Uganda Martyr Luke Banabakintu

Luke Banabakintu was one of the three martyrs belonging to the Christian community of Mityana, some forty-five miles north west of the capital of the kingdom of Buganda. Banabakintu belonged to the Eel branch of the Lungfish (Mamba) Clan and was born in the hamlet of Ntolomwe in Gomba County. His father, Mukwanga, had several wives and thirty children, of which Banabakintu was the eldest, the son of his first wife Kusubiza of the Seed (Nvuma) Clan.

When he was sixteen years old, his uncle Jjagwe visited the family, and, at the youth’s own request, took him to live with him at Mityana. There, he entered the service of the Mukwenda, the county chief of Ssingo. Banabakintu prospered and was given the small fief of Kawinga, where his task was to supervise other servants of the chief, who lived outside their master’s enclosure.

On May 31, 1880, his master in the Catholic catechumenate enrolled him. He attended instructions with Matthias Kalemba, and, like him, also frequented instructions given by the Anglican missionaries. He was baptized on May 28, the Feast of Pentecost, 1882 by Father Ludovic Girault of the Missionaries of Africa.

Banabakintu developed a deep personal friendship with Matthias Kalemba and assisted him in giving instructions to the catechumens at Mityana. There were more than two hundred members of the Mityana community.

Whenever he could, Luke made the twelve-hour journey to the mission in order to receive the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist. He was between thirty and thirty-five years old at the time of his martyrdom.

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