The Unknown Mackay Cave In Nateete

For few minutes’ drive from Kampala City to Nateete, you will arrive the Mackay/Sembera road junction with several signposts with the name Mackay-Mackay Primary School, Mackay’s Cave, Mackay Memorial College and Mackay Kindergarten among others.

The one that stands out is Mackay’s Cave (locally referred as “Empuku ya Makayi) but when you reach there, you will see it as a deserted structure other than the beautifully painted wall above as well as two-winged angels blowing trumpets on either side of Jesus Christ in one side and a white Man dressed in a khaki trouser with a hat holding a bible while preaching to attentive people. Also, in another corner is a man on a tree as though on the look-out but beyond that, nothing seems special about the site.

Alexander Murdoch Mackay (13^th October 1849 to 4^th February 1890) was a Presbyterian missionary who joined the Church Missionary Society in 1876 before reaching Zanzibar on 30^th march 1876 and Uganda in November 1878 on the invitation of Kabaka Mutesa I of Buganda Kingdom. Also, this site is where the foundation of Christianity and formal education was planted by Alexander Mackay.

It is said that on arrival, Mackay personally met the King (Mutesa) at his Palace on Rubaga Hill where he was welcomed and given a place to stay. However, he was relocated to Nateete after the King discovered that Mackay was using binoculars for seeing the Palace.

This infuriated the King who immediately ordered for his shifting to Nateete, the site where the Martyrs Church is currently found. On reaching Nateete, he taught the people different skills especially farming and carpentry because of his wonderful skills in mechanics as well as mechanics after spending many years as a draftsman in Germany.

Alexander Mackay began establishing his quarters and set up a Camp within Nateete where he preached and taught about the gospel, made bricks, was involved in carpentry works and also interestingly set up the first printing press-a wooden Albion hand-proofing printing Press in Uganda (in 1879) and it is displayed within the Ethnographic gallery at the Uganda National Museum.

Additionally, he built a school, hospital and made Nateete the prime worship area and workshop for the Anglicans in the area in addition to constructing a Cave of 150 meters below his quarters within the same place, especially near the water spring as a Sanctuary after the death of Kabaka Mutesa I and when Kabaka Mwanga and Kiweewa began persecuting Christian Missionaries and converts in the country. The Cave was intentionally dug facing the well and is said to have acted as bait for persuading the locals into Christianity especially when they fetched water.

There was a tall tree outside the Cave that was reportedly used to spy on any approaching religious persecutors but the interior had two tunnels-one leading to the uphill quarters and the other to the nearby villages in addition to an escape route.

Nevertheless, it is at this Cave that Mackay interestingly printed and translated the gospel of St. Mathew to Luganda before the very first Anglican converts were arrested and eventually dragged to Busega for a death sentence. Before his passing, Alexander Mackay made the architectural plan and doors for the Martyrs Church and surprisingly, his original keys are still used to date. Also, his stool that he used to sit on while preaching and teaching are still within the Church.

The Martyrs Church was dedicated to the three Anglican Martyrs-Nuwa Serwanga, Yusufu Lugalama and Makku Kakumbi that were sadly picked from the site where the Church is found to Busega Mpima Erebera on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II. On top of the Uganda Martyrs Day, the church always honours their death.