The Kabaka’s Palace Mengo (Lubiri)

Mengo is one of the main hills on which Kampala city sits. Mengo is bordered by Old Kampala Hill in the north, Lubaga Hill in the west, and Namirembe Hill in the northwest. Mengo Hill is situated 2.5 kilometers from the city center.

Mengo Hill is the location of the Kabakas palace known as Lubiri for the kingdom of Buganda which existed as far back as 800 years ago. The Kabaka’s palace is a wonderful piece of Buganda history that has been in existence since  1885  when  King Daniel Mwanga11 succeeded his father King Muteesa 1 in 1884.

This palace contains cultural and material things for the entire kingdom of Buganda.  The biggest building in the palace is called ‘Twekobe’ which means working together. This building was constructed as union of  the 52 clans making up the Buganda kingdom.

The palace was built in 1922 in the reign of the infant King Daudi Chwa. When  kabaka Mwanga was exiled to Seychelles islands after resisting colonial rule, the throne could not stay without a king, so his son Daudi Chwa was chosen to take over. By this time, he was only one year old and could not rule on his own. Three regents were chosen to assist him until he became eighteen years.  They included Sir Apollo Kaggwa, Zakaria Kisingiri and Stanislas Mugwanya.

Kabaka’s Palace

The Kabakas palace has four main gates, that is: Wankachi gate where its only the Kabaka, Nabagereka(queen) and Katikkiro (prime Minister)who are allowed to pass through this gate. The second gate is Kalaala where the kabaka expected to find a beautiful woman to marry. The third gate is called Nalongo, and it is where all the gifts brought to the Kabaka are passed through. The last gate is called Sabagabo, and it is used by the Kabaka to go out for secret issues of which no one should know or ask why he is going out.   Through this gate, the Kabaka uses normal cars where he can’t be easily spotted.

Amazingly, the Buganda parliament (Bulange) is directly connected to the  palace( Twekobe) in  straight line.  In this pass that connects the two is  main pass locally known as Nantawetwa whereby its only the king allowed to go through it.

Bulange is also part of the palace as its attractively connected by  56 trees planted at the side of the road representing the different clans in Buganda.  As you move from Bulange to Twekobe, enjoy the artistic sculptures  and models of the clans. Inside Twekobe are over 154 trees each having a specific meaning. The Kabakas Palace is one 0f the places that should not be missed out on a city tour because of many interesting cultural and political attachments that cannot be missed if one wants to know more about  the origin and background of Buganda kingdom and Uganda as a country.

The Idi Amin torture chambers is one of the  must-see places in in the Kabakas palace Mengo. The torture chamber was  built  by the Israelites  on orders of President Idi Amin in 1971. It was constructed as an armory but on completion. He turned it into a military base and latera  torture chamber.

It was composed of a dark tunnel, five cells and an electric door at each cell and were separated by an electric pool of water in that whoever wanted to escape would be shocked by the electricity. All people who did not agree with Amin’s governance would be brought to this place where they could die of hunger, no water supply and suffocation as the cells had no ventilators or even windows while others were tortured to death.

Idi Amin died in 2003 and his brutal actions are no more but  the walls of tis place still have the writings and handprints of the  former prisoners. A Uganda safari with a  visit to this chamber will give you lifetime memories.

Another selling  point in the Kabakas palace is the fireplace that never lights out. This fireplace is found at the  entrance of the palace and the person in charge of this fireplace  should be in the lineage of Nyonyi Nakinsige Clan. The fireplace is commonly known as “ekyooto”. The person responsible for this place is called Kyeyune.  His role is collecting firewood and make sure the Kyoto keeps burning day and night.

Pay a visit to  Kabaka’s palace (Lubiri) and feel the sweetness and greatness of African culture and tradition  where history comes to life.