This magnificent, huge twin-towered Roman Catholic Church building was restored for the Pope’s visit of Uganda. It has great historical significance in the history of the Catholic Church in Uganda. The Cathedral is a memorial to the Uganda Martyrs (dozens of Ugandan Christians burnt to death by Kabaka Mwanga II in 1885 and 1886 for refusing to renounce the white man’s religion).
These twenty-two Catholic victims, later declared saints, are enshrined in the stained-glass windows. The Cathedral is situated on a hill with a great scenery and view of Kampala city and is surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. Built in 1914, the Cathedral houses the remains of the late Archbishop Joseph Kiwanka, the first African Catholic Bishop and the first African Archbishop of Kampala Diocese.
