Stump on which Ponsiano Ngondwe was slaughtered still preserved

By Juliet Lukwago                       

Several sites in and around Kampala where some of the Uganda Martyrs were murdered are being recognised as holy besides the Namugongo shrines where the main celebrations take place on June 3.

Such sites include St Balikuddembe, best known as Owino market, where the first of Kabaka Mwanga’s pages, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, was slaughtered and Munyonyo, where the tedious and dreaded journey to Namugongo is said to have started.

Munyonyo saw the execution of two of Kabaka’s pages; Andréa Kaggwa and Denis Ssebuggwaawo after Ponsiano Ngondwe had been slaughtered at Kyamula, a neighbouring village.

Other places are Old Kampala where St Matia-Mulumba was killed, Mityana where Noa-Mawaggali was killed, Lubaawo-Kamuli where Gonzaga-Gonza was killed and Mengo-Kisenyi where John Marie Muzeeyi, the last martyr, was murdered.

The Christians at St Ponsiano Ngondwe, Kyamula sub-parish Makindye Division, will also be viewing a remarkable stump of a tree on which Ponsiano Ngondwe is said to have been tied before he was beheaded by the Kabaka’s guards.

The stump at Kyamula sub-parish church where Ngondwe was reportedly tethered before execution in 1886. PHOTO/JULIET LUKWAGO
 

The stump, which the Saturday Vision also saw, is being kept inside the church and is viewed at all times by tourists who visit the place.

According to a book titled “Eddiini mu Uganda” authored by Fr J.L Ddiba, the executioners picked Ngondwe from prison where he had been incarcerated for mistakenly collecting some cattle for the Kabaka from Mukajanga’s kraal.  Mukajanga was the head of Kabaka’s guards.

Ngondwe was the fifth page to be executed while Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe was the first. Anatansi Bazzekuketta, Andrea Kaggwa, Denis Ssebuggwaawo were the third and fourth respectively.

The Kabaka used to send his men to different places to collect cattle for the Kabaka’s kraal.

According to Ddiba’s book, Ngondwe had been assisted by Abdullah Azizi Buliwadda, an elder among Kabaka’s men to collect cattle (okusolooza ente) from different counties for the kabaka.

As Ngondwe collected the cattle with the help of Bulwadda, in Kyaddondo County, some people informed Mukajanga that Ngondwe had tampered with his cattle.

Immediately on his way back to Lubiri (palace), the Kabaka ordered for his arrest, saying that it was an abomination to collect cattle from his chief head soldier and executioner (Omumbowa), Mukajanga.

The same thing befell Buliwadda in Buddu, who collected cattle from the Kabaka’s Katikkiro’s cows. He was also arrested and locked up in prison upon his return to the palace.

The spot where St Ponsiano Ngondwe was Killed at Ttakajjuge. PHOTO/JULIET LUKWAGO

Ngondwe’s execution

As Kabaka Mwanga ordered for the execution of Charles Lwanga and his companions at Namugongo, he also remembered Ngondwe who had already been in prison for a month and ordered his execution as well.

As he was being picked from prison, Ngondwe happily replied no “problem, it is good to die for our God”.

The page’s journey to Namugongo

Further, according Ddiba’s book, Ngondwe was tied together with Bulidawa, as they reached at Katabataba-Ttakajunge, where Mukajanga was seated under a big tree as his headquarters.

Standing with a sharp spear, Mukajanga asked the prisoners whether they knew their mistakes.

He immediately forced them to make declarations. He speared Ngondwe in the chest on May 26, 1886 after which he chopped his body to pieces as he showed part by part to the other pages who were also tied together. 

Then later at night the other contingent of prisoners were led to Namugongo where they also met their horrifying death.

As the Kabaka was to passing through the road that had been littered with the body parts of Ngondwe, the men collected them and threw them into the bush, because traditionally the Kabaka is not supposed to look at bodies.

Ngondwe’s brief profile

Saint Ponsiano Ngondwe, who was a Muganda and belonged to Nnyonyi Nnyange clan, was killed on May 26, 1886.

He was beheaded and his body was dismembered at Ttakajjunge

•Venerated February 29 , 1920 by Pope Benedict XV (decree of martyrdom)

•Beatified June 6 , 1920 by Pope Benedict XV

•Canonized  October 18 , 1964 by Pope Paul VI at Rome, Italy