The Katikiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has expressed his disappointment on how the state has delayed presenting the report on the burning of the historic Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi.
It was at around 8:00 pm on 15th March 2010 when a devastating fire gutted the Kasubi Tombs a property inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The historic Tombs went up in flames, engulfing the main building housing the mausoleums of four former Buganda kings (Kabakas).
The fire outbreak consumed completely the grass-thatched hut leaving the skeletal brick wall. The burial grounds had been an admiration by the Baganda for over 128 years. Its burning left hundreds of Kingdom subjects, crying and screaming also wondering who was behind such an act.
According to reports and news articles filed 12 years ago, some witnesses alleged that they saw a white numberless pickup truck that reportedly emerged from the tombs shortly after the fire broke out. Others suggested they saw a man fleeing and as they perused him he shot in the air to scare away riders in his pursuit.
To cool the tension, the Police together with the Ministry of Defence embarked on the investigation and formed a commission headed by Justice Steven Engwawu to lead in the investigation however up now the cause of the fire has never been revealed and the report has never been released now 12 years down the road.
Since 2010, the Buganda Kingdom has been reconstructing these tombs and currently, they are at the final stages.
While appearing to perform the last cultural norms of thatching the iconic Kasubi Tombs (Musibu-Azaala-Mpanga) Mayiga said that they are still waiting for the report pertaining to the fire the gutted the historical site in both Uganda and Buganda.
Mayiga appealed to the responsible bodies to release the report in order to remove skepticism from the public on who was behind the burning of the tombs.
“We have been demanding for this report all these years, actually am one of those who testified before the commission but I have not seen the report, nobody has issued the report. Therefore, we don’t know officially what the cause of the fire is.”
Mayiga noted that although they got some knowledge about what took place t they need the report. “Therefore, we cannot say officially the tombs were burnt because of such and such. Justice Steven Engwau was the head of the commission finished the report and gave it to the government and it’s the government to give us that report. We have demanded for a long time but nothing.”
Meanwhile, the Kasubi Tombs became burial places for Buganda Kings in 1884 when Muteesa I died and he was buried in his Kasubi palace. From that time they became tombs even for his descendants:
Apart from Muteesa I, Kings; Basamula Mwanga II, Daudi Chwa II and Fredrick Walugembe Mutesa II, were also buried therein. The Kasubi Tombs are the first collective tombs in the Buganda kingdom.
Since 1884, it was renovated once by MuteesaII in the 1940s.
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