Jamaican dancehall star Spice has visited Buganda Kingdom headquarters in Bulange Mengo as part of a week-long cultural immersion programme in Uganda.
The initiative was organised by the Uganda Tourism Board in partnership with the Buganda Kingdom ahead of her first-ever concert in the country, scheduled for May 9, 2026, at Lugogo Cricket Oval.
The visit is part of a broader effort to promote cultural tourism as a key pillar of Uganda’s global image.
During a ceremony held at Bulange, Spice was officially welcomed by the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga. She was given the Kiganda name Nankula and placed in the Enkula (Rhino) clan—an honour that symbolically connects her to Ugandan heritage and to rhino conservation, a cause her upcoming concert will support.
Speaking at the event, Uganda Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kagwa said the visit marks a new approach to how international artists engage with the country.
“We are making history here today. Spice is the first international artist to accept the invitation to truly explore Uganda, to walk through the Kasubi Tombs, to sit with the Buganda Kingdom, to name a rhino at Ziwa. In the name of Explore Uganda, we must implore all international artists to explore Uganda before they leave. We will make it standard for every artist who performs on our soil,” Kagwa revealed.
Buganda remains one of Africa’s oldest and most influential kingdoms, with roots dating back to the 14th century under Kabaka Kato Kintu. Today, it is the largest traditional kingdom in Uganda, representing a significant portion of the country’s population. Key cultural sites such as the Kasubi Tombs—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—continue to preserve its royal history, serving as the burial grounds for four former Kabakas.
Welcoming Spice, Mayiga highlighted the deep cultural connection between Africa and the Caribbean, describing her visit as a symbolic return to her ancestral roots.
“I welcome our sister from Jamaica to the seat of the Buganda Kingdom, a kingdom that is over 900 years old and whose story is your story too. You are on the continent of your ancestors’ kingdoms, and this place holds that memory for you. Winston Churchill called Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and he was right. Beyond the Boda Bodas and the traffic, Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries on this continent and in this world. But the world needs to know more about our wildlife, our cultural way of life, our food and our music. These are among the most outstanding attractions on earth. Uganda’s cultural tourism is unique, and the Kingdom of Buganda is its living heart,” Mayiga said.
He also emphasised the power of music to bridge continents and histories, noting that hosting a global Jamaican artist at the heart of Buganda reflects a deeper cultural reconnection.
Spice, who has spent the past week exploring Uganda’s cultural and natural attractions, described the experience as emotional and deeply meaningful.
“It gives me great pleasure to be here. I have been taking in the awe of everything I have seen in Uganda, and what I feel most of all is love. I feel it everywhere I go. I feel at home. There is a bond here, a comfort that I did not expect and that I cannot fully explain. I am so grateful to explore your culture, because I want to explore all of it. The food is amazing, the culture, the warmth of the Ugandan people, the way this country loves dancehall it is an honour to be accepted here. And now to be given a name, to be placed in a clan, I am no longer just visiting Uganda. I belong to it,” Spice revealed.
The visit also strengthens the Uganda Tourism Board’s promotion of the “Kabaka Trail,” a cultural tourism route linking key heritage sites including the Kasubi Tombs, Bulange, and the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, among others of historical and spiritual importance.
