Uganda Witches Start a new religion called TONDAISM
Buganda Kingdom Promotes new
religion
By: MICHAEL J SSALI
Ssabakabona [in the middle] of the new faith [Tondism] with some of his members while in Ssese islands in a move to extend the faith to people. people liked the faith and some changed their religious names to a tradition ones. Tondism is a new faith initiated targeting people back to their God though His messengers muwanga being the head
Every year, on September 9, members of Tondism (a recently registered traditional religion) in Southern Uganda gather at Wajjinja Cultural Worship Centre in Nabigasa Sub-county, Kyotera District to pray together in almost the same way the Christians do when they go to Namugongo Martyrs’ shrines. Wajjinja is a rock hill with several puzzling features, which Tondism believers associate to divine power.
Two huge seat-like stones stand at the cultural site and Tondism believers claim that the first Kabaka of Buganda, Kintu and the queen, Nambi, sat on those same seats when they went there to pray. A story is told of how Kintu used to sit on the larger one while Nambi sat on the smaller one. Among the other mysterious features at Wajjinja are distinct footmarks on one of the rocks on the path leading to the huge stone seats. They give the impression that someone perhaps walked over the rock when it was still soft, thousands of years ago and left the footprints there.
When one looks closely, they will not miss out an upright standing rock which is shaped like a huge cupboard with what looks like a locked door. According to myth, a man and a woman were locked inside that rock hundreds of years ago as a punishment for making love at the hill. Sex and all forms of amorous activity are forbidden at the place. Also, nobody is allowed to wear shoes since Wajjinja is a holy place. Crowds pace the site carefully, barefoot.
POINTS OF WORSHIP
Another rock looks like a bed and it is said that it
is the bed where Mugula wa Kyomya, head of Mamba clan would recline
whenever he went to pray. Several Buganda clans have their own points
of worship. There is a set of rocks arranged together like the keys of a
piano and when anybody taps at them they give different sounds.
Two huge rocks stand together giving the resemblance of human buttocks. It is under the two rocks where the fireplace and altar of Salongo Kagolokakyomya, the high priest of Wajjinja Hill, regularly prays. Most worshippers with dusty feet who range from the elderly to children at the place make offerings of money, dry coffee beans, and traditional beer.
Before they take their offertory to the front on the traditional brown baskets, a section of the believers steps forward with a miniature charcoal stove-like instrument with incense and hot coal. In the front row, a group of men in bark cloth garb and head gear adorned with cowrie shells look on as some of the worshippers kneel while others remain standing around the burning incense and chant inaudible prayers in Luganda. You cannot miss out on those in the congregation who crane their necks in a bid to catch a glimpse of what is taking place. In this era of smart mobile phones, there are those who attentively capture the session.
This prayer lasts about five minutes then the congregation makes their offering. A variety of offertory is acceptable because there are people who offer livestock such as goats, sheep, and chickens. The reverence with which they carry these items to the altar could be significant of how important the powers they believe are. Pipe smoking is quite common among believers as prayers go on. Traditional Kiganda Music and dancing constantly go on, almost without end, throughout after day break.
Two huge rocks stand together giving the resemblance of human buttocks. It is under the two rocks where the fireplace and altar of Salongo Kagolokakyomya, the high priest of Wajjinja Hill, regularly prays. Most worshippers with dusty feet who range from the elderly to children at the place make offerings of money, dry coffee beans, and traditional beer.
Before they take their offertory to the front on the traditional brown baskets, a section of the believers steps forward with a miniature charcoal stove-like instrument with incense and hot coal. In the front row, a group of men in bark cloth garb and head gear adorned with cowrie shells look on as some of the worshippers kneel while others remain standing around the burning incense and chant inaudible prayers in Luganda. You cannot miss out on those in the congregation who crane their necks in a bid to catch a glimpse of what is taking place. In this era of smart mobile phones, there are those who attentively capture the session.
This prayer lasts about five minutes then the congregation makes their offering. A variety of offertory is acceptable because there are people who offer livestock such as goats, sheep, and chickens. The reverence with which they carry these items to the altar could be significant of how important the powers they believe are. Pipe smoking is quite common among believers as prayers go on. Traditional Kiganda Music and dancing constantly go on, almost without end, throughout after day break.
WHAT IS TONDISM?
Interviewing religious
leaders of any faith is never easy. Each one keeps telling you about
their truth like it is the ultimate truth. It was not different from
Jjumba, who blames Europeans colonizers for defacing Africa by
disfranchising their religious and belittling their beliefs.
Our religion is not satanic,” Jumba says, explaining Tondism concept of good and evil. He says by the time Europeans come bearing bibles and guns, they found Africans believing in God (Katonda). Tondism is actually the belief in God the Creator.
The Tondism High Priest says where Africans were deprived of their religion, that was why they were successful colonized and the situation in Africa will never be any better until the continent discover their true self, their God.
God did not make a mistake in creating us in many colours and placing us on different continents,” Jjumba argues, explaining that everything God made was in pairs. God himself is in two – Namugereka and Kyetonda. He explains that under them are seven spirits who manifest themselves in the rainbow. Jumba goes ahead to say the rainbow is the power that helped God creates the world as we see it.
Some of our traditional healers do not know these facts,” Jjumba turns the guns on fellow medium. He says they have made every belief balubaale (Angels) are God, yet, they are servants of the gods in the rainbow. Jjumba goes ahead to break down the power layers from God to man, saying, all are supposed to help God in creating and maintaining his creation.
According to Jjumba, the purpose of man is to assist God in “creation since God created once and the rational beings he made should help him sustain this work without rebellion.
He brands Africans who follow other religions as rebellious – having left the faith of their ancestors and embraced the faith of people from other continent. Jjumba alleges that since life started at Walusi hill, all other nations too emerged from this area to spread to other continent.
God made a black person first. It is from darkness that light was made,” Jumba says, standing up to demonstrate that black is the first primary colour from which every other color is made. Before I said good bye to Jjumba’s spiritual knowledge, he told me his message to all blacks.
Know where you're coming from to know where you are going”. These were like words Plato attributed to Socrates – “Know thy self”. Jjumba warns that “what comes out of its nature dies” expressing fear that turning the blind eye to African religion was the Achilles heel for Africans.
He says,God made you in his image. Go back to your creation as God made you.” And Jjumba’s mission is to teach Africans how God created them and their purpose.
Our religion is not satanic,” Jumba says, explaining Tondism concept of good and evil. He says by the time Europeans come bearing bibles and guns, they found Africans believing in God (Katonda). Tondism is actually the belief in God the Creator.
The Tondism High Priest says where Africans were deprived of their religion, that was why they were successful colonized and the situation in Africa will never be any better until the continent discover their true self, their God.
God did not make a mistake in creating us in many colours and placing us on different continents,” Jjumba argues, explaining that everything God made was in pairs. God himself is in two – Namugereka and Kyetonda. He explains that under them are seven spirits who manifest themselves in the rainbow. Jumba goes ahead to say the rainbow is the power that helped God creates the world as we see it.
Some of our traditional healers do not know these facts,” Jjumba turns the guns on fellow medium. He says they have made every belief balubaale (Angels) are God, yet, they are servants of the gods in the rainbow. Jjumba goes ahead to break down the power layers from God to man, saying, all are supposed to help God in creating and maintaining his creation.
According to Jjumba, the purpose of man is to assist God in “creation since God created once and the rational beings he made should help him sustain this work without rebellion.
He brands Africans who follow other religions as rebellious – having left the faith of their ancestors and embraced the faith of people from other continent. Jjumba alleges that since life started at Walusi hill, all other nations too emerged from this area to spread to other continent.
God made a black person first. It is from darkness that light was made,” Jumba says, standing up to demonstrate that black is the first primary colour from which every other color is made. Before I said good bye to Jjumba’s spiritual knowledge, he told me his message to all blacks.
Know where you're coming from to know where you are going”. These were like words Plato attributed to Socrates – “Know thy self”. Jjumba warns that “what comes out of its nature dies” expressing fear that turning the blind eye to African religion was the Achilles heel for Africans.
He says,God made you in his image. Go back to your creation as God made you.” And Jjumba’s mission is to teach Africans how God created them and their purpose.
Ssaabakabona ku mukolo gw'okukansira.
Jjaja Ntambizamukama mu ku kansira.
Essanyu nga Ssabakabona (Jjumba Lubowa Aligaweesa) nga alabiseko eri aba kkiriza.
By; John C. Ssentongo of Watchdog Uganda
An amiable and humble man
parked his monster Prado at Satellite Beach shopping mall in Mukono
town along Kampala Road. He is the man who has been appearing on
television news bulletins staging crusades or wedding couples in African
traditional religion. This faith, he calls it, Tondism.
Sabakabona Jumba Lubowa
Aligaweesa, 39, is the ‘pope’ for Tondism according to his followers.
However, the right translation for Sabakabona is “High Priest”. Where
Jumba parked at Satellite Beach, he stayed in his vehicle because his
face could attract unnecessary attention. He is not new in Mukono and
he is a known and popular figure. After he parked his vehicle, two
gentlemen joined him. I was on appointment too – as I wanted to
interview him about the meaning of the religion he was promoting. At
this point, I didn’t know its name. I was satisfied to call it
traditional African religion.
For three hours, I sat with
Jjumba at his Kilowooza office which also doubles as his worship
place, to talk about his religion and its god; his nature, how he
created the universe, the purpose of life and why Africans should return
to the African way of praising and worshiping God. Jjumba is already
spearheading the building of worship places in over a 100 places in
Uganda and says he already has 96 priests overseeing this religion.
“This religion is not new,” Jjumba challenges me when I point out that
he was introducing a new religion in the country.
Before the White man came
here, we had a God we worshiped,” he says, leaning over to emphasize
the point that the White man got rid of the African beliefs and
demonized the spirituality and knowledge of thousands of years to
colonize us effectively. UNESCO recognized Tondism and has sponsored a
conference with world scholars where Jjumba was one of the key
speakers. The High Priest explains that were it for Tondism priests
being killed at Bunamwaya in the 19 Century, the religion would be very
strong. “Imagine, we don’t have a memorial in Bunamwaya yet we have
one for Uganda Martyrs,” Jumba says, throwing his hands in the air.
However, for the man who
has practiced three faiths namely, Catholicism, Islam and now Tondism,
now his mission is to make Tondism a universal religion for the black
race which he says would turn around the fortunes of the Black people
across the globe on condition they discover what they lost
The spiritual medium
In 1992, Jjumba started moving on different Sacred Hills to learn about the secrets of sacred places of Uganda. He says, he discovered that at Walusi hill, had the “Garden of Eden” with marks of the story of creation. From there, he joined fellow seekers for the “African truth” including Kabona (Priest) Laadi, Kisomba Matovu, Kayonda, Nsimbi Bagonzi, Omusiige Ssebyayi among others. They agreed to once again re-instate their traditional religion to worship their God in the religion; Tondism.
In Tondism the day of worship is Wednesday, and Saturday is also regarded as holy since it was the day creation was completed.
In Tondism, Jjumba who was elected this year, chief priest of this religion, wants to formalize the spirituality of Tondism including introducing literature for catechism and worship as well as marriage and death rites, etc for their followers.
Actually, it is the controversial wedding ceremonies that have made Jjumba oversee that have made him a name.st. Yet, he does not stop at overseeing other people’s marriages and weddings, but, himself in April 2008 wed off a daughter of one of Uganda’s historical military officer, Col Ahmed Kashillingi RO040, one of the 15 most senior military officers in UPDF, who is herself a medical doctor. Jumba married Dr Aisha Kashilingi in a traditional but lavish wedding reception attended by over 60,000 people in Gulu Mukono including Renown River Nile medium in Jinja called Bujagaali. It was the first time he was attending a wedding party. Surprisingly, only 80 relatives of the bride turned up for this mega wedding fiesta.
The couple was flown at the venue in a helicopter, still a sign of opulence. The traditional marital rites had taken place at Bembe Kitala in Entebbe where seven priests of Tondism blessed the marriage. Jjumba says Col Kashilingi refused to leave his car, and he didn’t witness the exchange of vows for his daughter. He however attended the reception in Mukono where he gave a moving speech, admitting he was “ignorant about the religion the daughter was married into but had to accept it as a fact of life”.
The guests of the couple were entertained to traditional African music by Banguliro Spiritual band led by Kiggundu who Jumba helped found, and music stars of the time including Mesach Semakula, David Lutalo and Annet Nandujja among others entertained the guests.
Jjumba, sounds very proud of his wife. He acknowledges the fact that it was not easy for Col. Kashilingi’s Muslim family to give away their daughter to a Muganda man, let alone accepting an in-law who is a traditional healer. For Jjumba, they set conditions for him which would ordinarily discourage a man from going ahead with his plans.
“I was told to pay UGX10 million, nine cows and a bull,” Jjumba recounts. “But all the cows I took were rejected. They told me to give them money to buy the Frisians.” He paid the bride price without negotiating.
“I met my wife in the hills of Kitagata where they are hot springs…I didn’t know who she was, but spirits told me she was my wife.” Jjumba believes their meeting was divinely set up.
