Catholic Church to build sh10b plaza

The parish priest, Fr. Aloysius Kiwanuka Musukulumu, announced the new plans saying the commercial plaza will accommodate Church projects as well as premises to be rented out.

Kiwanuka said they expect the construction of the building to start in August this year.

He also revealed that the commercial building, which will have a parking yard, will be in memory of St Matia Mulumba, the last martyr to be killed.

“This is the place where one of the Uganda martyrs, Mulumba, was killed. It was the most brutal death as his limbs were first cut off, and then strips of flesh were cut off from his back. He remained in that condition for three days without complaining while praying for his country and executioners,” Kiwanuka said.

The first martyr to be killed was Joseph Mukasa Balikudembe, then Athanansi Bazzekuketta (both killed at St. Balikudembe market).

Andrea Kaggwa and Dennis Ssebugwawo were killed in Munyoyno, Ponsiano Ngondweat Ttakajjunge-salaama and Mulumba at Old Kampala.

Kiwanuka called on all Christians and well-wishers to assist the Church in the construction of the building.

Who was St. Matia Mulumba?

St. Matia Mulumba was born in Bunya County in the kingdom of Busoga, Uganda; though his parentage is not known, he was captured along with his mother and brought to the Kingdom of Buganda, where he was raised by his adopted father Magatto (uncle of chancellor Mukasa) of the Musu Clan as a free man.

Mulumba himself was of the Lugave clan a Musoga by tribe. After Magatto's death, Mulumba remained for a time with Buzibwa (Magatto's brother). Mulumba became supervisor of all other servants to the county chief of Ssingo, Ddumba, and head of his household. After Ddumba's death, he became the assistant to Mukwenda, Ddumba's brother.

He lived at the time of King Mutesa I and his son Mwanga II when Christianity and Islam came to Uganda between 1877 and 1879. Mulumba converted to Islam at first, but with the arrival of Anglican, and then Catholic, missionaries and their preaching, he decided to join them, and enrolled as a Catholic catechumen on May 31, 1880. He was baptized on May 28, 1882, by Pere Ludovic Girault, and organized a Christian community at his home in Mityana, where he gave instruction along with Nowa Mawaggali and Lukka Baanabakintu.

On May 25, 1886, while he was rebuilding Mwanga's palace (which had burned down on February 22) Mulumba, Charles Lwanga, Baanabakintu, and other pages were discovered and arrested by Mwanga and Mukwenda, and were imprisoned; and two days later, they were sentenced to death. While Lwanga and his fellow pages were sent to Namugongo, Mulumba was taken to Old Kampala as he requested, where he was dismembered and roasted.