Rubaga Hill, Kampala, Uganda
St. Mary's Cathedral Rubaga
The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kampala, perched on Rubaga Hill with views across Uganda's capital, built on the site where the White Fathers established their first permanent mission in the kingdom of Buganda.
Rubaga Cathedral stands on one of Kampala's seven hills, and from its steps you can see across the city to Namirembe Hill, where the Anglican cathedral sits — the two churches facing each other across a valley, a visual summary of Uganda's Christian history. The current building dates to 1925, replacing earlier mission structures built by the White Fathers who arrived in the 1870s. It is a large, white-walled church with a red-tile roof and a pair of towers flanking the entrance, designed in a European Romanesque style that has weathered well in the equatorial climate. Inside, the nave is tall and clean, with whitewashed walls, a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and a sanctuary anchored by a marble altar. The cathedral's deepest significance comes from its connection to the Uganda Martyrs — twenty-two young Catholic converts executed between 1885 and 1887 by Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda for refusing to renounce their faith. Several of them were associated with the Rubaga mission. They were canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964, and their shrine at nearby Namugongo draws millions of pilgrims each June. The cathedral itself remains a busy parish, full on Sundays with singing that carries down the hillside.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Kampala
Style: Romanesque
What to See
The view from the cathedral steps is the first thing — Kampala spread out below and the Anglican cathedral on the opposite hill. Inside, the clean white nave focuses attention on the sanctuary. Look for memorials to the early missionaries and bishops buried here. The connection to the Uganda Martyrs is present throughout, though the main shrine is at Namugongo, about ten miles east of the city.
Pilgrim Notes
The cathedral is on Rubaga Hill in western Kampala, reachable by boda-boda or taxi. Mass is offered daily in English and Luganda. If visiting in early June, the Martyrs' Day pilgrimage to Namugongo is one of the largest annual Catholic gatherings in Africa, drawing well over a million people. The walk from Rubaga to Namugongo is a traditional pilgrimage route.