Kabaka Mwanga

Kabaka Mwanga

  • He was Muganda Prince born around 1866 to Kabaka Muteesa I of Buganda.
  • Upon the death of his father, he came to power at a tender age of 18 on 24th October 1884.
  • His early years in power were faced with many problems e.g. growing influence of European power, many religious groups in Buganda and Kabalega’s desire to revive Bunyoro’s glory.
  • Unlike his father, Mwanga could not manage all these problems at his tender age.
  • He was erratic, inexperienced and could not handle all the pressure.
  • Arabs warned him of the problems he was to face if he worked with the whites.
  • The rate of conversion to Christianity in Buganda worried Mwanga so much that he decided to deal with it decisively.
  • In January 1885, he executed three CMS missionaries which marked the beginning of his campaign against Christianity.
  • In November of 1885, he ordered the execution of Bishop Hannington in Busoga.
  • On 3rd June 1886, he went ahead to execute thirty Christian converts at Namugongo for failing to denounce Christianity.
  • In 1888, he made plans to capture all Christians and Muslims in Buganda and take them to an Island on Lake Victoria and starve them to death.
  • The plan was unearthed by the Christians and Muslims who started plotting Kabaka Mwanga.
  • In October 1888, a combined force of Christians and Muslims overthrew Mwanga.
  • He was replaced by his brother Kiwewa.
  • The Muslims convinced Kiwewa to accept circumcision and convert to Islam but he refused on grounds that a Kabaka is not supposed to shed blood in the Ganda tradition.
  • The Muslims overthrew Kiwewa after a few months for refusing to convert to Islam.
  • His younger brother Kalema was then handed the power and he embraced Islam and was given the name Rashid.
  • Christians were not pleased with this development and they were forced to ally with the deposed Mwanga.
  • In October 1889, a combined force of Christians brought back Mwanga to power and Kalema and his Muslim supporters fled to Bunyoro.
  • On 30th April 1890, Mwanga signed an agreement with Fredrick Jackson which placed Buganda under the protection of IBEACO.
  • Mwanga embraced Christianity and was christened Daniel and even appointed Catholics in his government.
  • These developments did not end his problems as conflicts and quarrels continued between the missionary groups leading to the famous W’ngereza – W’faransa wars.
  • During the conflicts, Captain Fredrick Lugard of IBEACO armed the Protestants with 500 guns to fight the Catholics.
  • The British accused the Catholics of supporting Mwanga against their rule.
  • Mwanga was defeated with his Catholic allies and he took refuge in Buddu (Masaka).
  • In 1893, he was recalled to sign a treaty with General Gerald Portal to end the mess in Buganda by equally dividing all posts among the Catholics and Protestants.
  • In 1897, Mwanga got the support of disgruntled chiefs and he tried to resist the new British changes e.g. Kabaka’s loss of power and stopping collection of tribute from Busoga.
  • Unfortunately, the revolt was crushed and Mwanga fled to Tanganyika where he surrendered to the Germans.
  • The British deposed Mwanga and proclaimed his one year old son – Daudi Chwa II as the Kabaka with three ministers as his regents.
  • In 1898, Mwanga escaped from the Germans and he joined his ex-enemy Kabalega in Lango to continue with the resistance against the British.
  • With the help of Semei Kakungulu, Mwanga and Kabalega were captured on 9th April 1899 at Kangai near Lake Kyoga.
  • This completely marked the end of his rebellion against British rule.
  • Mwanga and Kabalega were exiled to Seychelles Island on the Indian Ocean.
  • Mwanga died in exile on 8th May 1903 and he is remembered for trying to safeguard Buganda’s independence.

Omukama Kabalega

  • He was born in 1850 to Omukama Kamurasi.
  • He spent his early years in Bulega where his father had been exiled by a rebellion.
  • From Bulega, he got the name Kabalega meaning ‘someone from Bulega’.
  • In 1869, he was involved in a power struggle with his brother Kabigumire over who should succeed their father.
  • In 1870, he came to power after defeating his brother by using the support of commoners, Langi mercenaries and his father’s bodyguards.
  • His problems didn’t end with the defeat of his brother and therefore his early years in power were full of trouble.
  • These ranged from internal rivalry, Buganda’s threats, increased European interests in Bunyoro and the need to revive Bunyoro’s lost glory.
  • He also built a strong army of the Abarusula with two regiments of 1800 men each and armed with guns got from coastal Arabs and Khartoumers.
  • He expanded Bunyoro’s boundaries to areas such as Toro, Acholi, Busoga, Buganda and Lango.
  • Kabalega’s imperialism soon landed him into clashes with the British who were also extending colonial rule in Uganda.
  • In June 1872, he resisted British intrusion when he fought Sir Samuel Baker and his Egyptian allies at the battle of Isansa at the Masindi border.
  • Sir Samuel Baker and his Egyptian allies were utterly defeated and this dismayed the British.
  • Due to that success, Kabalega then attacked Buganda in the East which made him face Captain Fredrick Lugard and his Ganda allies.
  • At this time, he realized that his wars against the British were bound to cause him more problems and so he opted for peace.
  • He hoped that Sir Samuel Baker would give him military support against Buganda.
  • Sir Samuel Baker told him that he would only offer his support if Kabalega accepted Egyptian protection which Kabalega refused.
  • He even refused to sign the treaty of protection with Sir Samuel Baker.
  • In 1893, he attacked Kasagama of Toro, drove him out of his capital and forced him to seek refuge in Buddu (Masaka).
  • Kasagama met Lugard on his way who gave him support and he managed to defeat Kabalega’s forces and Kasagama was restored back to power.
  • A number of forts were built along the Toro – Bunyoro border to protect Kasagama against attacks from Kabalega.
  • Later, Kabalega attacked these forts and deposed Kasagama again.
  • In 1894, Lugard led a force of Europeans, Sudanese and Ganda mercenaries and they attacked and defeated Kabalega.
  • Kabalega abandoned his capital at Mparo and retreated to Budongo forest.
  • The British under Colonel Colville occupied Bunyoro and installed his son-Kitahimbwa as the new Omukama.
  • In Budongo forest, Kabalega continued with his resistance using the guerilla tactics of hit and run.
  • In 1895, he successfully defeated the British and Ganda forces in Masindi.
  • It was Semei Kakungulu who defeated him in Budongo forest and he fled to Lango in northern Uganda.
  • In Lango, he was joined by Mwanga who was also running away from British imperialism in Buganda.
  • The two continued with their resistance by using the guerilla war tactic against British rule.
  • However, in Lango, the two were betrayed by local chiefs who reported them to Semei Kakungulu.
  • They were captured on 9th April 1899 at Kangai in a swamp near Lake Kyoga.
  • Kakungulu brought them to Kampala and handed them officially to the British who deported them to Seychelles Island in the Indian Ocean.
  • Even in exile, the Banyoro continued looking at Kabalega as their hero and pressed for his return.
  • While in exile, he converted to Christianity and was baptized Yohana.
  • Later on, he was allowed to return as a commoner but he didn’t reach Bunyoro.
  • He died at Mpumudde near Jinja on 7th April 1923 at the age of 75.
  • He was buried at Mparo in present day Hoima district and he was remembered as an African hero who staged a serious resistance to the British occupation of his area. 

Chief Awich of Payera

  • Awich was a Rwoth (chief) of Payera in Acholi district.
  • He came to power in the 1880’s after the death of his father, Rwoth Camo.
  • By the time he came to power, the British were busy extending their rule in Northern Uganda.
  • He constantly attacked and raided his neighbours e.g. the Paibona.
  • These acts greatly annoyed the Major Radcliffe Delme who was the British Commissioner at Nimule.
  • The commissioner pleaded to Awich to stop his activities but he refused and even escaped arrest from the British.
  • Awich even refused to sign a treaty with Colonel Mac-Donald as other Acholi chiefs had done in 1892.
  • British hatred for him increased when he gave asylum to Kabalega and his fugitives who were terrorizing the colony from Lango.
  • He defied British pleas for him to chase away Kabalega and his fugitive soldiers.
  • In 1898, a British force under Major Herman set out to capture chief Awich and in 1901, he was captured and taken to Nimule.
  • He was imprisoned and while in prison, his people continued to revolt and demanded for his return.
  • In March 1902, the British reinstated him as the ruler in Payera after failing to establish administration in his absence.
  • In 1903, Colonel Mac-Donald tried to persuade him to accept British rule but he refused.
  • Awich was then involved in inter-clan wars on the side of the Joka clan of Purnanga against the Langi and Ogoora clan.
  • In January 1912, he was accused of amassing guns from the Arabs and the British began to register them.
  • Awich organized the Acholi to resist the policy of arms registration and this resulted into the Lamogi rebellion.
  • He was thus arrested and taken to court at Nimule to face charges.
  • During the court session, he lost his temper and boxed a British prosecutor called Sullivan who was cross examining him.
  • He was fined two cows, a goat and ivory and he was imprisoned at Kololo in Kampala for contempt of court.
  • As he served his prison sentence, his chiefdom was divided into two.
  • By the time he returned in 1919 from prison, he was no longer a ruler and his chiefdom was no more.
  • He however invited Christian missionaries to his area to teach his people Christianity and book learning.
  • He died in the 1920’s having done a lot to protect his area against British rule.