Kasubi Royal Tombs now Close to Completion
Written by admin on September 24, 2021
The Kasubi Royal Tombs are going to be thatched as one of the final stages of their restoration. This has been revealed by Katikkiro Mayiga on his inspection of the ongoing works of restoring the tombs.
Katikkiro Mayiga says that there has not been any laziness in the restoration of the tombs despite the slowness of the work. He attributes the slow progress of the restoration to cultural norms and rites associated with the tombs that have to be followed closely to make sure that the tombs are restored in the right way without altering any of the cultural prerequisites.
He has also appreciated those who have supported the restoration especially the government of Uganda for contributing 2.3 billion shillings towards the restoration of the tombs.
On the question of when the restoration will be completed, the head of the restoration committee Hajji Kaddu Kiberu has said that he expects the restoration work of the tombs to be completed in about 1 and a half years.
He has also called upon the people of Buganda to bring grass for thatching because the available grass is not enough to thatch the entire tomb structure.
The main house in the Kasubi tombs known as Muzibu-azaala-mpanga, where four former Kings of Buganda were laid to rest, was burnt down on 5th June 2010. To date reports on what caused the fire have not been released. This house is under restoration but strictly following the tradition and norms of the kingdom.
The work of restoring these tombs is done through inherited roles in the various clans. The descendants of those who built the palace which became Muteesa I’s tomb are the ones doing the same work their forefathers did. What remains on restoring the tombs is designing it and thatching it as the other work has been done.
Norman Kavuma Ssegirinya one of the royal designers says that he and his fellow designers are embarking on designing the tomb using bark cloth and other materials sourced from nature.
Buganda spokesperson Kiyimba Noah says that the burning of these tombs has been a huge blow to tourism in Buganda. This is because very many tourists used to come from all over the world to visit these tombs earning Buganda kingdom up to $100,000 or more a year.
He says that many people the world over are anxious to see the tombs restored and to come and see the ingenuity of their restoration.
