Naggalabi Hill (at times written as Nagalabi) is a cultural, religious and heritage site where the kings of
Buganda Kingdom are crowned.
It is also believed to be the place where the first king of Buganda Kingdom won the battle for the crown after a fight with his brother, Prince Bemba. He declared that all successive kings of Buganda would be crowned at that place.
Location
The Naggalabi Coronation Site is located on
Budo Hill,
Wakiso District
Wakiso District is a district in the Central Region of Uganda that partly encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The town of Wakiso is the site of the district headquarters.
Kira, the country's second largest city and suburb of Kampala, is i ...
in Busiro County.
The site can be accessed from the Kampala -Masaka Highway Site, Southwest of Kampala District and about 14 kilometers from the city centre.It can also be accessed from Kajjansi Town Council which is along Entebbe Road. There are a number of educational institutions in its vicinity such as
Kings College Buddo where one of the Kings of Buganda,
Daudi Chwa II
Daudi Chewa II was Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda from 1897 until 1939. He was the 34th Kabaka of Buganda has a surviving daughter, Princess Addah Balilara lives in Bujjuko, Kampala
Life
He was born on 8 August 1896, at Mengo. He was the f ...
studied.
History
According to author Neil Kodesh, the name Naggalabi consists of the luganda verb ''okuggala'', ‘‘to shut out,’’ and the adjectival "bi" denoting evil or danger thus yielding ‘‘the place where evil and danger are shut out.’
It is believed that the Naggalabi Coronation Site has been in existence since the 14th Century. According to the website buganda.com, Kintu's brother Bemba lived in a house called Buganda which was located at Naggalabi Buddo. After defeating Bemba in battle, Kintu slept in Bemba's house as a sign of victory thus becoming the "ruler" of Bemba's house. Eventually, the name came to denote all the territory that Kintu ruled over. In commemoration of Kintu's victory over Bemba, new kings of Buganda are therefore crowned at Naggalabi.
Kings of Buganda are subjected to a number of rituals at the site before they can be crowned. As of 2020, at least six kings of Buganda have been crowned there, from
Kabaka Daudi Chwa II in 1897 to the reigning
Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II, crowned in 1993.
Landmarks
There are a number of landmarks at the coronation site, with the most significant being Nakibuuka forest (locally referred to as ''akabira Nakibuuka'') where the last and most important coronation rituals are performed.
There is also Buganda house (locally known as ''akayumba Buganda'') in addition to Mboneredde, a tree under which is said to have been a traditional court.
See also
*
Buganda Kingdom
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 m ...
*
Kasubi Tombs
The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda, is the site of the burial grounds for four kabakas (kings of Buganda) and other members of the Baganda royal family. As a result, the site remains an important spiritual and political site for the Ganda peo ...
*
Kabaka of Buganda
the kabaka Palace in kireka
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual an ...
References
External links
Official website of the kingdom of Buganda
{{coord missing, Uganda
Sacred sites in traditional African religions
Wakiso District
Buganda
Historic sites in Uganda