CHAPTER 176: CHAPTER 176 - BEFORE THE AXE FALLS

The sun bled gold and crimson across the horizon as it sank behind the hills of Mengo, painting the sky in the colors of both glory and grief. The capital square overflowed with people — a living sea of faces pressed shoulder to shoulder, their breaths shallow with anticipation, their murmurs swallowed by the weight of what was about to unfold.

The gallows and the beheading platform had been raised at the center of the square — simple, unadorned, and terrifying in their purpose. Soldiers stood in rigid formation around it, shields glinting, spears rooted into the earth like iron trees. The royal banners of Buganda swayed gently in the evening breeze, their crimson threads dancing like fire against the dying light.

Khisa stood among his commanders at the edge of the raised platform, his face grave. Bakari was beside him, his jaw tight and eyes unblinking. Ole Samoei’s great frame loomed just behind them, arms folded across his chest, while Odinga surveyed the crowd with the cold, sharp gaze of a hawk. None of them spoke. There was nothing left to say.

A low roll of the ceremonial drum thundered across the square, silencing the last of the whispers. Then a horn sounded — long and mournful.

The Kabaka stepped forward.

He wore no crown tonight, no jeweled ornaments or silken robes. Only the crimson cloak of judgment, heavy with gold thread and heavier still with the weight of kingship. The crowd parted as he walked to the edge of the platform, every eye fixed on him.

When he spoke, his voice carried across the square like a blade drawn from its sheath — clear, cold, and unyielding.

"People of Buganda," Nakibinge began, "Today we gather not in celebration, but in reckoning. Too much blood has been shed. Too many lives stolen by those who would sell our land for silver. Those who wore our trust like a cloak have betrayed us. They conspired with enemies, they murdered our people, they stained this kingdom with treachery."

A growl rippled through the crowd. Someone shouted, "Death to the traitors!" Another cried, "Justice for our dead!"

The Kabaka raised his hand for silence.

"Let all who stand here — and all who come after us — know this: I will never allow betrayal to take root within Buganda’s borders. It does not matter who you are, what blood flows in your veins, or what crown sits upon your head. If you sell this land, if you endanger our people, your fate will be the same."

A heavy pause.

"Bring them forth."

The prisoners were led onto the platform — bound, barefoot, their once-proud garments torn and filthy. Kasajja, Kaboggoza, Muwanga, the disgraced prime minister, and at last... the queen herself. A gasp swept through the crowd at the sight of her — some still pitied her, others spat at the ground.

"Please!" cried Kaboggoza, falling to his knees as he was pushed forward. "Mercy, Kabaka! I was forced! They threatened my children—"

Kasajja followed suit, his voice trembling. "We can serve still! Spare our lives, let us redeem ourselves—"

The prime minister’s voice was a rasp. "I built this kingdom’s foundation! Will you destroy it with my blood?"

But Nakibinge’s face was carved from stone.

"Your children are not here to defend you," he said coldly. "The thousands you betrayed were not spared. There is no redemption for treason."

Then came the queen — silent, regal even in chains. She did not cry, did not beg. Only lifted her gaze to her husband’s face, and for a fleeting moment, something passed between them — a final ghost of what they once were. Then she lowered her eyes and said no more.

Nakibinge’s voice hardened as he delivered the sentence.

"For the crime of treason against the Kingdom of Buganda, for conspiring with our enemies, and for the blood spilled upon our soil — you are all sentenced to death by beheading. Your bodies will be burned, for you do not deserve to rest in the ground you have defiled."

The square erupted. Some shouted in approval, fists raised to the sky. Others wept openly, unable to watch. One woman screamed the name of a son lost to the betrayal, collapsing into the arms of strangers.

The first executioner stepped forward, his axe glinting in the dying light.

Thud.

Kasajja’s head fell, his body crumpling lifelessly. A roar went up from the crowd — a mixture of fury and catharsis.

Thud.

Kaboggoza’s cries were cut short.

Thud.

The prime minister’s blood stained the platform, the crowd’s cheers growing louder, more frenzied — yet beneath it, grief twisted like a knife.

When the queen was led forward, the square fell utterly silent. Even the wind held its breath. Nakibinge’s lips moved in what might have been a prayer, though no one heard the words. Then he gave a single, heavy nod.

Thud.

And with that, the last tie to his heart fell away.

The bodies were gathered and cast into the great pyre already waiting beside the square. Flames devoured them hungrily, their smoke curling high into the blood-red sky. People watched in silence — some with satisfaction, others with sorrow, most with both.

It was done.

The Kabaka stepped back, his face pale but resolute. Then Khisa moved forward, raising his hand to still the restless crowd. His voice rang clear and strong.

"People of Buganda," he said, "today justice has been served — not as vengeance, but as a promise. A promise that your lives matter. That your pain is not forgotten. Nuri stands with you — not as conquerors, but as brothers and sisters. This land’s strength lies not in the axe that falls, but in the hands that rebuild what was broken. Together, we will ensure that no enemy, within or outside Buganda, will ever again tear this kingdom apart."

A murmur rippled through the masses — softer now, steadier. Cries of rage gave way to nods of agreement. For the first time in months, some eyes held hope instead of hatred.

The flames crackled louder, devouring the last remnants of betrayal. And as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Buganda’s long night ended — not with peace, but with the grim, necessary hand of justice.