Lubaga | |
|---|---|
  Lubaga Map of Kampala showing the location of Lubaga. | |
| Coordinates:00°18′11″N32°33′11″E / 0.30306°N 32.55306°E /0.30306; 32.55306 | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| District | Kampala Capital City Authority |
| Division | Lubaga Division |
| Elevation | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Lubaga is a hill inKampala,Uganda's capital and largest city. The name comes from theLuganda wordokubaga, describing a process of "planning" or "strengthening" a structure while constructing it. For example,okubaga ekisenge means to strengthen the internal structure of a wall while building a house. The name also applies to the neighborhood on the hill.
Lubaga is bordered byMengo to the east,Namirembe to the northeast,Kasubi to the north,Lubya to the northwest,Lungujja andBusega to the west,Nateete to the southwest,Mutundwe to the south andNdeeba to the southeast. The coordinates of Lubaga are 0°18'11.0"N, 32°33'11.0"E (Latitude: 0.303056; Longitude: 32.553056).[1] The distance, by road, from thecentral business district ofKampala to Lubaga is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi).[2]
The hill served as the location of one of thepalaces of theKing of Buganda from the 18th century.Kabaka Ndawula Nsobya, the 19th Kabaka of Buganda, who ruled from 1724 until 1734, maintained hiscapital on Lubaga Hill.[citation needed] The palace on Lubaga Hill was used to plan military expeditions by Buganda's generals. In the late 19th century, during the reign ofMuteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira, who reigned from 1856 until 1884, the palace caught fire and was abandoned. When theCatholicWhite Fathers came calling in 1879, they were allocated present-day Kitebi village. Eventually they were given land on Lubaga Hill itself where they builtRubaga Cathedral, beginning in 1914 and completed in 1925.[3]
The earlymissionaries had problems pronouncing the wordLubaga as it is correctly spelled. They instead pronounced it with an "R", asRubaga. In the Luganda language, there is no word that starts with an "R", "X" or "Q". OtherBantu languages from western Uganda and theAfrican Great Lakes Area however, do have words starting with "R".
Lubaga hill was the location of the main palace ofKabakaMuteesa I[4]: 156 who ruledBuganda between 1856 and 1884. The palace was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground. In 1882 the king's (Kabaka's) palace was relocated to present-dayKasubi hill were Kabaka Muteesa I died and was buried in that palace and as all subsequent dead Kings of Buganda are at thisKasubi Tombs onKasubi hill. The firstRoman Catholic missionaries to arrive in Buganda wereFrenchmen,Father Pierre Lourdel Monpel andBrother Amans, who settled near the hill in 1879[5]
As the Catholic Church took root in the country, the missionaries were allocated land on Lubaga Hill. The construction ofSt. Mary's Cathedral on Lubaga Hill took place between 1914 and 1925, with the assistance of monetary contributions fromRoman Catholic congregations abroad.[6] Later, the missionaries also built a hospital and a nursing school on the hill.
Today, Lubaga remains the seat of the headquarters of theCatholic Church in Uganda. It is the seat of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala. The remains of the first African Catholic bishop in Uganda,BishopJoseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka and those of the first African Catholic Cardinal,CardinalEmmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga are kept in the Catholic Mission on the hill.
The following points of interest are located on Lubaga Hill:
00°18′11″N32°33′11″E / 0.30306°N 32.55306°E /0.30306; 32.55306
