The historical Namirembe Hill has been a site for Ugandan Protestants since October 1889. On this hill sits, the St. Paul Cathedral, the seat of Anglican faith in Uganda. This is the oldest cathedral in Uganda and it is the provinicial cathedral for the Church of Uganda. The cathedral is also the seat for the diocese of Namirembe. The current St. Paul’s Cathedral was constructed in 1915 and 1919 using earthen bricks and earthen roof tiles.
Location
It is located on Namirembe Hill within the Lubaga Division of Kampala City.
History
Upon the return of Kabaka Mwanga II from exile, he granted the Church Missionary Society a piece of land at Namirembe Hill. This is where the church sits today. The first pole of the first church building was set up on March 11, 1890 at a plot called Kiteesa.
Today, the Namirembe Cathedral is ongoing renovation. It seats 4,000 people and employs more than 40 people to maintain its various structures. Lots of people have been baptised and wedded in this church including royalty and statesmen such as the Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, Ssekabaka Fredrick Luwangula Muteesa II, Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa. The cathedral bells have tolled in sorrow as caskets of great men and women rolled up and down its aisles. It has seen presidents, prime ministers and kings’ knees bow in prayer in its pews and if walls could talk, Namirembe would have a tale of the bombs and gunshots it has survived through the century. The throngs that have sought shelter there from the madness of the wars outside.
There is also a cemetery for the departed church ministers.