Annaul Report of the Colonies. Uganda 1918-19
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This document was created by the Digital Content Creation Unit University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2010 COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. No. 1054. UGANDA. REPORT FOR 1918-19. (For Report for 1917-18 see No 993.) presented to parliament bv. Command of Did /fcajedtg. December, 1920. LONDON: PUBLISIIEDJBYIHIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. To be purchased through any Bookseller or directly from II. M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: IMPERIAL HOUSE, KIKGSWAY, LONDON, W.C. 2, and 28, ABINGDON STREET, LONDON, S.W. 1; 37, PETER STREET, MANCHESTER ; 1, ST, ANDREW'S CRESCENT, CARDIFF ; 23, FORTH STREET, EDINBURGH ; or from E. POXSONJJY, LTD., 110, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. 1920. [Cmd. 508-37.] Price 2d. Net. CONTENTS. PAGES. PREFACE •* «• •• •• 8 Section I. -GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 5 Section II. GOVERNMENT FINANCE 6 Section III. TRADE, AGRICULTURE, AND INDUSTRIES .. 7 Section IV LEGISLATION 11 Section V EDUCATION 12 Section VI. CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY 18 Section VII. COMMUNICATIONS 14 COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. 3 No- 1054. UGANDA. ANNUAL REPORT ON THE UGANDA PROTECTORATE FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH, 1919.* PREFACE. Geographical description. The territories comprising the Uganda Protectorate lie between the Belgian Congo, the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, British East Africa and the country known until recently as German East Africa (now Tanganyika Territory). The Protectorate extends from one degree of south latitude to the northern limits of the navigable waters of the Victoria Nile at Nimule. It is flanked on the east by the natural boundaries of Lake Rudolf, the river Turkwel, Mount Elgon (14,200 feet) and the Sio River running into the north eastern waters of Lake Victoria, whilst the outstanding Matures on the western side are the Nile Watershed, Lake Albert, the river Semliki, the Ruwenzori range (16,794 feet) and Lake Edward. 2. Historical Survey.—The first British explorers to visit the country were Speke and Burton during their search for the Nile in 1862. Samuel Baker discovered Lake Albert shortly afterwards. Stanley reached Buganda in 1875, and was greatly struck with the intelligence of the natives. As the result of his appeal, the first band of missionaries arrived in June, 1877, followed two years later by a party of French Catholics. Both denominations quickly gained adherents, but on the accession of King Mwanga a systematic persecution of the Chris tians was inaugurated with the murder of Bishop Hannington in 1885. Mwanga was deposed by joint action of the Christians and Mahomedans in 1888, and fled to the Sese Islands in Lake Victoria. Religious antagonism soon revived, and the Christians were compelled to leave the country. They returned in 1889 and, after severely defeating the Mahomedans, restored Mwanga to his kingdom. 3. Negotiations between the British and German Governments during the following year, definitely placed Uganda under British influence, and Captain Lugard (now Sir Frederick Lugard, G.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.) proceeded inland on behalf of the Imperial British East Africa Company, and, despite opposition from the French mis sionaries, obtained Mwanga's signature on the 26th December, 1890, to a treaty giving hij own countrymen the right to intervene in the * A Sketch Map will be found in the Roport for 1914-15, No. 873: [Cd. 7622-64.] (725) Wt.32596/364. 1,250 & 90. 12.20. B. & F. ii 4 COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. internal affairs of Buganda. This proved the signal for armed attacks, from both Mahomedan and Catholic factions, and resulted in fighting, in which the Sudanese levies, collected by Lugard to maintain his authority, with difficulty repulsed both their opponents' forces in detail. King Mwanga, who nad sided with the French, escaped to German Territory at Bukoba. He was persuaded ultimately to return, and an agreement was drawn up granting the Catholic and Mahomedan arties definite spheres of influence in Buganda. The position, owever, proved unsatisfactory, and the British Government waa forced by public opinion in England to assume direct control of affairs in 1894. Comparative quiet ensued for the next three years until Mwanga instigated a rebellion, which was defeated by the Sudanese force under the Acting Commissioner, Colonel Ternan. Mwanga once more fled the country, his infant son, Daudi Chwa, the present ruler, being proclaimed King or " Kabaka " at Kampala under the guidance of three Regents. Discontent soon afterwards arose amongst a section of the Sudanese force : Mwanga returned to join the mutineers aided by Kabarega, the rebel king of the Banyoro. Fortunately the Buganda remained loyal, and the outbreak was quelled after a year's fighting, during which several British officers lost their lives. Mwanga and Kabarega were captured and deported. Since the early part of 1899 the country has been peaceful, and British administration has spread over the neighbouring tribes. Control was extended over Busoga and Bunyoro on the 3rd July, 1896, whilst arrangements for the inclusion of the other peoples within the existing frontiers were effected by Sir H. H. Johnston between the years 1900 and 1902. Agreements with the native Governments of Buganda, Toro, and Ankole were negotiated by the same Commissioner for the purpose of regulating the native administration and defining their relations with the suzerain power. It was found advisable to suspend the Ankole Agreement in 1905 after the local murder of the British Sub- Commissioner, but the subsequent loyalty of the natives justified the restoration of their privileges in 1912. Apart from this incidont, the population has acquiesced in European rule, and only unimportant disturbances have occurred in outlying districts. The opening of the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the early years of this century, and the subsequent installation of a steamer service on the Lake proved a valuable stimulus to development, and has been largely responsible for the country's rapid progress in the twenty-five years of British administration. 4. Administrative Divisions.—The Protectorate was divided originally into six provinces, but, on the revised delimitation of the eastern boundary in 1903, these were reduced to five—Buganda, Eastern, Western, Northern, and Rudolf—of which the last-named is occupied at present by a military garrison pending the introduction of civil government. 5. Area and Vital Statistics.—Until a survey of the country has been completed, it is not possible to furnish accurate statistics. The Protectorate covers an area of approximately 110,300 square miles, including 16,169 square miles of water. The population on the 31st March, 1919, was estimated to be 3,318,190, viz., 847 European actual residents, 3,516 Asiatics, and 3,313,908 native inhabitants. UGANDA, 1918-19. 5 I.—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 6. The results achieved during the year were surprisingly successful, when the unpropitious conditions are taken into consideration. ^ The calls of the War had deprived the country of all but a mere minimum of its white community, and large numbers of the able-bodied native labour were recruited for the various contingents engaged in the campaign against German East Africa. Capital has not been forth coming to finance untried enterprises since the outbreak of hostilities, and it has been necessary to confine efforts to developing existing channels of industry in prejudicial circumstances. Shipping facilities were extremely limited, and, combined with the import restrictions in the United Kingdom, compelled resort in the case of certain com modities to new and less profitable markets, such as South Africa, India, and the Sudan. The position was not improved as the result of the Armistice. Many Europeans were enforced by reasons of health to proceed home to recuperate on demobilisation, whilst the discharged natives for the most part were content to enjoy a few months5 idleness on the fruit of their savings during active sendee. 7. These disabilities were aggravated by the unforeseen incidence of famine, rinderpest, and influenza. 8. Food shortage was general throughout the year, and the abundant rainfall experienced in February and March proved too late to alleviate the distress caused by the comparative failure of three consecutive wet seasons. Prompt relief measures averted a crisis in the Eastern and Northern Provinces during the first quarter of the )year. The* continuance of drought, however, neutralized local efforts at increased cultivation, and, despite supplies imported from British and German East Africa, the outlook became extremely grave, especially in the Eastern Province, where 4,419 deaths are estimated to have occurred before the close of the year in the Busoga, Bukedi and Teso districts as the result of starvation. More disastrous consequences were anticipated in the ensuing two months. The total expenditure for famine relief up to the 31st March, 1919, amounted to some £49,377. of which £19,158 had been recovered from the native population on that date. 9. The Buganda and Western Provinces, which suffered less than the neighbouring areas from the effects of famine and, in fact, were able to assist them with a proportion of the necessary food relief, were themselves the victims of a severe epidemic of rinderpesh. Its ravages, though checked, cannot be said to have been finally overcome, as the spread of infection is difficult to control in an unfenced and forested country containing multitudes of susceptible wild animals. 10. Influenza made its appearance in the last quarter of the year 1918. Its incidence soon became widespread, and, though the Euro pean community suffered no fatalities, the Asiatic and native popu lation succumbed in large numbers. 9,396 native deaths were recorded from this cause in the Eastern P vince outside Busoga, and nearly 3,000 in the Northern Province. 11. There was a severe outbreak of small-pox at the beginning of the year in the training depot of the King's African Rifhs at Bombo, whilst small-pox and dysentery also accounted for considerable mortality in the thickly populated areas of the Eastern and Northern 6 COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL, Provinces, whore the constitutions of the natives were undermined by the inadequate or unusual diet provided during the famine.