Namugongo was an execution site in pre-colonial Buganda where death was by hacking. The king Of Buganda, Mwanga, zealous to protect his new faith in witchcraft rounded up a number of his subjects- men and women, young and old, among whom were a good number of his pages, and marched them naked to Namugongo where he asked them to renounce their faith in exchange for clemency. One final opportunity to renounce their new faith(Christianity) was given on the morning of 3rd June whether this opportunity was taken remains unknown for there are no records.
However, for the 26, evenly distributed between Protestant and Catholic who obstinately refused, the end was a gruesome one, preceded by the on spot hacking and burning of Charles Lwanga the leader of the Catholics and the remaining were burnt later in the day, tightly bound and thrown into a pyre alive.
The shrine was built in their memory and yearly Christians from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the site and those from East Africa – Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania trek. It’s found in Namugongo a few minutes’ drive from Kampala.