By Joseph Kiggundu
Watoto Church Bweyogerere branch is the host of this year’s Buganda Kingdom thanksgiving service .
The thanksgiving service, scheduled for July 31, Friday, will bring together Buganda Kingdom officials, religious leaders and subjects of the Kabaka to give thanks to God for the monarch’s reign and the progress registered over the past 33 years.
The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, said the annual commemoration of the Kabaka’s coronation has been a practice in the kingdom since 1993 and remains important because the coronation represents the heritage and continuity of Buganda.
“We commemorate the coronation because it signifies the heritage of the Kingdom of Buganda. The coronation is a symbol of our victory as subjects of the Kabaka because the Kabaka is the custodian of our value systems,” Mr Mayiga said.
He said the Kabaka’s enthronement gives the people of Buganda hope that their beliefs, traditions and value systems will continue to survive for generations.
“When he was enthroned, it meant that our value systems were still alive. The coronation fills us with hope about the continuity of our beliefs and value systems as the people of Uganda,” he said.
Mr Mayiga said the 33-year reign of Kabaka Mutebi has also yielded significant benefits in various sectors, including health, education, environmental protection, poverty eradication and employment creation.
“We notice lots of progress in different areas: in health, education, environmental protection and poverty eradication. There has also been provision of employment through the many organisations and companies that the Kabaka has established in the last 33 years,” he said.
He added that the Kabaka’s reign has contributed significantly to the well-being of the people of Uganda, while emphasising that the cardinal role of the monarch remains the protection and promotion of the cultural values and beliefs of his people.
Mr Mayiga said the coronation anniversary also provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of cultural values and the need for current and future generations to protect their heritage.
The decision to hold the thanksgiving service at Watoto Church is part of the kingdom’s tradition of commemorating the coronation anniversary in different places of worship.
In 2024, the thanksgiving service was held at Namirembe Cathedral, while in 2025 the kingdom held the event at Kibuli Mosque.
This year’s celebrations will be held under the theme, “Fortitude as We Sustain and Promote Our Beliefs and Value Systems.”