Mubende Hill, Nakayima Cultural Site is the home to the renowned Nakayima Tree, which is said to have supernatural powers for healing, fertility, wealth and good health. The tree, considered an important part of African Spirituality, gets its name from a beautiful spiritual princess Nakayima, who allegedly disappeared in it.

The Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese Dr. John Baptist Odama says many of the pledges towards preparations have not been fulfilled. He says the Episcopal conference requires 900 million to successfully host this years celebration.

The pilgrims started the walk with just their Bibles, Rosary and faith in their hearts determined to arrive at the final resting place of the Uganda Martyrs at Namugongo, located about 332 Kilometers away from their homeland.

The pilgrims who set off from Kasese Catholic Cathedral at exactly 11:00pm on Monday were flagged off with a Eucharistic Celebration led by Fr Joseph Kirungi, the parish priest Kasese Cathedral Parish

The Catholic Shrines Rector Rev Fr Vincent Lubega notes that they have found it important to run quality tests to ensure that pilgrims don’t consume contaminated water. He adds test sample have already been taken by a team of experts from National Water and Sewerage Cooperation-NWSC.

The rest is to facilitate pilgrims who have suffered blisters in their feet recuperate. They have so far covered 112 Kilometers from their starting point in Gulu cathedral, leaving them with 223 Kilometers to Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrine.

Ahead of the pilgrims is a giant wooden cross flanked by flag bearing portraits of Naumgongo Martyrs Shrine, St. Joseph’s Cathedral and the Sacred Heart University mounted onto a double cabin pick up registration number UAR 206 G branded with Logos of CARITAS. Also in the lead is another pick up vehicle registration number UAN 962T onto which a public address system has been mounted.