Mityana: Cathedral, Martyrs Shrine and Ttanda Pits

St. Noa Mawaggali Cathedral and the Kivanda-Mityana Martyrs Shrine give Mityana two distinctive religious landmarks. Around 300 Ttanda Pits can also be found in the village of Ttanda, within Mityana Municipality. These places offer different ways to explore religious history and culture—both in the town and across the wider municipality.

Cathedral and Martyrs Shrine: two perspectives on Noa Mawaggali

St. Noa Mawaggali Cathedral is the principal church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kiyinda–Mityana. When the diocese was established in 1981, the cathedral became its episcopal seat. It is also dedicated to St. Noa Mawaggali. This links its ecclesiastical role with the remembrance of a specific person who is also central to the Kivanda-Mityana Martyrs Shrine.

The Kivanda-Mityana Martyrs Shrine is located in the centre of Mityana town. It was built at the site where Saint Noa Mawaggali was murdered by the then king of Buganda. Mawaggali was one of the first Ugandan converts to Christianity. The cathedral and shrine thus represent different perspectives: the diocese’s principal church and episcopal seat on the one hand, and the remembrance of Mawaggali and his violent death on the other. Those interested in religious history will find this connection a distinctive way to explore Mityana.

Ttanda Pits and a view of the municipality

Another cultural landmark is the group of around 300 Ttanda Pits in the village of Ttanda, which belongs to Mityana Municipality. The approximate number conveys the scale of this named site without requiring any single pit to take centre stage. Compared with the cathedral and shrine, the focus here is on a larger group of pits and thus on another part of the cultural themes associated with the municipality.

At the level of Mityana Municipality, a general tourism overview lists six tourism sites, including cultural sites, beaches and landing sites. This overview extends beyond the specific places in the town and shows the range of site types mentioned across the municipality.

Experiences in the wider region

The Entanda Cultural Experience is located in Mityana District, in the wider region. A 2017 report states that it began in January 2014 under the direction of Dr Celestine Katongole, a tourism lecturer at Makerere University Business School. Activities described at the time included football matches between visitors and hosts, as well as archery competitions. The programme also included hands-on classes in preparing traditional dishes and dressing in traditional attire. These activities differ considerably from Mityana’s religious memorial sites and offer another way to explore the region. If you would like to include Entanda in your travel plans, check beforehand whether the activities described are currently available.

Guidance for finding a holiday rental

When looking for a holiday rental in Mityana, you can first consider whether you want to focus on places in the town or include regional experiences as well. The Martyrs Shrine’s location in the town centre is a useful reference point if you are mainly interested in this memorial site. Entanda, by contrast, is in the wider region. This distinction can help you decide what you want your trip to focus on without treating the town and municipality as one and the same.

The cultural themes offer different perspectives: the cathedral leads to the history of the diocese and its connection to Noa Mawaggali, the shrine commemorates his violent death, and the Ttanda Pits broaden the view to include the municipality. Entanda adds to this selection through the community-based and hands-on activities described in the 2017 report. You can therefore tailor your holiday rental search to the places and themes that actually matter to your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kakoge, Bulenga, Kasaayi, Seeta, Mengo, Bukongo, Wakiso, Lukunyu.

For the regional travel overview: Central Region.