The Unesco World Heritage–listed Kasubi Tombs is of great significance to the Buganda kingdom as the burial place of its kings and royal family. The huge thatched-roof palace was originally built in 1882 as the palace of Kabaka Mutesa I, before being converted into his tomb following his death two years later.
Subsequently, the next three kabaka (kings) – Mwanga; Daudi Chwa II; and Edward Mutesa II, father of the current kabaka, Ronald Mutebi II – broke with tradition and chose to be buried here instead of in their own palaces.
The tombs were sadly destroyed in an arson attack in March 2010; fortunately construction to restore them is under way, with a expected 2016 completion date. Outside, forming a ring around the main section of the compound are the homes (fortunately not damaged by the fire) of the families of the widows of former kabaka . Royal family members are buried amid the trees out the back, and the whole place has the distinct feel of a small rural village.
Kasubi Tombs is also the place to arrange a guide to the more low-key Buganda royal sights of Wamala Tombs , 11km north of Kasubi, and the less interesting Tomb of Nnamasole Kanyange , 4km from the Wamala Tombs.
