Uganda Martyrs; Saint Andrea Kaggwa

Andrea Kaggwa (Andrea Kaahwa) (1856 – May 26, 1886) was a Ugandan Catholic martyr killed for his faith. He was one of the many Christians put to death by King Mwanga II between 1885 and 1887.

Who is Andrea Kaggwa

Andrea is the patron of teachers’ catechists and families. He was a monyoro by tribe and practiced the catholic virtue of chastity very well.

Kaggwa was a chief of high rank “mugoowa” which means “the king of bandmaster general.

He had enough property to pay the dowry for any number of wives he wanted in addition to Nakazibwe but because of his faithfulness to God, he did not.

Kaggwa had a big and decent house that Nakazibwe endeavored to keep tidy. She scrupulously kept their property functional and in good order.

He married a muganda woman called Batudde Nakazibwe daughter of kizza.

On Saturday 14^th November 1885 a day before the martyrdom of Christian leader and kaggwa’s greatest friend Joseph makasa balikuddembe they got a daughtetr

Kaggwa’s wife and the baby were baptized on the same day November 1885, at nalukoloongo . the new name that was given in addition to Nakazibwe was Clair and the baby was baptized mary.

The acts of fraternal charity and other were practiced in Kaggwa’s family and during the time when the missionaries were away in Tanzania his home was turned into a new chapel.

Kaggwa’s Christian life

Andrew kaggwa was baptized on 30 April 1882 by Père Simon Lourdel M.Afr. (known as Fr. Mapera) at Nabulagala.

kaggwa had a very strong faith. He and his friend Balikuddembe were frequenters at the parish and the missionaries had much confidence in them. But the Arabs through some mission boys managed to steal a property from the parish secretly.

The missionaries jumped to conclusion that it was no other than Andrew and Joseph Mukasa.

On learning this, they devoted themselves to prayer and put themselves into God’s providence. Some of their friends advised them to abandon the religion of the white men.

“if it was the religion of the white man, we should have abandoned it by now” they replied” but it is the religion of God. The white man just brought the religion of God to us so we cannot, therefore, abandoned Godthhey continued.

Kaggwa  was arrested at his home and taken to the Chancellor, who ordered the executioners to cut off his arm. His arm was first cut off and taken to Mukasa before he was beheaded and hacked to pieces at Munyonyo. He died in the afternoon of Wednesday 26 May 1886.