The history of Kisiizi Falls
In the not so distant past, village elders would come from far and wide to bring a young woman, pregnant out of wedlock, to the top of the Kisiizi Falls. From this spot the pregnant girl was thrown to her death. Tradition dictated that she was pushed off the edge by her brother. The practice only ended when the last girl to meet her death grabbed her brother (and some say her father, too) as she fell and they died together on the rocks below. The boy’s death caused society to reflect and put an end to this slaughter.
This impressive sculpture nearby by the falls tells the story of the transformation of Kisiizi from a place of despair to one of hope with the foundation of the renowned Church of Uganda hospital in 1958. The scene at the side captures the joy of a mother with her child supported by one of the nursing staff in contrast to the brutal history illustrated above.
