CHAPTER 8
THE HISTORY OF BUGABULA
Kitimbo is said to be Mukama’s son who came to Busoga latest; because he was the latest, he was given Bugabula, which was the only vacant area then.
About Mukama, it is said that he came from the east, Mt. Elgon, neither his parentage nor his reasons for coming to Busoga are known. It is believed only that he entered Busoga from the east. He was a good hunter and roamed about the country hunting wild animals. He had two welltrained dogs which assisted him in hunting; in addition, he had seven sons. He is supposed to have entered Busoga via Bukono or Bukoli after crossing River Mpo1ogoma. He found Busoga deserted, being only inhabited by wild animals such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hyenas, wild pigs, foxes, bush-buck, etc.
It is also said that Mukama had many followers who belonged to a variety of clans. Some of the prominent clans among these were 1) Bakoya of the Abaisebaganze clan whose totem is a small bird named Akaduyu; 2) Ngogolo of the Bakoyo clan; 3) Isanga clan, whose totem is the guinea fowl; 4) Nangwe clan. 5) Kibande clan, totem Njaza 6) Nabala clan, totem hyena; 7) Ntole clan, totem lion; 8) Igulu; 9) Bauba Magaya clan, totem a certain type of lizard; 10) Kisule clan; 11) Nsaiga clan, ‘Njaza’; 12) Mukwanga clan; 13) Bwaikya clan, totem mushrooms 14) Namuduli clan, the grandfather of Kitimbo; 15) Namuinda, totem monkey.
Namuinda looked after Mukama’s cattle while travelling. There were many other people whose names are not known now.
On his arrival in Busoga, Mukama first stayed in the Southern parts bordering River Mpologoma. From there he made a thorough survey of the country for the express purpose of discovering whether it would be big enough to accommodate himself and his followers. He travelled as far as Kigulu Hill, Nyenda Hill and visited parts of Bunya. On his way back he called at Bulu land (Iganga) and then travelled along R. Mpologoma on his way to Lake Kyoga. He reached a place called Nabetambwa (now known as Luzinga) where he stayed for some years before he moved to Namunyagwe, Bupajango, where he built an mbuga. From here he crossed the Nile and went to Bugerere at Nakintu Hill. He also visited Bunyara, but both Bugerere and Bunyara were uninhabited. Mukama left his son named Namuyonjo in Bugerere and continued his journey.
While roaming about in Busoga, Mukama divided the country amongst his sons, as follows : -
1. Ngobi -Mau Muzaya, to whom he gave the area bordering the River Nile and which became known as Buzaya.
2. Kitimbo I Gabula, who was given an area which extended from Buzaya up to Lake Kyoga. At first it was known as Butimbito, but later became known as Bugabula.
3. Ngambani Zibondo was given an area bordered by Kitimbo’s and Nyiro’s kingdoms. Zibondo’s kingdom was further bordered by Ngobi’s kingdom on the south and by Lake Kyoga on the north.
4. Ngobi, a Munyoro, was given an area within the centre of Busoga which is now known as Kigulu.
5. Nyiro Tabingwa was given Luuka which is bordered by Kigulu, Bulamogi, Bugabula and Ngobi-Mau’s area.
Some people state that Nyiro was Ngobi-Munyoro’s son, that Lagwe or Lubandi was Mukama’s son who was given the area of Kamigo. It is said that when Lubandi died, he was succeeded by his brother Ngambani who did not like to stay in Kaigo, apart from retaining his brother’s home. The mutala Koroba, Luuka, where this home was, is still regarded as Zibondo’s property, which was within the jurisdiction of Nyiro, who was supposed to be Ngobi-Munyoro’s son; but the people of Luuka maintain that Nyiro was a real son of Mukama, that Lagwe or Lubandi was the son of Kitimbo and a grandson of Mukama.
Okali Wakoli was given the whole area to the south-east which is bordered by Lake Victoria in the south and by R. Mpologoma on the north-east. His area is known as Bukoli and it was bordered on the remaining sides by Kakaire’s area, by Bunya and by some parts of Kavirondo.
To Kitimbo II or Unyi Nkono, Mukama gave the area which faces R. Mpologoma, and is bordered by Bulaamogi and Busiki. This area was known as Bukono. Kisiki later attacked Nkono and after defeating him, the former confiscated some parts of Bukono. Having divided the country of Busoga between his children, Mukama resumed his journey to Bunyoro where, after defeating some of the ruling clans there, he made himself King. His sons, whom he had left in Busoga, used to visit him expressly to get his good blessings. This was practised so often that it became a tradition which was handed over to the next generation until the advent of Europeans in this country. Each one of the sons left in Busoga had a number of counsellors who assisted him in ruling his own area.
Kitimbo I (now Gabula) toured his own area and found that it was almost uninhabited. He first visited a place called Nakyere which is surrounded by five small hills - Makale, Kagwese, Mpango, Tororo and Kabaganya. He roamed about the country hunting wild animals. As he wandered about the country, he came to the hilly country of Kigulu and built his Mbuga there; then he moved to Naminage and also built an mbuga there.
From here he returned to his mbuga of Nawandio where he planted a powerful horn known as Nawandio. He did this in order to safeguard his country against his ambitious brother Ngobi-Mau, who apparently wished to capture some parts of it for himself. He left some of his followers in this mbuga to guard the horn while he was away in his mbuga of Kagulu, on a hill called Ingo. Death overtook him at Ingo where he was buried.
It is alleged that at the time when Kitimbo first came to Bugabula, the rocks were still in a molten state because the footmarks made by Kitimbo and his followers, including his dog, can still be seen on some rocks. The marks made by Kitimbo’s wife when she knelt down to drink some water, and the place where Kitimbo fixed his spear in the ground before drawing water for his wife, are still vivid to the observer. He had two dogs named ‘Nalyamudi and ‘Mutunuli’, and two spears known as Kibulu and “ManiGalulagalala’.
Other things amongst his property were a number of drums, the biggest of which was called ‘Liso – ekulu’, and he had a long narrow drum (ngalabi) named ‘Mpe-eigumba’. The latter is still in existence up to this day. In addition to these things, Kitimbo had many children, one of whom succeeded him.
Mawerere succeeded his father and he proved himself a good ruler, very much liked by his people. During his day the population increased and he managed to extend his area by altering the boundaries some how. He died at Tororo or Ingo Hill.
Mawerere was succeeded by his son, Nadiope whose abitious nature led him to attempt to expand his area on the south-east side. This attempt precipated continuous fighting between him and Zibondo and Tabingwa.
On one occasion he defeated Zibondo’s army, who accordingly took to their heels and fled across River Lumbuye. Nadiope pursued them but when the retreating army was about three miles from Zibondo’s mbuga of Gadumire, one of the fighters, who feeling exhausted, decided to ambush Nadiope, who leading his army. When Nadiope approached the man who was lying in ambush, the latter speared him in the side and Nadiope dropped dead. Then his men carried the body of their dead master back to Bugabula, at Naminage,where he was buried.
Zibondo was much grieved by the brutal death of such a big person and he accordingly ordered the destruction of a murderer and all the members of his clan. The murderer belonged to the ‘Abalemo’ or Baisekisui clan whose totem is the leopard. A large number of the members of this clan fled from Bulamogi and away from the hand of death. Those who managed to get refuge in other counties changed the name of their clan to Baisonga clan, totem ‘Mondo’ in order to safeguard themselves against any detection.
Nadiope was succeeded by his son, Kagoda, who, having witnessed the death of his father, developed an unquenchable thirst for blood. Accordingly he started a series of battles against the Kabaka of Buganda. Once Kagoda crossed with his amy over to Buganda and defeated the Kabaka’s army and caused a lot of havoc at a place called Kasai. Then the Kabaka despatched another and stronger army to fight Kagoda. The latter’s army was eventually defeated and his son, Wambuzi, captured and taken to Kabaka Ssuuna, who burnt him to death.
This caused Kagoda much grief, and he was so grieved that he shunned company. Kagoda had hoped that his beloved son, Wambuzi, would succeed him or become ruler of the part of the country that might be captured from Buganda. Kagoda starved himself in his sorrow and would not listen to any advice from his wives or counsellors. After nine days of starvation he died and was buried at Naminage next to his father’s tomb.
Kitamirike I, one of Kagoda’s sons, succeeded him. Kitamirike’s mother was a slave with no beauty at all but she was once honoured by Kagoda so that she gave birth to a son. In his childhood this son was known as Gabula (which means that food may be scarce in a well-tended garden but plentiful in a neglected one which is situated on good soil). This is interpreted to mean that although Kagoda had many beautiful and respectable women, most of them were barren, unlike the simple ugly slave girl. The name of Gabula was kept until people conferred it on Kitamirike, who liked it very much. The name later became the title of all the Ssaza chiefs of the county, which was named Bugabula, a name drived from Gabula.
Once Gabula was established on his throne he sought to restore peace and friendship between his country and the Kabaka of Buganda who was furious, Kitamirike himself travelled to Buganda to re-establish diplomatic relations but Kabaka Ssuuna would not grant him an interviews. Ssuuna led his army to go and fight in a certain country where he died before he had settled relations with Kitamirike. In the meantime, Kitamirike was in the hands of the Katikiro who had had instructions from Ssuuna not release Katamirike.
When Kabaka Mutesa succeeded the Kabaka Ssuuna, he listened to Kitamirike’s pleas and even allowed him to go back to his country and in return, Kitamirike gave part of his country to Kabaka Mutesa. All the people from that part of the country were given the order of cooks (Bagulunguzi) in Mutesa’s Lubiri. Mutesa also appointed Kayongo to be responsible for the collection of tolls at the port of Bugonja, and he instructed his men never to attack Bugabula, the country of his chief cook, Kitamirike.
Back in his country, Kitamirike ruled peacefully. He had many children, 37 of whom were married by the time he died. He was buried at Kagulu. He was succeeded by Bwamiki Kajumbula, who died within two years of his succession.
B. Kajumbula was succeeded by his son Kitamirike II Mutibwa. He was ambitious and fought battles against both Zibondo and Tabingwa. He knew how to organise his government and ruled quite satisfactorily. He lived for many years despite the fact that he was addicted to smoking opium. He was strongly opposed to witchcraft and showed no mercy to anyone who committed murder by poisoning. He equally hated those who practised fornication or adultery. Anybody found guilty of those offences would be hanged.
Mutibwa had two executioners who used to slash off the heads of the offenders. They were Kajankya and Matama. Mutibwa died in 1894 and was burried at Naminage.
He was succeeded by his son Katalo, who had been sent to the palace of the Kabaka of Buganda for some form of education. Similarly his brother Naika was sent to the palace of the Omukama of Bunyoro for the same sort of education. Katalo was preferred to Naika who, having lived in Bunyoro for many years, was suspected of acquiring knowledge of the great secrets pertaining to the origin of people of Bugabula. The people believed that, equipped with such knowledge, Naika would inevitably make a very proud chief.
Nevertheless there were a number of elders who preffered Naika to Katalo; a hot argument arose as a result but because the supporters of Katalo formed the majority, he was eventually chosen to succeed his father. News of his succession was suddenly made known to the people early one morning. This was before Naika had returned from Bunyoro, but he was informed on his arrival in Bugabula, that some people had preferred him to Katalo. This fired his jealousy and he began planning how to overthrow his brother Katala. He collected all his supporters, most of whom had been his father’s counsellors but, before Katalo and his supporters carried out their plan, they first applied for permission from Kabaka Mwanga, for whom Katalo had been a servant. Mwanga did not object to the plan, which was accordingly put into force. Katalo was displaced by his elder brother, Naika.
Although Naika thus displaced his brother, Katalo, he did not like to be too hard on him. He therefore placed five mitala under his power. This was done with the consent of the elders of Bugabula. Naika’s rule was not very fortunate since it was during his time that Mr. Grant established his headquarters at Bukaleba and requested all the chiefs to go and live there. This was in 1895 right at the beginning of Naika’s rule. About this time Semei Kakungulu, a Muganda, prosecuted him before Mr. Grant on a false charge of robbery. Mr. Grant inflicted a heavy fine against Naika of 300 head of cattle, some of which were paid to Semei Kakungulu. Mr Grant failed to see that the charge was false because he was blinded by his confidence in the Baganda people. In fact, the Europeans trusted no other tribe in the Protectorate apart from the Baganda. The result was to make the Baganda bring up unscrupulous charges against members of other tribes.
Unfortunately, Naika was again charged with a case of having assisted Sudanese troops who had risen against the Government in their escape across L. Kyoga to Bunyoro in boats supplied by Naika. This time the Govenment was considerate and only imposed a light punishment on Naika. This was in 1898.
Within a few months of the latter event, young men, who were harbouring a bitter hatred for him burnt down the Protestant Church of Naminage one night. The following morning the bitter young men came quickly to Iganga and reported the act against their master Naika. The reaction was immediate; Mr. Weatherhead (of Buddo) was appointed to lead a selected army which was despatched by the Government to go and arrest Naika, which was done and Naika taken to Mr. Grant, the D.C., who sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. Naika served his sentence in Entebbe prison. Then the Government ordered members of Naika’s clan to meet and elect somebody else to replace Naika. The members failed to find anybody fit among themselves and decided to recommend Katale, who belonged to a different clan, to the Government. At Naminage there lived a clergy man named Yoswa Kiwavu, a Muganda, who knew that Mutibwa had left a son somewhere aged about 11 years. He decided to present this son to the Government as the right person to succeed his father.
The boy whom Rev. Y. Kiwavu had in mind was one of his pupils at Naminage, called Nadiope. He therefore took this boy to Rev. Weatherhead, of the C.M.S and introduced him as Naika’s brother.
Judging from his handsome appearance, Nadiope was a real prince. Rev. Weatherhead was impressed and did not hesitate to present the boy to Mr. Grant, the D.C., who immediately appointed him as successor to his brother, Naika, in 1899.
HRH: Nadiope I welcomes Queen Elizabeth at Owen falls dam in Jinja Nadiope was about twelve when he was made Gabula but actually began ruling in 1900. Two notables, Isaka Kagwa and Kategere, were appointed regents to rule the whole of Bugabula. Nadiope was taken to Mengo High School, the only school capable of educating princes at that time. Nadiope stayed about six years in this school before joining a new school in 1906, known as Kings School, Buddo. While at Mengo High School. Nadiope was baptized and named Yosia Nadiope.
King’s School, Buddo, was the result of the efforts of both Rev. Weatherhead, the man who arrested Naika, and his brother, Rev. T.H.C. Weatherhead. Y. Nadiope was among the first of children to join this new school. He left at the end of 1908 and returned to Busoga as the first highly educated chief in the whole country.
Budo School in the olden days
On his arrival in his own country, Yosia Nadiope found that most of the important posts in his government were filled with Baganda, two of whom were the regents. These two regents had replaced the previous Basoga regents whom the Government had dismissed during the time Nadiope was at school. As has been seen already, the Government had not yet developed sufficient confidence in the members of other tribes, hence the dismissal of the two Basoga regents.
Although Nadiope was a very sociable man, he regarded his people with a certain amount of contempt, this being especially marked with regard to his equals, the chiefs whom he rated as uneducated and primitive . He had acquired a certain amount of knowledge in English, a considerable achievement in those early days! His life was very short; he died in Namirembe Hospital and his body was brought to Kamuli for burial. Yosia Nadiope was a keen learner and possessed a certain amount of intelligence; this made him a brilliant ruler who could easily pass for a paramount chief for the whole of Busoga. He died on 9 January, 1913. Y. Nadiope was succeeded by his three-year old son, William Wilberforce Bwamiki Kajumbula, whose mother was Susana Nansikombi Kagwa, daughter of Sir. Apollo Kaggwa K. C, M. G., once the Katikiro of Buganda.
HRH. William Wilberforce Bwamiki Kajumbula Nadiope II
Because the successor to the throne was still only a child, the Government was obliged to appoint Daudi Muteekanga, Y. Nadiope’s Katikiro, to act as regent with effect from 9 January, 1913. D. Muteekanga proved to be a very competent ruler, although he was the son of a commoner, Igaga, who had migrated from Bugweri during Mutibwa’s day. During his youth Muteekanga was a trader dealing mainly in simple agricultural implements, clothes, beads, tobacco, and he also bought cattle and goats in Bukedi by means of bartering. While engaged in this business, Muteekanga evolved a certain amount of self-discipline in relation to money and social behaviour. This business served as a training for administrative purposes in a way. His ascent in the scale of rulers was first marked by his appointment as Muluka Chief near Kamuli. He later became Gombolola Chief, as Sabawali, and was promoted to the post of Katikiro in 1911.
Daudi Kintu Muteekanga
Throughout the different phases of his life as a ruler, Mutekanga was increasingly careful with his money. In addition, he gained his income in many ways. Inevitably he became the richest man in this country. He had many prosperous shambas of cotton, maize, sorghum, millet and bananas, not to mention the many buildings he built to be rented as shops. Bearing all these things in mind, including his own pay as chief, it can be appreciated how colossal his income really was.
D. Mutekanga was not only rich but also trustworthy, and competent as a ruler. He had, the confidence of many people who used to go to him for personal advice. He ruled until 3 February, 1930 when W.W.B. Kajumbula was considered fit to start ruling. D. Mutekanga was, however, retained as Kajumbula’s chief adviser on administrative methods. Mutekanga worked in this way for four years and then resigned. After his resignation, Mutekanga lived happily on his freehold land, enjoying his pension but still carrying on some trade.
At the age of eight years, W.W.B. Kajumbula was taken to the only outstanding school in Busoga, known as Balangira School, built by the C.M.S. in 1911. This school, which later became the Busoga High School was in the immediate neighbourhood of Kajumbu1a’s home. After a few years’ stay in this school, Kajumbula was taken to Mengo High School by his uncle, Sir Apolo Kagwa. He stayed there for only a short time before his uncle sent him to England in September 1924. He returned from England in May 1929, having completed his education, and could speak English perfectly.
His going to England affected his attitude to religion; he became a devout Christian and sincerely loved giving sermons in the Church. The first year after his return from England was spent in taking lessons in an administrative course, as he was only 21 by then. He assumed full responsibility on 3 February, 1930. As in the case of any other young ruler, the beginning of his rule was marked by favouritism, which caused drastic changes in certain parts of Bugabula. However, everyone in Bugabula welcomed his rule, as he was of the Bugabula royal blood.
The Clan of the Guards of the Royal Tombs of Bugabula
Members of the Njanza clan, popularly known as ‘Abeisemwase’,were appointed to guard the royal tombs. The reason for this tradition was that there was once a man named Kitimbo, of royal blood, who travelled to Nalango, accompanied by his man, Lakange. On his arrival at Nalango, Kitimbo built himself a hut in which he lived. He eventually died and was buried in it. After some time a miraculous thing took place, when a muvule tree sprung right from the centre of the tomb. It grew mighty; soon people began worshipping and offering sacrifices to a super-natural being, believed to live within the tree. The place over which the sacred but mighty muvule tree stood was believed to be so holy and pure that it needed to be guarded against ignorant sinners who might walk over it. The memers of Njaza clan were honoured by being entrusted with this responsibility. From then onwards, this became a tradition which is carried on until our time. This clan is still in existence and worships a god known as ‘Kalange’.
The Tomb of William Wilberforce Nadiope I
The people who lived within Kitimbo’s kingdom, the present Bugabula, were known by ancient names of ‘Ba-Jo’, Pa-Lwo’ or ‘Pakoyo’. It is widely known that the original name of the people of Bugabula was Pakoyo, which is derived from Jo Pa Lwo - the people whose origin is Bunyoro.
These people came from Bunyoro at the time when the worshipping of ghosty gods was at its highest peak. It is believed that the ruling clan to which Mukama himself belonged originated from among the Jo Pa Lwo people. It is not clearly known whether this Lwo clan is the one which originally came from Abyssinia, being headed by Mukama, or whether it is the one which originated from North Sudan. The latter speculation is possibly corret since there are definite words within the make-up of the Lunyoro (language) which correspond to the word ‘Lwoo’, words such as ‘zona lwo’ meaning all is well.
At a later stage in the course of the history of Bugabula, the original names were altered. The title of the ruler became Nadiope, from which the country’s name, Budiope, was derived. Later still, the ruler’s title was changed to Gabula and the country was accordngly known as Bugabula. However, the name Pakoyo was not altered and in the olden days the standard language spoken by the rulers in Bugabula was Pakoyo. In fact, the Bugabula people, like the rest of the other clans, such as the JoPa Dhola of Budama, the La Lwo of Kavirondo and the Lay (Lango), were fully aware of the fact that Bunyoro was their original place and that they belonged to the original Ngobi clan.
Having migrated from Bunyoro, the Jo Lwo or Pakoya clans established settlements on both shores of L. Kyoga, including those of R. Mpologoma, and even extended as far as Samya and Mukoli, on the shores of Lake Victoria. A research on these people’s traditions and languages would reveal points of similarity. For example, the book of Kinyoro legends written by the Katikiro of Bunyoro refers to a prince as ‘Omubito’ and even gives a clear account of the route taken by migrators from Madi via Rumbek, in the south-east of Bahrel Ghazal. The Omubito in Lunyoro bears obvious similarities to ‘Bito’ in Iwo language or ‘Mubito’ in Pakoyo or Lulamogi, Lukono, Lugwere, languages. ‘Bito’ or ‘Mubito’ means ‘a prince’.
The words written by President Father J.P. Grazzolara in the Uganda Journal dated July 1937, vol. V, No. 1, concerning the two people, ‘The Iwo in Bunyoro’ and ‘The Baswezi problem all confirm the belief that Lwo clan was the father of the present clans in the afore-mentioned countries.
There is an obvious close relationship or similarity between the Lwo language and the Pakoyo, or Lulamogi, Lukono, Lugwere languages. The same language is also similar to Nyara and Nyoro languages.
A comparison of similar words between Lulamogi and Lukavirondo or Lwo languages is as follows;