Faith & Community
Landmark
Janani Luwum
1922 – 1977
Archbishop of Uganda, murdered for confronting Idi Amin
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Uganda Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He delivered a protest to Idi Amin over the killings and disappearances, was arrested days later and killed. He is one of the ten twentieth-century martyrs carved above the west door of Westminster Abbey, and Uganda keeps a public holiday for him.
Janani Jakaliya Luwum was born in Acholi in the far north, worked as a teacher, and became Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire in 1974, three years into Idi Amin's rule.
As the disappearances mounted he chose, with the Catholic and Muslim leadership, to say so. In February 1977 the Anglican bishops signed a memorandum protesting at the arbitrary arrests and killings and at the army's conduct, and Luwum delivered it to Amin himself. On 16 February he was summoned to a public assembly at Nile Mansions, accused of plotting a coup, and arrested. The government announced the following day that he had died in a car crash. Witnesses and later investigations established that he was shot.
His body was flown to Acholi for burial without the coffin being opened. Thousands gathered at the empty grave dug for him at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala and held the funeral anyway, which was among the few open acts of defiance of Amin's rule. He is one of the ten twentieth-century martyrs whose statues stand above the west door of Westminster Abbey in London, and 16 February is a public holiday in Uganda.
As the disappearances mounted he chose, with the Catholic and Muslim leadership, to say so. In February 1977 the Anglican bishops signed a memorandum protesting at the arbitrary arrests and killings and at the army's conduct, and Luwum delivered it to Amin himself. On 16 February he was summoned to a public assembly at Nile Mansions, accused of plotting a coup, and arrested. The government announced the following day that he had died in a car crash. Witnesses and later investigations established that he was shot.
His body was flown to Acholi for burial without the coffin being opened. Thousands gathered at the empty grave dug for him at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala and held the funeral anyway, which was among the few open acts of defiance of Amin's rule. He is one of the ten twentieth-century martyrs whose statues stand above the west door of Westminster Abbey in London, and 16 February is a public holiday in Uganda.
- Wikipedia — Janani Luwum
- Westminster Abbey — Modern martyrs
- BBC News — Uganda marks Janani Luwum Day
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will check it.