Kyenjojo: Martyrs’ remembrance in Katoosa

Katoosa Martyrs Villa as a cultural point of reference

If you are looking for a hotel in Kyenjojo, the history of the martyrs may be a reason to include the town in your travel plans. Katoosa Martyrs Villa is located in Kyenjojo Town on the Kyenjojo-Kagadi Road and is named after the village where it stands. It comprises more than 30 stones. Nearby, at the destination of Katoosa, rocks bear inscriptions with the names of Uganda’s first 22 Catholic martyrs. This involves two location details: the villa in Kyenjojo Town and the inscriptions in Katoosa. This is a helpful distinction when choosing where to stay, because the two details do not refer to the same point.

Stones and historical connections

Visitors come to Katoosa Martyrs Villa because of the rocks associated with the 24 Ugandan martyrs whom Kabaka Mwanga had killed in the 1880s. The inscriptions, by contrast, name Uganda’s first 22 Catholic martyrs; the villa comprises more than 30 stones. The numbers answer three different questions: how many stones belong to the villa, how many names are listed in the inscriptions, and which martyrs are the reason for visiting? This distinction helps clarify the historical details without reading the numbers as competing counts of the same thing.

The rocks’ origins and changing role

The villa was established after Catholics learned that Saint Adolf Tibeyalirwa Abwooli came from Katoosa Parish in Kyenjojo District, within the Fort Portal Diocese. This origin story connects the villa with a specific account of the saint’s origins and names the Parish, District, and Diocese. The rocks in Katoosa previously served a different purpose: traditionalists used them as a place of sacrifice. A report from 2022 says that the Fort Portal Diocese acquired the land and consecrated the rocks in memory of Uganda’s martyrs. Two contexts therefore need to be distinguished: the saint’s origins are cited as the reason for establishing the villa; the consecration of the rocks describes the change in their use.

Pilgrimage date and protected status

A report from 2022 says that believers make a pilgrimage to Katoosa every year on January 27. If you are planning your trip around this date, check current event information and visitor requirements in advance. January 27 is primarily a practical reference point if the pilgrimage is part of your reason for travelling; for another date, the villa’s history of the martyrs remains a cultural point of reference in its own right. In 2026, Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism listed the Katoosa Martyrs Site as a protected historical site under the Museums and Monuments Act. This classification under the Act is a formal protected status, separate from the historical accounts of the villa and the rocks.

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For the broader travel overview: Western Region.