Namirembe Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral on Namirembe hill is the oldest Anglican cathedral in Uganda and the fifth building on the site: the earlier ones were destroyed by wind, fire and lightning between 1890 and 1910. The present red-brick building, with a broad dome, was consecrated in 1919. Bishop Hannington's remains lie inside, and a drum rather than a bell is used to call worshippers. The hill gives a wide view over Kampala.

Background

Namirembe stands about 2 kilometres by road west of central Kampala. In 1890 Bishop Alfred Tucker made the hill the base of the Diocese of Eastern Equatorial Africa. The first church, built that year at Kitesa for 800 people, was given up in 1891 because the site at the foot of the hill was swampy. A second church, seating more than 3,000, lost its roof in a thunderstorm in October 1894, and a third, of traditional materials, was abandoned for fear of termites. The present cathedral was built between 1915 and 1919 from earthen bricks and earthen roof tiles, and its organ dates from 1931.

Source: Wikipedia, "Namirembe Cathedral"

The main sights

• The red-brick cathedral - the 1919 building, the fifth on the site.
• The calling drum - a drum used instead of a bell to summon worshippers.
• The Hannington grave - the burial of the bishop killed in 1885.
• The hill view - Kampala spread out below Namirembe.

When to go

Year round; it is open daily outside services. Sunday services are long and full. Mornings are quietest for visiting.

Practical notes

It is a working cathedral and services take priority over visiting. The interior is plain. The hill is steep and the approach roads are congested.

Nearby

Mengo Palace is south, and the Uganda Museum is northeast.

Key facts