Jamaican dancehall Queen Spice recently visited the Katikiro of Buganda Kingdom, Charles Peter Mayiga, at Bulange Mengo. This visit was part of her week-long cultural immersion program in Uganda, organised by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Buganda Kingdom, ahead of her first concert in Uganda, scheduled for Saturday at Lugogo Cricket Oval.
The visit aligns with UTB’s strategy to position cultural tourism at the core of Uganda’s destination brand. Upon her arrival at Bulange, Spice received a warm welcome from Katikiro Mayiga. During the ceremonies, she was given the Kiganda clan name Nankula, which connects her to the Enkula (Rhino) clan of the Buganda Kingdom. This honour is particularly significant as it relates to the conservation of rhinos, which her concert proceeds will support.
UTB Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kagwa announced that Spice is the first international artist to explore Uganda formally before performing, stating that this will become the standard for all international musicians visiting the country. “We are making history today. Spice is the first international artist to accept an invitation to genuinely explore Uganda, walking through the Kasubi Tombs, engaging with the Buganda Kingdom, and naming a rhino at Ziwa. We encourage all international artists to explore Uganda before they leave; this will be a requirement for every artist who performs on our soil,” Kagwa emphasised.
Buganda is one of Africa’s oldest and most storied kingdoms, with origins dating back to the 14th century. Founded by Kabaka Kato Kintu, who unified several clans around the northern shores of Lake Victoria, the kingdom grew over five centuries into a powerful cultural institution in the Great Lakes region of East Africa.
The Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, serve as the burial ground for four revered Kabakas of the Buganda Kingdom: Muteesa I, Mwanga II, Daudi Chwa II, and Sir Edward Muteesa II. Originally built as a royal palace by Muteesa I in 1882, it was converted into a burial site after he died in 1884.
Katikiro Mayiga welcomed Spice, saying, “I welcome our sister from Jamaica to the seat of the Buganda Kingdom, a kingdom that is over 900 years old and whose story is part of your story too. You are on the continent of your ancestors’ kingdoms, and this place holds those memories for you. Winston Churchill called Uganda the ‘Pearl of Africa,’ and he was right. Beyond the Boda Bodas and traffic, Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries on this continent and in the world. The world needs to know more about our wildlife, our cultural way of life, our food, and our music. These are some of the most outstanding attractions on Earth. Uganda’s cultural tourism is unique, and the Kingdom of Buganda is its living heart.”
The Katikiro also reflected on music’s power to transcend colonial history and geographic boundaries, highlighting that the presence of a global Jamaican artist at Africa’s oldest kingdom symbolises a significant homecoming.
Spice expressed her feelings about the visit: “It gives me great pleasure to be here. I am in awe of everything I have seen in Uganda, and what I feel most of all is love. I feel it everywhere I go. I feel at home. There is a bond here, a comfort I did not expect and cannot fully explain. I am so grateful to explore your culture because I want to embrace all of it. The food is amazing, the culture, the warmth of the Ugandan people, and the way this country loves dancehall—it is an honour to be accepted here. And now, to be given a name and placed in a clan, I am no longer just visiting Uganda. I belong to it.”
The Bulange visit also enhances UTB’s commitment to what it calls the Kabaka Trail, a cultural tourism corridor that takes visitors through Uganda’s royal heritage, connecting the Kasubi Tombs, the Buganda Kingdom at Bulange, the Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo, and other sites of historic and spiritual significance.