Walukagga, Noah

Anglican Martyr of the Buganda Kingdom

Walukagga Noah is recognized as an Anglican Martyr in Uganda, executed on June 3, 1886, in Namugongo, Wakiso District, Uganda. The exact location of his execution varies: Joseph D. Mullins reported that it took place at Munyonyo, Kampala, whereas Anglican historian John Vernon Taylor and Roman Catholic historian John Francis Faupel asserted that it occurred at Namugongo. Although the early accounts differ, it is most likely that Walukagga met his heroic death at Namugongo, which is now the site of memorial shrines for both the Anglican and Roman Catholic Uganda Martyrs.

A member of the Kasimba (Genet) clan within Buganda’s clan system, Walukagga appears in early records primarily as Walukaga, although modern orthography favors Walukagga to better reflect Luganda pronunciation. In Roman Catholic records, his baptismal name sometimes appears as Noe, whereas local variations included Nua and Nuwa—all pointing to his namesake, the Old Testament figure Noah. [1] Writing later, Faupel noted that he was also known as Muwanga or Omuwanga, possibly in reference to his occupation as a blacksmith. His lineage and clan ties placed him within Buganda’s social and political networks, granting him a respected status that would later intersect meaningfully with his Christian faith.

Walukagga first encountered Christianity in 1882 when he met Alexander M. Mackay, the Scottish missionary and de facto leader of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in Uganda. That year, Kabaka Muteesa I had asked Mackay to oversee the burial of the Queen Mother, Namasole Muganzirwazza—a project requiring extensive metalwork, as the Kabaka desired that the Namasole be buried in a British style. As Buganda’s chief blacksmith, Walukagga’s craftsmanship brought him into direct contact with Mackay. [2]

Historical accounts indicate that following their first meeting, Walukagga frequently visited the mission station at Nateete in Kampala, showing a deep curiosity about Christianity. On one occasion, he reportedly asked Mackay why he had delayed teaching him faith. This early encounter revealed Walukagga’s intellectual curiosity and openness to new ideas—qualities that would later define his place in Uganda’s emerging Christian community.

Walukagga was baptized on September 21, 1884, only weeks before the death of Muteesa I. [3] By this time, he was already a mature man with a respected household, setting him apart from many of the early converts, who were typically young pages in the royal court or trainees in chiefly service. His baptism placed him among the earliest generation of Anglicans in Buganda, as the first baptism had taken place only on March 18, 1882. Fewer than one hundred Anglicans were present in Buganda at that time.

After Mwanga II ascended to the throne as Kabaka of Buganda in October 1884, Walukagga retained his position as chief blacksmith but gradually withdrew from court life as Kabaka’s hostility toward Christians deepened. Mwanga sought to restrict the spread of Christianity among his subjects while maintaining relations with Europeans for political and economic advantages that accrued from their presence in Buganda. This contradiction created a dangerous environment for converts such as Walukagga, whose open profession of faith and emerging leadership made him particularly vulnerable.

Walukagga’s home in Kasengejje, in present-day Wakiso District, became a hub of Christian activity. He provided shelter to converts fleeing persecution, including children and women from the mission station. Among those who resided with him were Mukasa, which was later baptized as Musa (Moses), and Bekokoto Shem—one of the first twelve elected elders of the Anglican Church in Uganda and later martyred in 1886. His household thus functioned not only as a domestic space for his family but also as a center for Christian formation.

One of his neighbors, Mayanja, the keeper of the tomb of Ssekabaka Kamanya, was also among the earliest Christian converts. His household produced two of the first five Anglican converts in Uganda: Sembera Mackay and Buuza-abali-awo Henry Wright. Mayanja himself was later baptized as Isaya (Isaiah). This small network of Christian homes in Kasengejje became one of the earliest Christian communities outside the mission station.

In July 1885, when persecution intensified, CMS missionaries decided to form a church council of twelve Ugandan elders to sustain the Christian ministry in Uganda if Mwanga expelled the missionaries. Walukagga was the only unanimously elected member, reflecting both his integrity and the respect he commanded among fellow converts. This council represented one of the earliest acts of localization of Anglicanism in Uganda, illustrating the emerging agency of Ugandan Christians in administering their faith amid external pressures.

Even as Mwanga’s hostility increased, Christianity continued to spread. Prominent figures—including chiefs and commoners—received baptism at Walukagga’s home. These included Gabunga, the admiral of Buganda; Kayizzi Jonathan, Uganda’s first Anglican priest; and Lumonde Ada, who later became a member of the first women’s council of elders in 1887.

Walukagga’s faith was deeply intertwined with his sense of responsibility to his community. He reportedly advised other converts: “The king will hate us; he will kill us; we know it. In addition, you will probably be afraid to teach others the Word of Christ. Therefore, we are anxious to encourage you all in the case of our death. If you find anyone who wants to learn to read and be taught about Jesus Christ, teach them. Don’t be afraid of being put to death.” [4]

This message, preserved by the first Archdeacon of the Church of Uganda, Rev. Robert H. Walker, through the testimony of Sematimba Mika and a translator known only as Yusufu (Joseph), captures Walukagga’s commitment to discipleship and community resilience. [5]

The months leading to his martyrdom were marked by escalating violence against Christians. On October 29, 1885, James Hannington, traveling to Uganda as the first Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, was killed in Busoga, allegedly on Mwanga’s orders. This event foreshadowed the persecution of local Christians within Buganda. Despite the growing danger, Walukagga remained at his home, refusing to flee even as others sought safety in distant regions. His steadfastness exemplified the ideal of Christian witnesses under threat.

In late May or early June 1886, Walukagga was seized at his residence. Anticipating his arrest, he sent away his wife, Hannah, and the other members of his household, remaining behind to face the authorities. He was charged with “disloyalty to the Kabaka-ship and sedition” because of his Christian faith. Unlike customary procedures that allowed the accused to plead their case (okuwoza omusango), Walukagga was summarily condemned to death.

According to Robert P. Ashe, he was executed by burning alongside approximately thirty other captives. [6] Ashe wrote of the event: “A mighty pyre was heaped on him and about thirty other Christian captives. Each firmly bound, a burning brand was brought, and soon the consuming fire enfolded this company of saints, of whom the world was not worthy.” [7]

Walukagga’s martyrdom illustrates several broader historical themes. First, it demonstrates the intersection of social status, occupational skill, and faith; as a chief blacksmith, he held a respected secular role while fostering a Christian community. Second, his life underscores the agency of Ugandan Christians in sustaining and expanding their faith under persecution. Third, his leadership—both as a member of the church council and as a host to fellow converts—shows how African Christians adapted European religious frameworks to local social structures.

The consequences of his death extended beyond his immediate circle. His home served as a refuge and training ground for Christian converts, many of whom survived to strengthen the Anglican Church in Uganda. His unwavering witness became a model for subsequent generations of Ugandan Christians, integrating faith, courage, and leadership. About him, Ashe later wrote that he had “known few Africans as intelligent as Walukagga.”

Walukagga Noah is commemorated every June 3rd at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo, a site of annual pilgrimage and remembrance for Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and other Christians across the region and beyond. His life and death remain emblematic of the profound sacrifices made by early converts in Buganda, inspiring continued scholarship, devotion, and reflection on the emergence of Christianity in East Africa.

Kimeze Teketwe

Notes:

1. The Church Missionary Intelligencer. Vol. 18. London: Church Missionary Society, 1893. Available through Adam Matthew, Marlborough, Church Missionary Society Periodicals, p. 510.
2. The Church Missionary Intelligencer and Record. Vol. 14 (1889): p. 501.
3. The Church Missionary Gleaner. Vol. 13, no. 156 (1886): p. 140.
4. The Church Missionary Intelligencer. Vol. 18 (1893): p. 511.
5. The Church Missionary Intelligencer. Vol. 18 (1893): p. 510.
6. The Church Missionary Intelligencer and Record. Vol. 14 (1889): p. 502.
7. The Church Missionary Intelligencer and Record. Vol. 14 (1889): p. 502.

Sources:

Ashe, Robert P. Two Kings of Uganda. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1890.

Church Missionary Society Periodicals – Adam Matthew Digital. Accessed May 28, 2023. (https://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/)[https://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/].

Faupel, John Francis. African Holocaust. New York: P. J. Kenedy, 1962.

Padwick, Constance E. Mackay of the Great Lake. London: H. Milford, 1918.

Mullins, Joseph Dennis, and Ham Mukasa. The Wonderful Story of Uganda. London: Church Missionary Society, 1904.

Stock, Eugene. The History of the Church Missionary Society. Vol. 3 of 4 vols. London: Church Missionary Society, 1899.

Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. London: Religious Tract Society, 1892.

Taylor, John Vernon. The Growth of the Church in Buganda: An Attempt at Understanding. London: T. & A. Constable Ltd., 1958.

Tucker, Alfred R. Eighteen Years in Uganda and East Africa. London: Edward Arnold, 1908.

This biography, submitted in October 2025, was researched and written by Kimeze Teketwe, an international education professional and historian of early colonial religious movements in East Africa. Originally from Uganda, East Africa, Teketwe holds graduate degrees in missiology and international educational development from Fuller Theological Seminary and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively.