The first group of Christians to be captured, tortured and killed for their faith occurred on 31st January 1885 at Busega Mpiima-erebera. This group included Makko Kakumba, Noah Sserwanda and Yusuf Lugalama.
There are reports of one woman, Sarah Nakima (some call her Sarah Nalwanga) being one of this group. She was captured with these young pages, marched with them to the slaughter place.
However, she was not killed. She was exonerated because she had a baby and the only punishment she received was watching the deaths of her fellow Christians.
All the martyrs according to historical counts were men. However, as many dig through achieves, new research is suggesting that there were women among the martyrs.
The Catholic Church of Uganda is underway preparations of confirming that Clara Catherine Nalumansi, a princess of Buganda should be listed among the martyrs.
Rev Fredrick Kasozi, who presides over the Anglican martyrs museum at Namugongo Nakiyanja says that Nalumansi was killed 2 years later after the execution of the martyrs.
Research suggests that Princess Clara Nalumansi, a sister of King Mwanga, was burned to death in May 1889 by her Muslim brother Kabaka Kalema who ruled for less than a year after Mwanga. It is also in records that Kabaka Kalema was a Muslim.
Princess Nalumansi converted to Christianity and was baptized during the time the Christians were being persecuted.
She burned all her ‘lubaale’ items, got married in church and is the one that warned missionaries Mackay, R PAshe and O’ Flaherty about Kabaka Mwanga’s plot to kill them.
She advised them to placate him before his anger raged on them (maybe that is how she survived execution by Mwanga’s orders.)
Other accounts suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, the Catholic church has kicked of her beatification.
“When the process is successful, she will be the first woman in Uganda’s history to be beatified, I got reports that she performs miracles for people. Rome is aware of all this and we have their permission to go on with the beatification process,” remarked Rt. Rev. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
