The Fire Must Not Go Out | Kasubi Tombs UGANDA

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:20]This reminds me of Hiroshima. That particular fire will continue to burn in Hiroshima as long as there is atomic bomb in the world. So this connect me back to Hiroshima in Japan just as we have it here that this fire will continue to burn to signify that there is a living king within this particular kingdom. And here is the fire.

[00:00:39]>> If a new king is enthroned each king had a task of establishing a palace.

[00:00:45]The >> kings of Buganda they don't die all time they disappear.

[00:00:49]>> I'm now a Tidai from Pangodin clan. My mom was from the monkey and I married to elephant clan. We love our king.

[00:00:58]Honestly speaking, we are so sensitive to his feelings. Anything that attacks the king attacks us. And that's why the government takes the obligation to protect him. He attracts a crowd in few seconds. He leads the largest ethnic tribe in our country of over 14 million subjects. So this sister just confessed now that she's deeply in love with this old man here. To every nation there is a kingdom and here in Campala in Uganda there is a kingdom called Uganda kingdom and that is the compound within which I am now to learn about the heritage the culture the history of this particular kingdom here in Campala. I have a very brilliant and intelligent individual who is going to take me around and answer my questions concerning the past of this kingdom. the president of this kingdom.

[00:01:49]What is the anticipation concerning this kingdom here in Campala? Follow me.

[00:02:02]We use our local language in Luganda. We don't use English in this parliament.

[00:02:07]And then we don't vote electaries.

[00:02:10]They're appointed by the king. For example, I've been appointed as a means of tourism in Buganda. We don't swear in by raising a Bible or a Quran according to our religion. We swear in traditionally for example I go near by that ready carpet and then I kneel down.

[00:02:26]I introduced myself to the king that I'm now trans from Pangolin clan. My mom was from the monkey and I married to elephant clan. I'll be able to fulfill my duties as a means of tourism in Buganda and I'll make sure that I put Buganda tourism on top of Uganda. So long live the king of Buganda. Buganda kingdom started in 12th century and it has been there for 800 years. We've ever been with 36 kings. So it is a hereditary basis father to son. He firstly disappears and then we get the successor and disappeared means die in our local language. Cameas in Uganda started during the reign of him. That's the reason why we start with King Mutesawan. He brought education here and then he built casu in 1882. Each kingdom has its own parliament >> but the one which is more functional it's for this kingdom. Yeah. The bugan is the most dominant kingdom among other kingdoms which I have.

[00:03:26]>> Yeah.

[00:03:31]At the entrance of Kasubi tombs sits a man whose years have stretched beyond a century yet whose purpose has not weakened with time. To be honest, this is what is called dedication. To remain when others have moved on, to stand where others have forgotten. To guard what must never be lost. This man understands something many never discover. That life is not measured by how far you go, but by how faithful you are to where you are placed. And I further see through this man that purpose is knowing why you are here and refusing to abandon your assignment. And discipline is what keeps a man when feelings are gone, when strength fades, when recognition is absent. Day after day, year after year, this man remains here. Not because it is easy, but because it is his calling. Four things are openly displayed through this man.

[00:04:33]Number one is dedication which is found in the book of 1 Corinthians 4:2. Number two is purpose which is found in the book of Acts of Apostle 13:36.

[00:04:44]Number three is discipline, consistency that is found in the book of Luke chapter 9:62 through his life. The message of dedication, the message of purpose, the message of discipline, the message of consistency. To be honest, I think my love for this man is more >> and he was succeeding his grandfather who was also in the same position and his greatgrandfather was also in the same position.

[00:05:14]He was on the team of people that helped to the king to write a letter inviting missionaries here.

[00:05:23]So he comes from the Buffalo clan and therefore his position is hereditary.

[00:05:30]Now he's 100 years.

[00:05:33]This house where we are standing and the big one down where we are heading, they were built 144 years ago.

[00:05:42]And our king lived here for only two years. The last two years of his life he was here and he slept in this as they were finishing the big one. So some of the intangible features in this house appeared even in the big one because he once stayed here.

[00:06:17]Hubi is a living testimony of our traditions. It's like the only culture hub we are remaining with in Uganda where you come and uh be convinced by the creativity of our four ancestors.

[00:06:33]Uh before us we have four pictures.

[00:06:35]There are the four kings uh resting in this great building. Before it became the burial ground, it used to be a palace for our king that is Mutesa onea was very historical because his reign welcomed international guests. The reign uh of his fathers they never had international visitors.

[00:07:03]Buganda was led in a traditional way.

[00:07:06]There was no international relations.

[00:07:09]Mutesa received the first European explorers. John Hannington speak and James Grant came here in 1862 and they were trying to look for the source of river Nile. They found it in uh in Ginger. That was on the 28th of July 1862.

[00:07:29]This increased Uganda's relevance to the British who were in Egypt. They desired to come and also control where the source is. Uh those people met Mutesawan. He gave them security. He gave them uh shelter, food during their stay here in Buganda. And when they went back they wrote a very good review about this king and his people to be received by the people protect them and were expecting nothing in return that was high level of humanity. Kabakama also received another guest after the explorers Henry Stanley. Henry Stanley was an English American journalist but because he had read the review of the first explorers who came here he was also persuaded to come here and he meta they held a diplomatic meeting Henry told the king what happens in Europe some of the things were reading writing and Christianity basically western culture was introduced to our king in details by Henry Morton Stanley in his words. The Kabaka said, "According to what you have told me, me and my people seem to be in total darkness, but can you please send me teachers who will teach them how to read and write? We would want to acquire those skills because Buganda has a lot of history that may need to be documented."

[00:09:00]Stanley gladly wrote a letter on behalf of our king which defined Buganda as a garden full of ripe fruits but had no harvesters. Missionaries who were in Europe wondering where to begin with in Africa quickly came here and in 1877 we received the first group which was called the church missionary society. uh that was the beginning of western culture in Uganda and also Uganda as a country. We greatly remember him for his visionary support of education in our country. We lost him in 1884 when he came here. Small pox had weakened him already and so he didn't live for a long time in this place. 84 he was buried below his picture. King Daniel Manga was succeeded by his son, King Daichua, the one dressed majestically in a black royal robe with a crown on his head. He was only one year and one month when he ascended on the throne of his forefathers.

[00:10:06]He was given a council of regents until when he made it to 18 years. In 1913, Daudicha was the first king from East Africa to visit Europe. Sometimes I say he discovered Europe on behalf of the East Africans. The Kabaka went through France, uh, Italy, and he made a stop over in Rome. When the pope had there was a young African king in Rome, he requested to meet him. The Pope met our king and he became the first East African monarchy to meet the pope.

[00:10:47]He took him around the St. Peter's Basilica, the Casatums, uh prayed for him, and gave him a gift of a Bible. The king proceeded to England where he spent 5 months visiting several cities.

[00:11:03]The Kabaka while in England was able to experience more western cultures and one of them was a church wedding. He attended a church wedding. Back home his parents had many wives because a king needed to marry from every clan.

[00:11:20]Uh they told him in Europe in a church wedding you marry one.

[00:11:25]He was forced to ask the host family whether it was due to shortage of women in Europe. Maybe that's why they marry one. But they told him that's the culture. You have one chance. Uh when he came back home, he was the first king to marry one wife in church. The church wedding, the first church wedding in Uganda was Kabaka Dawicha's wedding.

[00:11:50]This changed the trend of marriage in Buganda. The young boys of his era adopted his system and they started marrying one.

[00:12:00]Uh King Daichua was also the first king to introduce football in Uganda. He watched soccer in Europe. I was very impressed by these two groups of people chasing this round thing called a ball for over an hour and they're very happy. A game that brought everyone together. He loved it and he promised the host family to introduce it here in Uganda. And when he came back here, he created FUFA. He changed I to you and this became Federation of Uganda Football Association with him as the first FUFA president. Introduced coffee and cotton growing. He visited several cotton refineries in England and Uganda had fatile land. He came back and he convinced his people that let's plant these crops. The king convinced his people. So coffee and cotton was introduced here. The same king allowed girls to go to school. He made a directive that all girls must go to school. If there is war of mixing them, they should build them their own schools. So the gild schools were built under his directive. The Kabaka also allowed ladies to start eating chicken and eggs which was a taboo.

[00:13:24]Uh in the past when you had to go for introduction the dowry you paid included a chicken a rooster and so ladies were never allowed to eat their own dowy. It would not carry any meaning. They attached restrictions and calamities on it. If you're a lady and you eat chicken before marriage, it would take you forever to get married.

[00:13:55]If you eat it while in your marriage, you'll have problems in your marriage.

[00:13:59]So, ladies passed it. In Europe, the king saw ladies enjoying it and there was nothing happening to them. And so, he changed the tradition here. We can say king Dao was a very progressive king who was inspired by the modern civilization and uh he embraced some of the western cultures that would fit in our heritage but also he conserved our heritage as well. 1939 we lost him and he's also currently resting where we see his picture. I could give you an example of the current king. He rarely appears before public. We see him three times in a year officially.

[00:14:45]That's on his birthday, uh on his coronation anniversary and also end of year 31st. That's when we get together and we spend time with our king.

[00:14:56]However, if you can think of the most busy person in this kingdom is the king because there's nothing they do without his consent. He receives letters. He reads a lot to consent on everything and to guide on everything before it's done. So the prime minister appears in public.

[00:15:19]>> It is often said the prime minister of Buganda appears among the people. The king is rarely seen in public. And as we stepped into the Buganda Parliament, there he was.

[00:15:41]really the ambassador to considering the fact that this unfolded in my presence. This is a man who reminds me that position does not have to separate you from people. that true leadership is not proven by how far you stand above others but how close you are willing to come. It carries authority yet works in humility. And in that moment you realize greatness is not in being unreachable but in being accessible. The scripture says in Philippians chapter 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or fain glory, but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. Because in the end, the highest form of leadership is service." I see. So, somebody's taking the picture there.

[00:16:35]>> You got it.

[00:16:37]>> You got it.

[00:16:42]>> Nice to see you. Thank you. You're >> welcome.

[00:16:48]>> Does he get paid for doing this job?

[00:16:52]>> He says that the job is not a payable job.

[00:16:57]>> This fire is not meant to be for a moment but continually. As long as the king leaves, the fire must not go out.

[00:17:07]And I continue to observe this man, his dedication in keeping this fire burning.

[00:17:12]And I began to meditate on the fire that must be guided daily in our lives. The fire of prayer, the fire of devotion.

[00:17:20]Because when the fire goes out, the light fades. So what is that one fire that must not go out? Every minute, every second, it must be kept burning.

[00:17:32]The life of a believer is not meant to grow cold. There is a fire God entrust to his children. A flame that must be guided daily, not by chance, but by discipline, not by emotion again, but by devotion, prayer, the word, obedience.

[00:17:51]These are the hands that keep the fire alive. I want you to check the level of the fire of prayer in you. the level of the fire of the word of God in you, the level of the fire of love towards your neighbors in you. In the comment below, let me know which part of this video speaks to you. Do not forget to subscribe if you have not done so. To be honest, I love this country of Uganda.

[00:18:17]Bye for now.