Kintu Nyago
21 June 2008
Kampala — A hero is defined as an illustrious individual. Omukama Chwa II Kabalega of Bunyoro-Kitara and his compatriot Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda, were heroes.
Unfortunately prejudiced colonial scholarship, which is so entrenched in our mindset, depicts a tale of despicable, irrational pagan despots, when referring to these two leaders. Such negative projection was deliberate, well calculated and had a sinister motive. This being to justify the heinous colonial imposition, and all it stood for. Which is the negation of our value systems while concurrently exploiting our resources with selfish criminality.
Hence the colonial penetration was branded as liberation from a satanic, despotic and unpredictable pre-colonial era. Such erroneous propaganda disseminated through channels as the formal education system, the Church and through official communications, was not only unique to Uganda. It was a colonial pattern.
Many other noble pre-colonial African leaders, opposed to colonialism as Shaka, the founder of the Zulu empire, or his able general Mzilikazi, who founded the Ndebele kingdom in Zimbabwe or his son Lubengula, amongst many others, received similar treatment.
Nobody invited colonialism. That infamous letter to London's Daily Telegraph, calling for Victorian Britain's taking over Buganda, was definitely a concoction of that gun-running, poaching American adventurer, Henry Morton Stanley. For Muteesa I could never have willingly handed over his throne to Her Imperial Majesty Queen Victoria. Which explains why his son and successor, Mwanga, concertedly attempted to kick out her agents. We should appreciate colonialism for what it was. A selfish, racist, arrogant imposition. And it was only rational for Kabalega and Mwanga to reject it.
Kabalega's official name was Chwa. Yes, similar to that of Sir Daudi Chwa. Hence validating the historical fact, recently also mentioned by President Yoweri Museveni, that the ruling families of Bunyoro and Buganda, the Babiito and Balangira, are related.
Actually, the relation is much broader, given that the two communities also share a cross section of clans. A reality further highlighted by the fact that most of Buganda's royal mausoleums (amasiro), located on the hills of Busiro, Wakiso, Serinya, Bumera and Kasengejje are on Hoima Road, leading to Bunyoro Kitara. This is not by coincidence.
Kabalega was a man with exceptional abilities. His mother, Kanyange Nyamutahingurwa, was from Bulega, present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. Hence his name, Ka-Balega meaning from Bulega.
His leadership qualities came to the fore in the succession battles to inherit the throne from his father, Kamurasi Kyebambe IV. He had to overcome powerful resistance from his older brother, Kabigumiire, favoured by the aristocratic Babiito and cattle keeping Bahuuma. Kabigumiire also had the support of the Omugabe of Ankore, Matambuko.
However, the youthful and versatile Kabalega also weaved a formidable coalition composed of the majority cultivating Bairu, Arab slave traders and critically the support of Muteesa I of Buganda.
Once in power, Kabalega reformed the institutions of a decaying Bunyoro-Kitara, by entrenching the principle of meritocracy among the chiefly hierarchy, with commoners increasingly being accommodated. A more elaborate road network was also put in place. And of added significance, he introduced a standing army, the Abarusura, composed of all Banyoro of ability not just the aristocracy.
These reforms ensured the enhanced centralisation of state power and political order. They also ensured the maintenance of Bunyoro's territorial integrity from intrusions from Buganda, Ankore and the Egyptian Khedive's forces. Kabalega also re-incorporated Toro into Bunyoro.
Researchers like A.R. Dunbar, Yolamu Nsaba, Uzoigwe or even colonial apologists as say Edward Arnold or Col. Henry Colville, acknowledged that pre-colonial Bunyoro had a thriving economy, based on arable agriculture and cattle keeping.
It was estimated that prior to the 1890s when the war against colonialism began, Bunyoro was more populous than Buganda, with a population of not less than 2.5 million people. Kabalega had, as part of his royal possessions, 30,000 head of cattle. While the well-watered and pastured empire as a whole had not less than a million herds.
However, due to colonial barbarity, by 1899, when the war ended, it is estimated that Bunyoro had lost up to 75% of its people, mainly due to starvation arising from a scorched-earth policy and all but a fraction of its cattle. This was in addition to the plundering of its other resources, notably ivory.
Kabalega's war lasted about eight years. From 1891, with Capt. Frederick Lugard's western expedition last about eight years (1891-1899). This was a bitter struggle that was joined by Buganda's Mwanga. They later linked up with chief Akaki of Lango, where they relocated.
Kabalega proved a great military strategist, in this war. Faced with superior colonial forces, he deliberately avoided head-on military battles, opting for classical guerilla warfare based on hit- and-run tactics intended to tire and frustrate the enemy. Kabalega and Mwanga were captured in battle, in Lango and exiled to the Seychelles.
Given the duplicity that characterised the colonial logic, many collaborators suffered a disgraced ending. For instance, the Nubian general, Salim Bey, who was instrumental in Uganda's colonisation, after long service, was summarily fired and died a lonely death.
Similar to Sir Apollo Kaggwa, the pivotal political-military leader, who served colonialism and for close to 40 years, was fired as Katikkiro by a lowly colonial officer in 1927. This led to his pre-mature death, in Nairobi, on his way to petition the Colonial Office.
Semei Kakungulu, the general who actually captured Kabalega and Mwanga in Lango, never fared any better.
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