Kampala City is located in Buganda Region though the current government want to seclude it from Buganda could be due to political climate in Uganda, but the real fact is under Buganda, geographically and historically. The City has many attractions, one of the them is Kasumbi tombs.
This is the place were fallen kings of Buganda called Kabakas are laid to rest. It is located in west of Kampala, Rubaga Division, it take about 5 minutes from down town Kampala to the tombs passing via the newly opened highway called the Kampala Northern Bypass. The tombs are regarded by the Baganda tribe as the major spiritual centre for burial of their kings.
Four successive Kabakas (Kings) of Buganda were buried in the same tomb house at Kasubi namely;
- Mutesa 1 (1835-1884)
- Mwanga 11 (1867-1903)
- Daudi Chwa (1896-1939)
- Sir. Edward Mutesa (1924-1969)
Kasubi Tombs have a unique architecture, large rounded thatched hut, very magnificent and currently considered as man made natural wonders of the world, could be compared with the Egyptian Pyramids Inside the tombs there are pictures of the four kabakas laid to rest rest, nice backcloth wall coverings, coloured weaved mats on the floor, it is so clean and peaceful, in the corner there is taxidermy leopard. This was a pet used by Kabaka Mutesa 1 and the myth behind the story is when the Kabaka Mutesa 1 died who was so close with the leopard became so abandoned and started becoming violent so it was put down and brought to the tombs.
Out side the huge tombs there are other small tombs thatched huts which are about 10 surrounding the major tombs, these were burial places of the kings wives but it is not known how many were buried in them as traditionally Kabakas were regarded to be polygamists.
Outside the gates of Kasubi tombs there are no much to offer such as nice restaurant, hotel or coffee shop even decent wash rooms. The closet places are Nakulabye, Mengo or when you take Northern By pass highway Kasumba Square could be the place to go for these lacking facilities. Kasubi tombs is worth a visit once you are in Uganda because it is historical and cultural.
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