History of Mengo

a Luganda word for grinding stones. Legend has it that ancient migrant communities from Ssese Islands who settled on the hill used these stones to grind their food. It is here that the Buganda Agreement of 1900 was signed between the Kabaka of Buganda and British colonial officials establishing the Uganda Protectorate.

The history of Mengo Hill is also entwined with that of adjacent Namirembe Hill, the seat of the Anglican Church of Uganda, because of the monarchy’s close association with the Church of England. The Bulange, which houses offices for the Kabaka and the Lukiiko (Buganda Parliament), is located at the base of Namirembe Hill. The building was constructed between 1953 and 1958 by Sir Edward Muteesa II, at a cost of US$5 million; a colossal sum at that time. Also located on Namirembe Hill is Mengo Hospital, a private, non-profit community hospital administered by the Anglican Church in Uganda