Zimbe was born in 1845 during the reign of King Suuna II, Muteesa I's father. His father Lumala Mugambajolo and his mother Mariam Nambi who belonged to the Musu & Mpindi clan respectively. In April, 1859 Zimbe was given up by his parents to King Muteesa 1]

a page in the palace of Nabulagala. He was immediately put in the "Trainees " department, the "Bagalagala" meaning ROUGH, TOUGH AND READY!

In January 1879, Zimbe's 10 year old training course ended. Together with 600 other fellow trainees Zimbe quit the palace to go and serve his King and his country as a chief in Singo county as Sekiwala. He was then appointed to a rapid succession of high ranking chieftainship as premier of Kasubi-Nabulagala during the reign of King Daniel Mwanga II.

As he was a great friend of King Mwanga, Zimbe explained and convinced him with much concern, the fact that he was still a bachelor without a son that

would succeed him on the throne of Buganda, having thus safe guarded and guaranteed the future of the Monarchy in Buganda, Zimbe together with other prominent protestant chiefs, decided to resign their chieftainships and go and dedicate themselves to the service of GOD and HIS church.

On 4th September 1892, the folowing chiefs resigned their chieftainships and these were:- Bartholomew Zimbe, Thomas Senfuma, Jonathan Kayizi, Yayiro Mutakyala, Noah Kikwabanga, Samuel Mukasa, Henry Duta Kitakule and Nathan Mudeka.

He was one of the Christian chiefs who advocated for the emancipation of slaves in Buganda during the reign of King Mwanga II, in 1893 other chiefs were Apollo Kaggwa [Prime Minister], Zachary Kizito Kisingiri, Henry Duta Kitakule, Samuel Mukasa and many others. In 1896, he was among the first African priests to be odained in Buganda as Reverand Bartholomew Musoke Zimbe and others were; Rev. Jonathan Kayizi, Thomas Senfuma, Nathan Mudeka and many others. More English missionaries arrived and these were: Retired R. Archbishop Willis, Reverand Ernest Miller, Rev. Gill and Rev. G.K Baskerville. The European missionary did not labour in vain in the past 100 years in Uganda, their teaching instilled in some early christian christ spirit of "Blessed are the poor in Spirit" It is a wholesome suprise to note in the lives of some christians, the spirit of "Self Sacrifice" and detachment from the things of this world.This spirit is exemplified in the life of one such early christian, Rev. Canon Bartholomew M. Zimbe. In the spirit of "Blessed are the poor in Spirit", Zimbe gave up his two storeyed house and all his crop gardens on the Namirembe Hill-where Synod Hall currently stands, and went and made a home elsewhere. Because the Protestant christians had unanimously selected Namirembe Hill as a site for the cathedral, they had decided to build.

Rev.Canon B.M Zimbe together with other chiefs sacrificed most of their fertile land in order to have churches and schools built without incurring any costs for purchasing the land. As a priest of Christ, Rev.Canon B.M Zimbe assumed Christ's attitude. He baptised all the young children without any discrimination, where some christians, did not agree with him. This opposition coupled with his old age, forced him to his resignation and retirement in order to stop a conflict among christians. Rev.Canon B.M Zimbe didn't however, act at random. He based his decision and action on Holy scriptures: Mark 10:13-14 "...and they brought young children to HIM that He should touch them." It was not long before the christian converts in Uganda started reeping some fruits of their faith in Jesus Christ. Self sacrifice with which Christians braved every enterprise in the service of GOD and His church.

On this Namirembe Hill, in 1891, it was proposed and agreed upon by many christians to build a church in which all christians would occassionally gather and dedicate themselves to GOD in prayer and worship. Christians immediately volunteered and started building the church with local materials such as reeds, fibres and wooden poles. The roof was grass thatched. The church was completed in 1892, but unfortunately it was blown down by heavy storm on 11th october 1894. Although this was a tragic event for the christians it made them even more determined to build yet another church. So on 1st January 1895, they started building yet again another church on Namirembe Hill and was completed in July 1895.

Despite the fact that the second church had been finished, the christians under the leadership of Rev. J.J Willis, proposed that in future, they would again build a stronger and bigger church than the one they had just built. Another tragedy happened on the 23rd September 1911 when lightening struck and burnt the second church. By this time, christians were determined to take time while building the third church. On 17th November 1913, the present Namirembe Cathedral was started. Rev. J.J Willis had earlier returned from England with three English Men, Mr. Boll, the Engineer and two others. Later, some Asians arrived and joined the others in building the present church. As it was, thousands of Africans had joined the expertriates in building the current church. Some of these Africans worked voluntarily and others were employed to perform various tasks.

A lot of building materials for the cathedral were imported from England, for the cathedral took a long time before it was completed. However, Rev. Canon B.M Zimbe-this great christian served for 30 years in the church and was much esteemed, trusted, respected and loved by all the Kings of Buganda and the people of this country. He died on the 31st December 1946 and was buried near Namirembe Cathedral.