A History of Bunyoro-Kitara

EAST AFRICAN STUDIES 19 A HISTORY OF BUNYORO-KITARA A. R. Dunbar INSTITUTE OP 30C|ftL EAST AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1. R. A. Sir Tito Winyi, C.B.E., Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. A. R. DUNBAR M.A., Dip. Agric. (Cantab.), D. T. A. (TRIN.) Published on behalf of The East African Institute of Social Research by m OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NAIROBI 1965 Oxford University Press, Amen House, London E.C. 4 GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI LAHORE DACCA CAPE TOWN SALISBURY NAIROBI IBADAN ACCRA KUALA LUMPUR HONG KONG © East African Institute of Social Research 1965 FOREWORD By R.A. Sir Tito Winyi, C.B.E., Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara I AM indebted to the writer of this book for giving me the opportunity of writing a foreword to it. The book briefly tackles the history of the ancient kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara from which all conceptions of kingship in Uganda originated. The book has been written during the time in which I have been the King ruling in the succession of my ancestors. Kitara was a kingdom of vast size stretching from Tanganyika to Lake Rudolf and from Lake Naivasha to the Ituri Forest in the Congo. Through unfavourable and unjustifiable circumstances the kingdom was reduced by the British to its present extent. Part was made into a separate kingdom, Toro, part was given to the former Belgian Congo and part was entrusted to Buganda—hence our 'Lost Counties'. In spite of being small the kingdom still retains its cultural pride and traditions and at the same time cherishes its unquenchable spirit of regaining its 'Lost Counties'. The writer is a European friend of mine whose work has been based to some extent on the accounts which were written by the early European explorers. Many of the points raised by these writers can be refuted because they came at the time of the scramble for colonies in Africa and so they desired to remove every obstacle which prevented them from achieving their ambitions. Most of the strong kings, including my father, were provoked by them. The early explorers were anxious to avoid the exposure of their own follies and consequently falsely accused the indige- nous rulers in order to gain the support and respect of their readers. Although this book has been completed in the second year of Uganda's independence there is still a trace of this attitude, for example: (1) Certain Europeans have written that Omukama Kabarega gave poisoned beer to Samuel Baker's men. This is not true. Baker's troops drank excessive quantities of strong and undiluted beer and as a result became badly intoxicated in much the same way as when too much whisky, brandy or gin is drunk. (2) The death of the Omukama's messenger Mbogo Mumizi has been recorded as an accident whereas it was a d<Siberate act by Baker to incite Kabarega to fight. (3) Samuel Baker had planned to shoot Omukama Kabarega by handing a loaded pistol to him. The Omukama cleverly avoided this stratagem v which was witnessed and remembered by many people including Baker's troops but which was deliberately not recorded. There are many other similar instances. In spite of these comments I think that the author has tried to write a balanced account of the history of Bunyoro-Kitara. He is one of the few Europeans sufficiently interested in the affairs of my kingdom to have attempted such a task. I commend his effort to my people. I hope that it will stimulate those who are interested in history to collect more information and to write further accounts of my people and my country. Lessons can be learnt from the past which can assist in solving the problems of the future. As the standard of education rises I am confident that a history of Bunyoro-Kitara will be written from the Kinyoro point of view and that my Petition to the Queen about the 'Lost Counties' will form the introduction to it. Thanking the writer and his helpers again. T. G. K. WINYI, IV Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. vi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Foreword v Preface x Acknowledgements xiii Part I: Traditions, Pre-1862 1 Introduction 1 2 Discussion of Sources 3 3 The Batembuzi: The Reign of the Gods 10 4 Bachwezi: The Reign of the Demi-Gods 17 5 Babito: The Reign of the Kings 31 6 Conclusion 45 Part II: Early European Travellers, 1862-1899 7 Introduction 49 8 Early European Travellers 51 9 Emin Pasha 67 10 Kabarega and the British 81 Part III: Under British Rule, 1900-1962 11 Introduction 101 12 Establishment of Administration 105 13 Development of the Economy 114 14 Depression 131 15 Sympathetic Administration 136 16 Consolidation 163 17 Economic Development 170 18 Political Development 185 19 Retrospect i 209 Appendix 227 Bibliography • 229 Index 240 vii TABLES TABLE I Batembuzi II Bachwezi Genealogy III Bachwezi IV Dates of the Bachwezi V Relationship between the Batembuzi, Bachwezi and Babito VI Genealogy of the Babito Kings VII Analysis of Babito Dynasty VIII Babito IX Population of Bunyoro 1913 X Bunyoro African Agriculture 1917 XI Bunyoro European Agriculture 1917 XII Bunyoro Births and Deaths 1915-1923 XIII Bunyoro Cotton Acreage 1923-1927 XIV Bunyoro Revenue 1924 & 1928 XV Bunyoro African Agriculture 1927 XVI Bunyoro Estate Agriculture 1927 XVII Bunyoro Cotton Acreage and Production 1928-1939 XVIII Bunyoro Tobacco Production 1927-1939 XIX Bunyoro Births and Deaths 1928-1936 XX Bunyoro Livestock 1932-1936 XXI Bunyoro African Agriculture 1937 XXII Bunyoro Estate Agriculture 1937 XXIII Bunyoro Tobacco Production 1940-1949 XXIV Bunyoro Cotton Acreage and Production 1940-1949 XXV Estates 1944 XXVI Bunyoro African Agriculture 1947 XXVII Bunyoro Geographical Income 1953-1955 XXVIII Bunyoro Tobacco Production 1950-1955 XXIX Bunyoro Cotton Acreage and Production 1950-1955 XXX Bunyoro Cofiee Production 1950-1955 XXXI Bunyoro Cotton Acreage and Production 1956-1962 XXXII Bunyoro Tobacco Production 1956-1962 XXXIII Bunyoro Coffee Production 1956-1962 XXXIV Bunyoro Geographical Income 1956-1957 viii MAPS MAP PAGE 1 The Traditions of Bunyoro-Kitara 11 2 Knowledge of Iron Working: Possible Diffusion Routes 23 3 Early European Travellers 52 4 Emin Pasha 68 5 Kabarega and the British 83 6 Bunyoro Political 1962 104 ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispiece 1. R. A. Sir Tito Winyi, C.B.E., Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara (Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Uganda) Between pages 80 and 81 2. Mukama and his Chiefs, 1931 (J. Pereira) 3. The Royal Tomb, IGASANI, of Mukama Kabarega (A. R. Dunbar) 4. The Personal Arms and Drums of Mukama Kabarega (A. R. Dunbar) 5. EMPANGO HA KASWA: the Royal Drummers announce the ceremonial beginning of the Empango Celebrations (Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Uganda) 6. Mukama leaving his Palace, KARUZIKA, for the Sacred Court, ORUGO (Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Uganda) 7. OMUKAMA NAIGURA: Crown Weavers, ABAJWARAKONDO, paying homage to the Mukama at the Jeered Shelter (Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Uganda) 8. KOMURWEYO: Mukama leaving Sacred Arch (Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Uganda) ix PREFACE THE writing of this book has been a labour of love. Bunyoro was the first district in which I worked after my appointment to the then Colonial Agricultural Service in Uganda and it has been said that one's first district forever remains one's spiritual home. For me this is so. I worked as an agricultural officer in Bunyoro from January 1954, to March 1955, and again from February 1961, to August 1962. As far as my work in other districts permitted I have continued to take an interest in the affairs of Bunyoro-Kitara but the brevity of my service in Bunyoro has prevented me from making this history as good as it ought to be. Though this book concentrates largely on the hundred years between 1862 and 1962 for which written evidence is available, it is necessary for a better understanding of the period to consider the pre-history of Bunyoro- Kitara. This is based upon the oral traditions of the ruling clan, which remain to be proven by comparison with those of contemporary kingdoms and by the research of archaeologists, anthropologists and ethno-historians. It may be argued that to attempt to write the history of Bunyoro-Kitara to such a recent date as 9 October 1962, is a mistake because events which are too close to the present day cannot be viewed with the perspective and detachment that the historian requires. It seemed to me, however, that with the attainment of independence by Uganda and the consequent departure of many Europeans much valuable oral information might be lost unless recorded now and might prove useful to any future historian of Bunyoro-Kitara. It has been said that there is a good reason and a real reason for any occurrence. For many of the recent events that have been recorded in this book I have given the good, or official, reasons, but I have not, in certain instances, been able to give the real reasons, because the matters are still confidential. Bunyoro is the remnant of the ancient and extensive kingdom of Kitara which covered the greater part of western Uganda, in east central Africa, between latitudes 2° 20' North and 1 ° 0' South and longitudes 30° 0' and 33° 0' East. This kingdom stretched southwards to the River Kagera, south- eastwards over Singo, Bulemezi, Buruli and Bunyara (Bugerere), eastwards and northwards to the River Nile and westwards beyond Lake Albert and the River Semliki. Thus Kitara refers to the full extent of the kingdom and Bunyoro to the former district and present kingdom which has well-defined geographical boundaries, the Rivers Nile, Kafu and Nkusi, and Lake Albert.

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