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105-512: Buganda's history includes unification during the 13th century by the first king Kato Kintu , the founder of Buganda's Kintu Dynasty, Buganda grew to become one of the largest and most powerful states in East Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. During the Scramble for Africa , and following unsuccessful attempts to retain its independence against British imperialism , Buganda became

210-450: A common trope in the ethnogenesis of many Bantu societies). The Chwezi, especially Wamara, generally lost the respect of the people as Wamara's rule was malicious and tensions rose among themselves (e.g. Nyangoma's attempted murder of Mugenyi, Ndahura's half brother). Misango, from the south, was said to have raided Chwezi cattle with his army, but was later killed. Fisher wrote that Mugasa, Wamara's uncle and chief of

315-509: A future federal form of government. According to these recommendations, Buganda would enjoy a measure of internal autonomy if it participated fully in the national government. For its part, the UPC was equally anxious to eject its DP rivals from government before they became entrenched. Obote reached an understanding with Kabaka Freddie and the KY, accepting Buganda's special federal relationship and even

420-437: A great fleet of canoes ready for state service. The Mamba clan specialized in water transport and provided the kingdom’s overall “chief of canoes.” messages were sent by "runners of athletic renown". These messengers were called bakayungirizi and were trained from an early age in prolonged, rapid marches, moving night and day with only short breaks; king Mutesa had many in his service. The use of talking drums to spread messages

525-589: A guerrilla war against Obote, NRM leaders could not be sure that the Baganda would accept their government or their Ten-Point Programme. The NRA was ambivalent in its response to this issue. On the one hand, until its final year, the insurgency against the Obote regime had been conducted entirely in Buganda, involved a large number of Baganda fighters, and depended heavily on the revulsion most Baganda felt for Obote and

630-526: A journey to Kitara, where Isingoma Labongo Rukidi became the first Babiito king. In the Acholi language , the term "Bito" is used "generally of the sons of an aristocratic lineage". The Empaako praise names that every Munyoro is given after birth are still found in Acholi, where they are called "Pak", meaning 'praise'. Many of the mpako names are also of Luo origin. Some of the objects which make up

735-472: A lush vegetation of which the characteristic feature is tenfoot-tall Elephant grass . Ganda villages, sometimes as large as forty to fifty homes, were generally located on hillsides, leaving hilltops and swampy lowlands uninhabited, to be used for crops or pastures. Early Ganda villages surrounded the home of a chief or headman, which provided a common meeting ground for members of the village. The chief collected tribute from his subjects, provided tribute to

840-600: A month’s supply of food, though it generally lived off the countryside. Kabaka Kamanya’s reign in the early nineteenth century was known as one of “restless warfare”. His successor Suna, carried on sixteen major military expeditions in a twenty-six- year reign. Under the Reign of Kabaka Suna II, Buganda's borders were strengthened through the perfection of an army organization which was able to field 50,000 warriors. The Katikiro (prime minister) Apollo Kaggwa speaks of wars being waged regularly every six months. The reign of Mutesa I

945-574: A new party, the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), as a coalition of all those outside the Roman Catholic-dominated DP who opposed Buganda hegemony. The steps Cohen had initiated to bring about the independence of a unified Uganda state had led to a polarization between factions from Buganda and those opposed to its domination. Buganda's population in 1959 was 2 million, out of Uganda's total of 6 million. Even discounting

1050-537: A provision by which the kabaka could appoint Buganda's representatives to the National Assembly, in return for a strategic alliance to defeat the DP. The kabaka was also promised the largely ceremonial position of head of state of Uganda, which was of great symbolic importance to the Baganda. This marriage of convenience between the UPC and the KY made inevitable the defeat of the DP interim administration. In

1155-525: A republic. Following years of disturbance caused by Obote and dictator Field Marshall Idi Amin Dada , as well as several years of internal divisions among Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement under Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa , the President of Uganda since 1986, the kingdom was officially restored in 1993. Buganda is now a traditional kingdom and so occupies a largely ceremonial role. Since

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1260-475: A total boycott of the election because their attempts to secure promises of future autonomy had been rebuffed. Consequently, when the voters went to the polls throughout Uganda to elect eighty-two National Assembly members, in Buganda only the Roman Catholic supporters of the DP braved severe public pressure and voted, capturing twenty of Buganda's twenty-one allotted seats. This artificial situation gave

1365-404: A well-ordered town surrounding the king's palace, which was situated atop a commanding hill. A tall cane fence surrounded the palace compound, which was filled with grass-roofed houses, meeting halls, and storage buildings. Thronging the grounds were foreign ambassadors seeking audiences, chiefs going to the royal advisory council, messengers running errands, and a corps of young pages. He estimated

1470-563: A year; first when he is opening the first session of the year and second, when he is closing the last session of the year. Empire of Kitara Kitara (sometimes spelt as Kittara or Kitwara , also known as the Chwezi Empire ) was an ancient legendary state that covered significant parts of western Uganda and is regularly mentioned in the oral traditions of the Banyoro , Batooro and Banyankole . Many accounts of

1575-408: Is a patriotic fiction, one which, however, has proved extremely popular with historians. More systematic studies of oral traditions in other parts of the interlacustrine region are likely to reveal that, with the exception of Kooki and Toro, countries such as Kiziba have never been Babito subdynasties, although they were subject to sporadic raids Before the arrival of Europeans in the region, Buganda

1680-560: Is in fact a reasonable case for interpreting each of the big earthwork sites — Kibengo, Munsa and Bigo — as a capital for those who controlled the grasslands of those districts. In this way Kitara can perhaps be still imagined not as a single united kingdom but as a vaguer system of political organization and economic exploitation of this region some six or seven centuries ago. Godfrey N. Uzoigwe calls Kitara "loosely-organized": These traditions inform us in masterful and amazing detail – in spite of several lacunae – how their ancestors founded

1785-533: Is indeed very likely that the Buganda state is much more ancient than has previously been thought. Buganda began as a small kingdom in the north of Lake Victoria in what is now Busiro County. A political structure of some sort, small in scale and mainly ritual in function, may be taken to have existed in northern Busiro, where the ancient shrines are clustered, at a time far beyond the reach of historical tradition...the rituals of Ganda kingship are both too elaborate and too archaic in character to have been evolved within

1890-427: Is never oppressively hot. And if climate has been kind, geology has been even kinder. Buganda is a land of small green hills, each rising some 200-400 feet above the valley floor. Many are flat-topped; for the land was once a plateau that has mostly crumbled away. As a result, the long slopes are covered with soils that are young and well supplied with plant nutrients. Deep, well structured, not easily eroded, they support

1995-551: Is not exhaustive. M. S. M. Kiwanuka suggests that the extent of Kitara implied by writers like Roland Oliver , Merrick Posnansky and A. R. Dunbar have been influenced by nationalism: Hitherto, conclusions reached by writers such as those cited above on the history of the Empire of Bunyoro-Kitara, have been based largely on the traditions of Bunyoro, which besides being never subjected to any critical examination, are unfortunately coloured by nationalist sentiments. He also points out

2100-460: Is supposed to have ruled in the region from about 400 AD until about 1300 AD. These seven clans are referred to as the Nansangwa, or the indigenous: The Abalasangeye dynasty came to power through the conquests of Kabaka of Buganda ssekabaka Kintu, which are estimated to have occurred sometime between 1200 and 1400 AD. Thirteen clans that are believed to have come with Kintu: The descendants of

2205-581: The Anglican Church and was baptized with the name of Danieri (Daniel). He spent the rest of his life in exile. He died in 1903, at 35 years of age. In 2010 his remains were repatriated and buried at Kasubi. On 24 July 1993, the monarchy of Buganda was restored when Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II was crowned king. Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II was the son of King 'Freddy', who had been deposed by the Ugandan government in 1966. In September 2009, some members of

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2310-618: The Basimba people (also known as Bashimba) which is a Bisa and Ambo nickname of the Clan of the leopards, the bena Ngo in Zambia, who settled at Mpogo, Sironko District , are among the Ngo Clan group that come along with Kabaka Kato Kintu in his immigration. Around 1370 AD another wave of immigration began, assisted by Kabaka Kimera , who was the son of Omulangira Kalemeera. Kabaka Kimera

2415-702: The Buganda Agreement of 1961 and the first Constitution of Uganda (1962), as part of which Buganda would be able to exercise a high degree of autonomy. This position was reversed during 1966–67, however, before the Kabakaship and Lukiiko were disestablished altogether in 1967 before being restored in 1993. Buganda is made up of 18 political divisions called amasaza in Luganda. These are: The explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley visited Buganda in 1875. At Buganda's capital, Lubaga , Stanley found

2520-479: The Buvuma Islands . Buganda had a projected population of about 11,952,600 people in 2021. As of 2009, there were at least 52 recognized clans within the kingdom, with at least another four making a claim to clan status. Within this group of clans, there are four distinct sub-groups, which reflect historical waves of immigration to Buganda. The oldest clans trace their lineage to Bakiranze Kivebulaya, who

2625-574: The Church Missionary Society to Buganda. One of the missionaries from the Church Missionary Society was Alexander Murdoch Mackay . Muteesa I never converted to any religion, despite numerous attempts. In 1884, Muteesa died and his son Mwanga II took over. Most of what is known about Muteesa comes from primary sources from various Kiganda researchers and some foreign explorers, notably John Hanning Speke, and

2730-510: The Church of England 's Archbishop of Canterbury ) that took place at the main Protestant church. Religion and politics were equally inseparable in the other kingdoms throughout Uganda. The DP had Catholic as well as other adherents and was probably the best organized of all the parties preparing for elections. It had printing presses and the backing of the popular newspaper, Munno , which

2835-457: The Kabaka , who was the ruler of the kingdom, distributed resources among his subjects, maintained order, and reinforced social solidarity through his decision-making skills. During the late 19th century, Ganda villages became more dispersed as the role of the chiefs diminished in response to political turmoil, population migration, and occasional popular revolts. Buganda's boundaries are marked by

2940-638: The Roman Catholic Baganda who had formed their own party, the Democratic Party (DP), led by Benedicto Kiwanuka . Many Catholics had felt excluded from the Protestant-dominated establishment in Buganda ever since Frederick Lugard 's Maxim machine gun had turned the tide in 1892. The kabaka had to be Protestant , and he was invested in a coronation ceremony modeled on that of British monarchs (who are invested by

3045-581: The Tanzanian border in Lake Victoria (Lake Nnalubaale) to the south, the River Nile (River Kiira) to the east, Lake Kyoga to the north, Ankole to the west and River Kafu to the northwest. Buganda currently is divided into 26 districts as of 2021. These are: Ganda oral history reveals that Buganda was distinct and of at least equal antiquity to that of its historical rival, Kitara . It

3150-633: The "spirit mediumship" cult and the unremovable black smut signified that the country would be ruled by foreigners with darker skin. The Chwezi were disappointed by this interpretation, and would have killed Nyakoka if he was not told of this beforehand by his blood brother and escaped. They eventually decided to abandon Kitara. Due to the racist Hamitic hypothesis (which claims that all sophisticated societies in Africa are due to Caucasian invaders conquering local African populations and introducing civilization), it has been assumed without evidence that

3255-751: The Bahima (called Bahuma in Kitara) were Bachwezi solely due to their physical appearance. Kitara oral tradition distinguishes the Bachwezi from the Bahuma (the Bachwezi were said to have Bahuma servants) and the Bahuma themselves do not claim any genealogical connection to the Bachwezi. The Bahuma lacked major political importance and have never been kings in Kitara, as the Tutsi and Hima have in other Great Lakes kingdoms to

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3360-579: The Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (later Zimbabwe , Zambia , and Malawi ) and its domination by white settler interests. Ugandans deeply feared the prospect of an East African federation dominated by the white settlers of Kenya, which was then in the midst of the bitter Mau Mau Uprising . They had vigorously resisted a similar suggestion by the 1930 Hilton Young Commission . Confidence in Cohen vanished just as

3465-714: The Church Missionary Society. Mwanga was overthrown numerous times, but was reinstated. Mwanga signed a treaty with Captain Lord Lugard in 1892, giving Buganda the status of protectorate under the authority of the British East Africa Company . The British saw this territory as a prized possession. The twentieth-century influence of the Baganda in Uganda has reflected the impact of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century developments. A series of Kabakas amassed military and political power by killing rivals to

3570-422: The DP a majority of seats, although they had a minority of 416,000 votes nationwide versus 495,000 for the UPC. Benedicto Kiwanuka became the new chief minister of Uganda. Shocked by the results, the Baganda separatists, who formed a political party called Kabaka Yekka , had second thoughts about the wisdom of their election boycott. They quickly welcomed the recommendations of a British commission that proposed

3675-470: The Kabaka "to maintain active control over a territory one quarter the size of England without written communication and with no means of travel on land beyond the human foot" When John Hanning Speke visited Buganda in 1862, he described the kingdom's roads as being "as long as our coach-roads, cut through the long grasses, straight over the hills and down through the woods in the dells—a strange contrast to

3780-482: The Kabaka; traditional bataka chieftains; and batongole chiefs, who served as representatives of the Kabaka, charged with "maintaining internal security, supervising royal estates and military duties". The 1900 agreement, however, greatly enhanced the power of the Lukiiko (which had previously been simply an advisory council) at the expense of the Kabaka. While Buganda retained self-government, as one part of

3885-559: The Sese Islands, rebelled against him, although the uprising was quickly squashed. Fisher and Dunbar then wrote that Bihogo, Mugenyi's rare ox which gave fragrance to whatever water she drank, had a fit and died, and that Wamara ordered witch doctors to dissect her. Nyakatura, Beattie, Apuuli wrote that Wamara, troubled by misfortunes, summoned his witch doctors to explain the meaning of them, who then slaughtered some bull calves for divination. Nevertheless, accounts agree that

3990-571: The UPC. On the other hand, many Baganda who had joined the NRA and received a political education in the Ten-Point Programme rejected ethnic loyalty as the basis of political organization. Nevertheless, though a matter of dispute, many Ugandans reported that Museveni promised in public, near the end of the guerrilla struggle, to restore the kingship and to permit Ronald Mutebi , the heir apparent, to become king. Many other Ugandans opposed

4095-507: The Uganda kingdoms, because they realized that the centre of power would be at the national level. The spark that ignited wider opposition to Governor Sir Andrew Cohen 's reforms was a 1953 speech in London in which the secretary of state for colonies referred to the possibility of a federation of the three East African territories ( Kenya , Uganda and Tanganyika ), similar to that established in central Africa. Many Ugandans were aware of

4200-577: The aftermath of the April 1962 final election leading up to independence, Uganda's national parliament consisted of forty-three UPC delegates, twenty-four KY delegates, and twenty-four DP delegates. The new UPC-KY coalition led Uganda into independence in October 1962, with Obote as prime minister and the kabaka as head of state. Uganda achieved independence on 9 October 1962 with the Kabaka of Buganda, Sir Edward Mutesa II , as its first president . However,

4305-487: The ancient shrines are clustered, at a time far beyond the reach of historical tradition...the rituals of Ganda kingship are both too elaborate and too archaic in character to have been evolved within the past few centuries. Buganda grew rapidly in power in the eighteenth and nineteenth century becoming the dominant kingdom in the region. Buganda started to expand in the 1840s, and used fleets of war canoes to establish "a kind of imperial supremacy" over Lake Victoria and

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4410-450: The anthropologist Audrey Richards has called a "pedestrian state", especially one whose terrain is covered with dense vegetation and contains innumerable papyrus swamps and streams, is evident. They enabled the king and his officials at the capital to maintain close political contact even with outlying parts of the kingdom, all of which could easily be reached by a runner within a day or two. Buganda's excellent means of communication enabled

4515-415: The capital Kampala and its neighboring districts. Thirty were killed in what came to be known as the Buganda riots. On July 31, 2023, Buganda unveiled portraits of its former Kings (bassekabaka) based on oral narrations and written histories dating back to the founding of the kingdom. Buganda is a constitutional monarchy . The current Head of State is the Kabaka , Muwenda Mutebi II who has reigned since

4620-556: The cattle's body was empty and had no organs, and the witch doctors were surprised. There happened to be two Luo brothers, Nyakoka and Karango, who came from north of the nile in Bukidi, and Nyakoka said that he would solve the mystery if he entered into a blood pact with one of the Chwezi. Nyakoka made a blood pact with either Mulindwa (according to Nyakatura, Beattie and Apuuli) or Mugenyi (according to Fisher and Dunbar). He then split

4725-549: The center of the Uganda Protectorate in 1884; the name Uganda, the Swahili term for Buganda, was adopted by British officials. Under British rule, many Baganda acquired status as colonial administrators, and Buganda became a major producer of cotton and coffee . Following Uganda's independence in 1962, the kingdom was abolished by Uganda's first Prime Minister Dr Apollo Milton Obote in 1966, declaring Uganda

4830-414: The center of the redistributive network that encompassed it. As a rule, Ganda roads were remarkably straight, cutting over the crests of hills and through valleys, forests, swamps and rivers. Early visitors to Buganda describe the well-planned and carefully maintained system of roads, which radiated from the capital to all corners of the kingdom. The importance of these rapid means of communication in what

4935-399: The chronology of these campaigns and expeditions. Fisher and Dunbar wrote that out of praise, Isimbwa, Karubumbi's father, announced that Karubumbi will be henceforth known as Ndahura ( lit.   ' I will care for ' ). Accounts agree that one day, Ndahura disappeared and did not return home, however the reason for this is disputed. Fisher and Dunbar wrote that while Ndahura

5040-410: The crew of 50 to 100). These vessels were organized into a squadron under a leader. When engaged in battle, the paddlers squatted on the sides of the canoes while the warriors stood upright holding spears and shields. In 1878, Mutesa sent a fleet to Ukerewe Island , where it helped the local ruler, Lukonge put down a rebellion. The next year, the Baganda mounted successful slave raids against Busoga and

5145-620: The end of the nineteenth century, the Kabaka had replaced many clan heads with appointed officials and claimed the title "head of all the clans". The sophisticated structure of governance of the Baganda so impressed British officials, but political leaders in neighboring Bunyoro were not receptive to British officials who arrived with Baganda escorts. Buganda became the centrepiece of the new protectorate, and many Baganda were able totake advantage of opportunities provided by schools and businesses in their area. Baganda civil servants also helped administer other ethnic groups, and Uganda's early history

5250-409: The first state system in the lake region and later converted it into a large, albeit loosely-organized ‘empire,’ that extended beyond the region. That ‘empire’ they called Kitara Kya Nyameng[e], an ‘empire’ won by the sword by larger-than-life individuals. Legends of Kitara were often used to give legitimacy to later dynasties and kingdoms in and around Uganda, especially Bunyoro , which claimed to be

5355-531: The first time since 1889, the monarch was given the power to appoint and dismiss his chiefs (Buganda government officials) instead of acting as a mere figurehead while they conducted the affairs of government. The kabaka's new power was cloaked in the misleading claim that he would be only a "constitutional monarch," while in fact he was a leading player in deciding how Uganda would be governed. A new grouping of Baganda calling themselves "the King's Friends" rallied to

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5460-551: The gods', it enjoys a very reliable supply of rain. There are two official seasons of precipitation, the long rains from March through June and the shorter but fiercer rains, often accompanied by thunderstorms of extraordinary violence, in October-November; but few months are wholly rainless and prolonged drought is unknown. Being on the Equator it is warm all the year round, but as it is around 4,000 feet above sea-level it

5565-413: The governor was preparing to urge Buganda to recognize that its special status would have to be sacrificed in the interests of a new and larger nation-state. Kabaka Mutesa II of Buganda , nicknamed "King Freddie", who had been regarded by his subjects as uninterested in their welfare, now refused to cooperate with Cohen's plan for an integrated Buganda. Instead, he demanded that Buganda be separated from

5670-403: The head and hooves with a hatchet, all the internal organs fell out, and an irremovable black smut settled on those organs. Nyakoka is said to have explained that the empty body signified the end of Chwezi rule, the organs being in unusual places signified that the Chwezi will pack up their belongings and move elsewhere, the organs in the head specifically signified that they will still rule through

5775-585: The headwaters of the Nile in 1862. They found a highly organized political system. Buganda was colonized by the British and made a protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1884. The move towards independence reached a climax when the Lukiiko, the parliament of Buganda, declared independence on 8 October 1960 and requested that the British protectorate be terminated. While in exile, Mwanga II was received into

5880-521: The history of Kitara exist, and some may vary and/or contradict each other. Note that accounts agree more on the details of the Chwezi dynasty than the earlier Tembuzi dynasty. Ruth Alice Fisher wrote that Kakama Twale became the first king of Kitara as willed by Ruhanga . K. W. (standing for Kabalega and Winyi ) and John W. Nyakatura wrote that Kintu was the first king, and consider Kakama ( lit.   ' little king ' ) and Twale (Itwale in K.W.'s account) to be separate. In their accounts, Kintu

5985-434: The kabaka's defense. They were conservative, fiercely loyal to Buganda as a kingdom, and willing to entertain the prospect of participation in an independent Uganda only if it were headed by the kabaka. Baganda politicians who did not share this vision or who were opposed to the "King's Friends" found themselves branded as the "King's Enemies," which meant political and social ostracism. The major exception to this rule were

6090-578: The king in Buganda at that time would have meant political suicide. In 1967, the prime Minister Apollo Milton Obote changed the 1966 constitution and turned the state into a republic . On 24 May 1966 the federal Ugandan army attacked the royal compound or Lubiri in Mmengo . At the time, Uganda’s first president and king of Buganda Kabaka Muteesa II fled his palace at Mengo amid a downpour. With his escorts, they escaped to Burundi and then flew to Britain, where he eventually died. The Ugandan army turned

6195-440: The king's palace into their barracks and the Buganda parliament building into their headquarters. It was difficult to know how many Baganda continued to support the kingship and how intensely they felt about it because no one could express support openly. On 25 January 1971, Obote was deposed in a coup by the head of the army, Idi Amin . After a brief flirtation with restoration, Idi Amin also refused to consider restoration of

6300-408: The king. But while Museveni managed to take the wind from the sails of Buganda nationalism, he was forced to go to inordinate lengths to defuse public feeling, and nothing was settled. The kingship issue was likely to re-emerge with equal intensity and unpredictable consequences when the draft for a new constitution was presented for public discussion. The monarchy was finally restored in 1993, with

6405-516: The kingdoms. By the 1980s, Obote had once again returned to power, and more than half of all Baganda had never lived under their king. The Conservative Party , a marginal group led by the last man to serve as Buganda's prime minister under a king, contested the 1980 elections but received little support. In 1986, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), led by Yoweri Museveni , would take power in Uganda. While fighting

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6510-513: The lack of evidence for these claims: The civilization of the Bachwezi and their political influence is still asserted to have extended even to areas where there is no memory of the Bachwezi or their cults. Maps have been drawn to show the vastness of the Empire but no one for instance has asked when Bunyoro extended her influence to Equatoria. John E. G. Sutton writes that according to archaeological evidence, some earthwork sites said to be in Kitara can be interpreted as separate capitals: There

6615-507: The larger Uganda Protectorate, it would henceforth be subject to formal British overrule. The Buganda Agreement of 1955 continued the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. During Uganda independence, the constitutional position of Buganda (and the degree to which it would be able to exercise self-government) was a major issue. Discussions as part of the Uganda Relationships Commission resulted in

6720-467: The many non-Baganda resident in Buganda, there were at least 1 million people who owed allegiance to the kabaka – too many to be overlooked or shunted aside, but too few to dominate the country as a whole. At the London Conference of 1960, it was obvious that Buganda autonomy and a strong unitary government were incompatible, but no compromise emerged, and the decision on the form of government

6825-598: The minority Banyala ethnic group, led by the recently retired UPDF Captain Isabanyala Baker Kimeze , announced that Bugerere had seceded from the Kingdom of Buganda. The Banyala make up 0.09% of the population of Uganda and 13% of the population of the district, Kayunga, which they claimed to be leading into secession. Because of the resulting tensions, the government of Uganda prevented the Kabaka of Buganda from traveling to Bugerere, leading to riots in

6930-432: The monarchy of Buganda and much of its autonomy was revoked, along with that of the other four Ugandan kingdoms. At this time, the kingship controversy was the most important issue in Ugandan politics. Although there were four kingdoms, the real question was how much control over Buganda the central government should have. The power of the king as a uniting symbol for the Baganda became apparent following his deportation by

7035-487: The next month, the government struggled to regain the political initiative from the clan heads. First, in July 1986 the prime minister, Samson Kisekka – a Muganda – told people at a public rally in Buganda to stop this "foolish talk". Without explanation, the government abruptly ordered the cancellation of celebrations to install the heir of another kingdom a week later. Nevertheless, the newspapers reported more demands for

7140-569: The past few centuries. Ganda oral history has no mention of the Chwezi and According to the historian Christopher Wrigley, "It is unlikely that Buganda was fully integrated into the system that was probably not called Kitara . Its language is distinct from ' Rutara ', and the directors of the Ntusi and Biggo systems would not have had much interest in a land that was not really suited to cattle-rearing". Some traditions from Buganda's historical enemy Bunyoro claim (likely propaganda in order to increase

7245-465: The population of the kingdom at 2,000,000 Population estimates for Kampala, the capital of Buganda, at the time of Kabaka Mutesa, in 1862, run as high as 77,000. Wrigley thinks that Kampala was probably the largest agglomeration of population in interior Africa, and that it had certain urban characteristics by the time Mutesa had ascended the throne Kampala, the capital, was the heart of the Ganda state and

7350-586: The prestige of their own state) that their "first Bito first king allotted Buganda to his son" or supposed twin brother. The kings of Buganda do not claim to be Bito and the Ganda do not use the Luo Empaako names. The Baganda regarded the Banyoro as "inferior Foreigners". studies of the oral traditions of, for instance, Buganda strongly suggest that the Kinyoro claim that Buganda was once a Babito subdynasty

7455-530: The protectorate government in 1953. When negotiations for independence threatened the autonomous status of Buganda, leading notables organized a political party to protect the king. The issue was successfully presented as a question of survival of the Baganda as a separate nation because the position of the king had been central to Buganda's precolonial culture. On that basis, defense of the kingship attracted overwhelming support in local Buganda government elections, which were held just before independence. To oppose

7560-478: The regalia of the Nyoro kings can be identified with artefacts of Nilotic origin. Isaza was said to be the first king to divide Kitara into counties ( amasaza , sg. isaza ) and according to folk etymology , the word isaza was derived from his name. In the following table, chiefs in bold and light red rebelled against Bukuku according to Bikunya and Heremenzilda K. Karubanga. This table

7665-547: The rest of the protectorate and transferred to Foreign Office jurisdiction. Cohen's response to this crisis was to deport the kabaka to a comfortable exile in London. His forced departure made the kabaka an instant martyr in the eyes of the Baganda, whose latent separatism and anticolonial sentiments set off a storm of protest. Cohen's action had backfired, and he could find no one among the Baganda prepared or able to mobilize support for his schemes. After two frustrating years of unrelenting Ganda hostility and obstruction, Cohen

7770-486: The restoration just as strongly, primarily for the political advantages it would give Buganda. Controversy erupted a few months after the NRM takeover in 1986, when the heads of each of the clans in Buganda organized a public campaign for the restoration of the kingship, the return of the Buganda parliament building (which the NRA had continued to use as the army headquarters), and permission for Mutebi to return to Uganda. Over

7875-546: The restoration of the kingdom in 1993, the King of Buganda, known as the Kabaka , has been Muwenda Mutebi II . He is recognized as the 36th Kabaka of Buganda. The current queen, known as the Nnabagereka or Kaddulubale is Queen Sylvia Nagginda . It was a rich country, the most favoured part of the Lakeland, which is the most favoured part of Africa. Thanks to the great inland sea that the Ganda call Nalubaale, 'Mother of

7980-520: The restoration of the kingdom in 1993. The Head of Government is the Katikkiro (Prime Minister) Charles Mayiga , who was appointed by the Kabaka in 2013. The Parliament of Buganda is the Lukiiko . Prior to the Buganda Agreement of 1900 , Buganda was an almost absolute monarchy . Under the Kabaka, there were three types of chief: bakungu (administrative) chiefs, who were appointed directly by

8085-531: The return of Mutebi by Buganda clan elders. The cabinet then issued a statement conceding the intensity of public interest but insisting the question of restoring kings was up to the forthcoming Constitutional Assembly and not within the powers of the interim government. Then, three weeks later, the NRM issued its own carefully worded statement calling supporters of restoration "disgruntled opportunists purporting to be monarchists" and threatening to take action against anyone who continued to agitate on this issue. At

8190-419: The same person. As a young monarch, he favored fellow young people over older people, banishing his old counselors and replacing them with young ones. However, after he nearly suffocated to death, he restored the elders' positions, as they were able to save him. After Isaza's imprisonment in the underworld, his deputy Bukuku proclaimed himself king, as Isaza did not yet have any sons. However, Bukuku

8295-407: The same time, the president agreed to meet with the clan elders, even though that gave a fresh public boost to the controversy. Then, in a surprise move, the president convinced Mutebi to return home secretly in mid-August 1986, presenting the clan elders with a fait accompli. Ten days later, the government arrested a number of Baganda, whom it accused of a plot to overthrow the government and restore

8400-406: The society. One of the most powerful appointed advisers of the Kabaka was the Katikkiro , who was in charge of the kingdom's administrative and judicial systems – effectively serving as both prime minister and chief justice. The Katikkiro and other powerful ministers formed an inner circle of advisers who could summon lower-level chiefs and other appointed advisers to confer on policy matters. By

8505-401: The son of Mutesa II, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II as its Kabaka. Buganda is now a constitutional monarchy , with a parliament called Lukiiko that sits in parliamentary buildings called Bulange . The Lukiiko has a sergeant-at-arms, speaker and provisional seats for the royals, 18 county chiefs, cabinet ministers, 52 clan heads, invited guests and a gallery. The Kabaka only attends two sessions in

8610-553: The south. Historians have all concluded that the Bachwezi were a local Bantu aristocracy. Nyakoka then went back to Bukidi to inform inform the sons of Kyomya (some of Isimbwa's grandsons, later called the Biito) that they should succeed Wamara due to Kitara's situation. Nyakatura additionally mentions Kanyabugoma (a messenger sent by the Chwezi) and Mugungu arriving after Nyakoka to relay the same information. Eventually, they all went on

8715-578: The surrounding regions. Subjugating weaker peoples for cheap labor, Buganda grew into a powerful "embryonic empire". The first direct contact with Europeans was established in 1862, when British explorers John Hanning Speke and Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton entered Buganda and according to their reports, the kingdom was highly organized. Muteesa I of Buganda , who had been visited by explorers, like John Hanning Speke , James Augustus Grant and Henry Morton Stanley , invited

8820-414: The throne, abolishing hereditary positions of authority, and exacting higher taxes from their subjects. Ganda armies also seized territory held by Bunyoro , the neighboring kingdom to the west. Ganda cultural norms also prevented the establishment of a royal clan by assigning the children of the Kabaka to the clan of their mother. At the same time, this practice allowed the Kabaka to marry into any clan in

8925-520: The traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda . Loyalty to their King, Country and Institutions endowed the Baganda with remarkable valour and tenacity in war. J.P. Thoonen. It is very likely that the Buganda state is much more ancient than has previously been thought. Buganda began as a small principality in the north of Lake Victoria in what is now Busiro County. A political structure of some sort, small in scale and mainly ritual in function, may be taken to have existed in northern Busiro, where

9030-425: The wretched tracks in all the adjacent countries." water transport was very important for Buganda and greatly helped in the kingdom's expansion via its fleet of war canoes. Water transport also provided a means of political communication between the capital, which was usually sited fairly close to the lake, and outlying areas of the Kingdom along the lake shore, as well as the islands. The island chiefs had to maintain

9135-423: Was deified after his death and succession by Nyamuhanga. Under Nyamuhanga, there was also an increase in population and he was deified after his death and succession by Nkya I ( lit.   ' lucky ' , as Nyamuhanga had trouble having a child). Due to the similarities between Kazooba and Nyamuhanga, Gorju analyses them as the same person. Nyakatura writes that Nkya I was succeeded by Nkya II, and Nkya II

9240-407: Was a commoner ( Iru or omwiru ), and the people did not like being ruled by one. Thus, the chiefs of most of the counties rebelled against him. Fisher and Dunbar state that Bukuku had to retreat to the south-west of Kitara and Bikunya states that Bukuku only ruled over Kikwenusi, Kisegwe and Kijagarazi, although the location of said places are unknown. All accounts state that Bukuku

9345-499: Was against Ntale (chief of Ankole), causing him to surrender, but Nyakatura, Buchanan and Bikunya wrote that his first campaign was against Nsinga, chief of Bugoma. However, all of these accounts agree that Nsinga was executed after being accused of witchcraft. Places that Karubumbi was said to have annexed include Buruli , Karagwe , Sukuma , Rwanda , Busoga , Ankole , Tooro , Bunyara, Busongora, Bulega, Bukidi , Buganda and Madi , although accounts often disagree on

9450-400: Was an expanding, "embryonic empire". It built fleets of war canoes from the 1840s to take control of Lake Victoria and the surrounding regions and subjugated several weaker peoples. These subject peoples were then exploited for cheap labor. The first Europeans to enter the Kingdom of Buganda were British explorers John Hanning Speke and Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton while searching for

9555-616: Was born in Kibulala , and returned to Buganda with Jjumba of the Nkima clan and other Buganda elders. These eleven clans are: The largest city in Buganda is Kampala. Others include Masaka City, Entebbe , Nansana , Kira , Makindye-Ssabagabo , Njeru and Mukono. History of Buganda The history of Buganda is that of the Buganda kingdom of the Baganda people , the largest of

9660-414: Was forced to reinstate Kabaka Freddie. The negotiations leading to the kabaka's return had an outcome similar to the negotiations of Commissioner Johnston in 1900; although appearing to satisfy the British, they were a resounding victory for the Baganda. Cohen secured the kabaka's agreement not to oppose independence within the larger Uganda framework. Not only was the kabaka reinstated in return, but for

9765-427: Was killed by his grandson, Karubumbi, over a dispute about watering some cattle, then he proclaimed himself king, thus founding the Chwezi dynasty. Fisher and Dunbar wrote that the people were overjoyed as he resembled his paternal grandfather, Isaza. Because the rebellious chiefs refused to submit to Karubumbi, he led a series of campaigns to regain the lands of Isaza. Fisher wrote that his first campaign

9870-520: Was killed in said campaign. Unlike other authors, K. W., John Beattie, Nyakatura and Dunbar wrote that Mulindwa ruled as a deputy/regent during this time. Wamara then became the next king of Kitara. Nyakatura wrote that Wamara was chosen to succeed Ndahura after some deliberation, Dunbar wrote that Ndahura appointed Mulindwa yet Wamara seized the throne, and Fisher wrote that Ndahura reluctantly allowed Wamara to reign. The Bachwezi were said to have been skilled blacksmiths (blacksmith kings are

9975-455: Was postponed. The British announced that elections would be held in March 1961 for "responsible government," the next-to-last stage of preparation before the formal granting of independence. It was assumed that those winning the election would gain valuable experience in office, preparing them for the probable responsibility of governing after independence. In Buganda the "King's Friends" urged

10080-460: Was published at the St. Mary's Kisubi mission. Elsewhere in Uganda, the emergence of the kabaka as a political force provoked immediate hostility. Political parties and local interest groups were riddled with divisions and rivalries, but they shared one concern: they were determined not to be dominated by Buganda. In 1960 a political organizer from Lango, Milton Obote , seized the initiative and formed

10185-467: Was succeeded by Baba ( lit.   ' father ' ). Gorju analyses Nkya I and Nkya II as the same person, as both of their fathers were barren. Fisher writes that Baba succeeded Kakama, but Roscoe implies that Baba succeeded Kabangera. Carole Ann Buchanan states that Baba was said to be wealthy, having many people and goats, and Fisher states that this prosperity was shared with the ever-increasing populace. Nyakatura and K.W. write that Baba

10290-611: Was succeeded by Kakama, who was succeeded by (I)twale. John Roscoe and Petero Bikunya only mention "Twale" and "Twari" respectively. Nyakatura then mentions that Twale's son, Hangi, succeeded him. Roscoe mentions Hangi and Nyamenge being the king after Hangi, although he wrote that there is no more information available about them. In Nyakatura's account, Hangi has two children: Ira lya Hangi ( lit.   ' long ago of Hangi ' ) and Kazooba ka Hangi ( lit.   ' little sun of Hangi ' ). Julien Gorju states that Ira and Kazooba were direct sons of Ruhanga, as Hangi

10395-406: Was succeeded by, in chronological order, Kamuli, Nseka ( lit.   ' way of laughing ' ), Kudidi (who reigned for longer than usual), Ntonzi (who put down rebellions, lit.   ' wooden sticks ' ), Nyakahongerwa ( lit.   ' that which is sacrificed for someone ' ) and Mukonko (who also reigned for longer than usual). All other accounts mentioned beforehand state that Baba

10500-403: Was succeeded directly by Mukonko. Regardless, all accounts agree that Mukonko was succeeded by Ngonzaki ( lit.   ' what do I want? ' , as he was very wealthy ) Rutahinduka ( lit.   ' he who does not turn around ' ). K.W. states that Ngonzaki was succeeded by Isaza Mukama, then Isaza Nyakikooto, but all other accounts consider Isaza Mukama and Isaza Nyakikooto to be

10605-418: Was the Nyoro name for Ruhanga. Nyakatura states that Kazooba succeeded Ira after he died without an heir. Roscoe states that Kabangera succeeded Ira, but there is no more information about him, although some timelines consider Kazooba and Kabangera to be the same person. In Nyakatura's account, there was a notable population increase during Kazooba's reign, and he was loved by his subjects so much that he

10710-473: Was the zenith of Ganda military power. Under Mutesa, there were sixty-six wars in twenty-eight years. In the 1890s, raiding parties of up to 20,000 Baganda were mobilized to plunder the rival kingdom of Bunyoro. The explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley visited Buganda in 1875 and provided an estimate of Buganda troop strength. Stanley counted 125,000 troops and a fleet of war canoes. Baganda war canoes could carry 60 to 100 warriors (not including

10815-479: Was waiting for Wamara, his son, to return from an expedition, Ndahura was swallowed up by the earth and stayed to the underworld with his servant for two days. Nyakatura, Buchanan and Apuuli wrote that during a campaign in Ihangiro against Bwirebutakya ( lit.   ' the day does not dawn ' ), Ndahura was captured as "darkness fell upon Ndahura's army", and K. W. and Albert B. Lloyd wrote that Ndahura

10920-424: Was widespread in Buganda. Buganda was described as a "warefare state", with warefare being "the main activity which dominated the lives of most male Ganda". The Baganda army consisted of district levies and each was headed by a royal-appointed chief or governor and remained the basic unit of military organization. All districts were expected to provide soldiers when called by the king. An army usually carried at least

11025-414: Was written from the perspective of the Baganda and the colonial officials who became accustomed to dealing with them. At independence in 1962, Buganda had achieved the highest standard of living and the highest literacy rate in the country. The prospect of elections in the run up to independence caused a sudden proliferation of new political parties . This development alarmed the old-guard leaders within

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