Mubende district has come to the spotlight since its continuous association with the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Previously, the district was mainly known for gold mining until the narrative has been overshadowed by the Ebola outbreak in the district of Mubende and Kasanda.
Besides the top news stories of gold mining and Ebola outbreaks in the recent past; Mubende is the home to the famous Nakayima tree.
Anyone interested in the insight of Buganda culture should consider a stop in the Mubende district where the Nakayima tree is found. There are a lot of similarities in the cosmology that relates to the Nakayima tree to that elsewhere in the world. But the main difference lies in how people still relate to what are considered sacred trees.
The Nakayima tree is more of an altar for traditional worship. Many people visit this place for blessings while others visit it for the purposes of spiritual healing. There is no scientific proof for the claims that are made by the people that believe in the wonders of the Nakayima tree but it is always important to hear what people have to say about the matter.
When you visit the Nakayima tree, you get a chance to see how the people that hold the Nakayima tree sacred are quite different from the people you will find let’s say in Fort portal going about their life without any sacred attachments to a sacred tree.
The Nakayima tree is believed to be more than 650 years. In 2016, president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni donated 30 million Uganda shillings towards the maintenance and development of tourism activity.