Profile Of Anglican Martyr Nuwa Sserwanga
This young convert from the Ngeye clan was born in the Buganda Kingdom. He had earlier served as a page to King Muteesa I but after the death of the latter, he was given as a gift to the missionaries.
He was baptized under the protestant church and under the guidance of Mackay, he served the missionaries. Historical records show that he was about 19 years of age at the time of the persecution. His arrest was mainly because the king had offered Mackay and Ashe escorts but the two refused.
This made Mwanga angry and thus he made the missionaries pay for the defiance by arresting the escorts, Nuwa inclusive. They had simply served as luggage carriers for Mackay and Reverend Ashe. Upon his arrest, he was taken to the capital and the next morning executed by being dismembered and later burnt.
When Nuwa was being dismembered, he bore his suffering in silence. After cutting off his arms, he was bound and slowly burnt till he died. The charges that had been put on him included being a Christian and attempting to escape to Europe with the missionaries. In his memory stands a shrine at Busega, his death was the first of the several deaths that Mwanga would order in an attempt to end the influence of Christianity in the kingdom.
