The beautiful Wamala Tombs is where Kabaka Suuna II was buried and also holds the shrine which was constructed by this king, which to date is being used by members of the Buganda royal family to perform traditional rituals. This is an amazing site worth visiting on your Cultural Uganda Safari. Back in 1856, Kabaka Suuna II constructed his shrines in Mpigi. Kabaka Suuna II son of Kabaka-Kamanya, was the very first Buganda king to welcome Arab traders in East Africa.
Kabaka Suuna II
Kabaka Suuna II was a King of the Buganda kingdom which once was among the largest traditional territories in the East African region, and today makes up the country Uganda. During the reign of Kabaka Suuna II in the mid 19th century, he received Arab traders into his Kingdom and became the very first kabaka to welcome foreign traders into the Bugunda Kingdom.
Outstanding about this king is that he was very handsome taking after the mother’s (Nakkazi Kannyange supposed to be among the most beautiful women in the entire Buganda Kingdom) beauty, and became a Kabaka at only 12 years.
As the years went by Kabaka Ssuuna grew more confident and turned into a ruthless boastful king, who killed 58 of his 60 brothers. He outdid his father and grandfathers as he had a total of 148 wives and 221 children.
The Wamala Tombs
At his death, Kabaka Sunna II was buried in his palace and he was the last of the Buganda kings to be buried with his jaw-bone removed before burial. So the Wamala Tombs found on a hilltop is where Kabaka Suuna was buried. The tombs are just half an hour drive from the City Center along the Kampala Hoima road.
There are only two of this kind of tomb complex remaining in the whole of Uganda, and the Wamala tombs which also comprise of the Kabaka Suuna’s shrine is among them. This today continues to stand as a very vital cultural site because traditional religious rituals are still carried out here by the royal Buganda family, and its here that the Kabaka together with his representatives commonly conduct important traditional rituals that enable them to commune with their ancestors. This site is maintained and managed by people of the Buganda kingdom who clean the site and the grass thatched huts.
This is a great place worth seeing on your Uganda Cultural Safari with AA Safaris & Tour Ltd led by our highly knowledgeable and skilled safari guides who will give you detailed information about this unique site.
