European explorers often awaited and met the Baganda king under the tree in the 19th centuryImage caption: European explorers often awaited and met the Baganda king under the tree in the 19th century
Torrential rains in Uganda have felled one of the country’s oldest and most historic trees.
The tree was believed to be more than 150 years old and was located in modern-day Kyambogo University, about eight kilometres (five miles) east of the capital, Kampala.
It fell during heavy rains on Monday night, the university shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
It is believed that the tree was located next to the palace of Kabaka Muteesa I, the 30th monarch of the Buganda kingdom, East Africa’s largest traditional monarchy.
The king’s guests would often await or meet him under the shade of the majestic Canarium tree, known locally as Omuwafu.
It is believed that the first Europeans to enter Uganda – explorers James Augustus Grant and John Hanning Speke – sat under the tree as they waited to meet King Muteesa I in 1862.
It is also believed that King Muteesa I and Welsh-born American explorer Henry Morton Stanley sat under the tree in 1875 to write a letter to the Queen of England, inviting missionary teachers to the kingdom.
Most recently, the university said “the tree has been providing shade to students during discussion time and cultural meetings…as well as yielding edible fruits known as Empafu”.