When Waswa Munubi was young he was apprenticed to a witch doctor, he discovered the man was tricking people out of their possessions, so left to learn about Islam, which had been recently brought to chief Kabaka Mutesa's court by Arab traders.

He was 13 yrs, when H. M. Stanley, arrived in Mutesa's court with Christianity. Alexander MacKay, arrived in 1878. Apolo credits MacKay with planting seeds of belief in his life. Mackay organized a church, and members of the court began attending his classes.

Apolo was baptised, changing his name on 27 January 1895. His father had chosen a bride for him, but she died, and Apolo never married. He returned to Toro as a teacher, and became known as Kivebulaya (“the thing from Britain”) because of the red military jacket he loved wearing.

He worked hard in Toro and across the Rift Valley at Mboga, encountering opposition, being falsely accused of murder. Then he had a powerful spiritual experience, in which he heard Christ say, “I am Jesus Christ. Preach to my people. Do not be afraid.” From this point on Apolo was convinced of his call and developed a profound joy in the gospel that others found infectious. Apolo became a powerful missionary presence. He was ordained deacon in 1900 and priest in 1903. For 15 years he ministered in Toro, traveling on foot, till he bought a bicycle in 1913. He spent his devotion and energy, on the church taking meticulous care over worship, which he conducted with great attention to its beauty.

Mboga had declined, and in 1915 Apolo asked to be sent there. He rebuilt the church and established the mission work to the Pygmy tribes to the west, to which he was to devote much of the rest of his life. Apolo heard God’s call, “Go and preach in the forest, because I am with you.” He was fearless in the face of danger and won the trust of the Pygmy people. He undertook the translation of Mark’s Gospel into one of the Pygmy languages.

In 1922 Apolo was made a canon in the Church of Uganda. In 1927 he became vice-president of the CMS in Uganda. He saw the church there grow from 200 in 1877 to 50 years later - 185,000 in 2,000 congregations. Apolo never slackened his pace till illness overtook him early in 1933. He is honoured as the outstanding figure of the first half-century of the Ugandan church.

BORN: 1864, Kiwanda, Buganda, Uganda, Africa.

DIED: 30 May 1933, Mboga, Tanzania, Africa.