Uganda martyrs : place and role of women

Abstract

This article examines the place and role of women in the Uganda Martyrs’ story. Many people both men and women wonder what women have to do with the Uganda Martyrs’ story since it is commonly known that there were no women martyrs among the people who were killed during 1885–1887. Most of the books written on the Uganda Martyrs are either silent or present a fringe and scanty picture of women in the Martyrdom story. This article studies the history and the story of the Uganda Martyrs from a woman’s point of view. Thus, this article applies the historical approach to examine the place and role of women in the Uganda Martyrs’ story within the socio-historical context of the early Church in Uganda. The historical method as used in this article helps to approach the account in a sequential manner and brings in view the story of the Uganda Martyrs as well the Ugandan women participation in the events. The primary sources of information are the historical books and records on the Uganda Martyrs. Consequently, the Ugandan women who participated with the Martyrs such as Sarah Nakima, Mubulire Fanny and Princess Clara Nalumansi are brought into view and their contribution to the church emphasised. The article further examines the implications of martyrdom and women for contemporary Church in Uganda as it discusses the challenges and way forward. The article concludes by emphasising the need for women to read history with the view of highlighting their role and contribution to the development and growth of the church for the benefits of both contemporary and future community.