Kasubi Tombs

Kasubi Tombs *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Uganda
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv, vi
Reference	1022
Region **	Africa
Coordinates	0°19′45″N 32°33′12″E
Inscription history
Inscription	2001 (25th Session)
Endangered	2010–present
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda, is the site of the burial grounds for four kabakas (kings of Buganda), and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On 16 March 2010, some of the major buildings there were almost completely destroyed by a fire, the cause of which is under investigation. The outraged Buganda Kingdom has vowed to rebuild the tombs of their kings and President Museveni said the national government of Uganda would assist in the restoration of the site.

Tombs

The royal enclosure at Kasubi Hill, also known as the Ssekabaka's Tombs, was first built in 1881. The circular site contained many structures, including the royal tombs of four Kabakas of Buganda. The tombs were held in straw thatched buildings. The site remains an important spiritual and political site for the Baganda people. In 2001, the Kasubi Tombs were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

The kabakas buried at the site were:

• Muteesa I (1835–1884)
• Mwanga II (1867–1903)
• Daudi Chwa II (1896–1939)
• Sir Edward Muteesa II (1924–1969).

Destruction

The interior of the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga included relics and portraits of the buried kabakas

The structure containing the tombs was located at the end of a large courtyard

Data from a laser scanning project held in early 2009 produced detailed architectural models of Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, the main building at the complex and tomb of the Kabakas. This data will help in the building's reconstruction. See "Royal Kasubi Tombs Destroyed in Fire". CyArk Blog. http://archive.cyark.org/royal-kasubi-tombs-destroyed-in-fire-blog. Retrieved 19 March 2010. 

Plan view of the Oluyga Courtyard, using data from the laser scanning project in early 2009

On 16 March 2010, at about 8.30 pm local time, the Kasubi tombs were destroyed by fire. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown. The Buganda kingdom has promised to conduct independent investigations into the fire, alongside the national police force.

John Bosco Walusimbi, Prime Minister of the Buganda kingdom, stated on 17 March:

The kingdom is in mourning. There are no words to describe the loss occasioned by this most callous act.

—The Guardian

The remains of the kabakas are intact, according to Walusimbi, as the inner sanctum of the tombs was protected from total destruction.

On 17 March 2010, His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, and the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, visited the site of the tombs. Hundreds of people have also travelled to the site to help salvage any remains.

During the President's visit, riots broke out. Security forces shot dead two rioters and five were reportedly injured. The Ugandan soldiers and police also clashed with rioters in the capital city of Kampala. Forces used tear gas to disperse rioters of the Baganda ethnic group.

The destruction occurred in the midst of an awkward relationship between the government of Uganda and the Buganda kingdom, particularly in light of the September 2009 riots. Ahead of these riots, the king of Buganda Ronald Mutebi Mwenda was stopped from touring parts of his kingdom, and several journalists who were allegedly sympathetic to the kingdom and the rioters were arrested and are awaiting trial.

The administration of the Buganda Kingdom has vowed to rebuild the tombs and President Museveni said the national government would assist in the restoration.

External links

Media related to Kasubi Tombs at Wikimedia Commons

• Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
• Kasubi Tombs
• Kasubi Tombs Digital Media Archive (creative commons-licensed photos, laser scans, panoramas), using data from a Skybucket 3D/Plowman-Craven/CyArk research partnership
• Fire Destroys Kasubi Tombs, Uganda Daily Monitor, 17 March 2010