Muteesa I (Kasubi)

Ssekabaka Mukaabya Walugembe Muteesa I

Reigned 1856 – 1884

📍 Kasubi, Kampala

Ssekabaka Mukaabya Walugembe Muteesa I, born around 1837, became the 35th Kabaka of Buganda in 1856 following the death of his father, Ssekabaka Ssuuna II. He ruled during a period of profound change for the kingdom — receiving Arab traders, Christian missionaries (CMS Anglicans in 1877, Catholics in 1879), and the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley in 1875 — while carefully balancing these new influences against Buganda's own traditions and beliefs. Known for his intelligence and diplomatic skill, his reign saw the expansion of Buganda's territory and influence across the Great Lakes region. He is the founder of the royal line the Muteesa I Foundation exists to preserve: all six of the branches that follow trace their descent through him. He is entombed at Kasubi, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside several of his royal descendants.