Faith & Community
Landmark
Semei Kakungulu
1869 – 1928
Sent to convert Uganda to Christianity, he read the Hebrew Bible and founded a Jewish community instead
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
The British picked him as their Christian missionary. He read the Tanakh, concluded the commandments meant what they said, and in 1919 began practising Judaism — founding the Abayudaya, who are still there a century later.
Semei Kakungulu was a Ugandan general and statesman, a military leader the British relied on in the east of the country and selected to act as a Christian missionary for them.
Reading the scriptures for himself, he found the Hebrew Bible more persuasive than what he had been given, took up the observance of the Mosaic commandments including circumcision, and urged the same on his followers. From 1919 the community practised Judaism; he had founded the Abayudaya — Luganda for Jews — in 1917. They remain a Jewish community in eastern Uganda to this day. He died on 24 November 1928.
Reading the scriptures for himself, he found the Hebrew Bible more persuasive than what he had been given, took up the observance of the Mosaic commandments including circumcision, and urged the same on his followers. From 1919 the community practised Judaism; he had founded the Abayudaya — Luganda for Jews — in 1917. They remain a Jewish community in eastern Uganda to this day. He died on 24 November 1928.
- Wikipedia — Semei Kakungulu
- Jewish Virtual Library — A history of the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda
- Masorti Olami — Background of Abayudaya communities in Uganda and Kenya
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will check it.