CHAPTER 46
MUKAMA’S SONS IN BUSOGA
The reason why Mukama never took any of his sons with him to Bunyoro is not clear to many people. Whereas many more of his sons, such as Menya and Wakoli, left Bunyoro and came to Busoga, only one of those sons who were living in Busoga paid a short visit to Bunyoro. His name was Ibanda. There were altogether eight sons in Busoga and they eventually had sons of their own. It is believed that once the elder brother succeeded their father, the rest of the family resented his rule and so built their Kingdoms which they could rule independently.
The following are the names of the sons of Mukama who were given parts of Busoga to settle in and rule; each of them was a small king in his own area: -
1. Unyi Nkono of Bukono
2. Ngambani Zibondo of Bulamogi
3. Kakaire Menya of Bugweri (who was not accepted by his brothers)
4. Okali Mwonja, Wakoli of Bukoli
5. Muyaza of Buzaya
6. Kitimbo Gabula of Bugabula
7. Nyiro Ngobi of Kigulu 8. Ibanda Tabingwa of Luuka.
These sons discovered how to make iron goods and they began making hoes and other things. The places where they made these things can still be seen. Okali or Wakoli was given that part of the country which is the place where Mukama himself first made iron goods.
This part of the country is now known as Bukoli. Unyi Nkono was given Bukono, which is bounded by the River Mpologoma. This area was so large that Unyi was asked to share it with his brother Ngambani Zibondo.
Then Mukama travelled through Bunyoro (now Kigulu), Luuka and came to the hills of Kamigo - the dwelling place of elephants. Mukama spent much time in these hills hunting elephants. While he was here, a man named Kisambira from Nyenda Hill, came seeking to befriend him. Mukama accepted the friendship. Kisambira was of the Iseigaga clan and was so convinced by the good intentions of his newfriend that he gave Mukama his own daughter for a wife. Her name was Tegulwa (‘a gift’). Mukama accepted the gift and married the girl. While he continued his journey, his new wife was pregnant. Soon she found travelling very difficult but Mukama made her a walking-stick from a mubanda tree which grew in a forest at the foot of Kamigo Hills. Even with the assistance of the walking-stick, the wife still could not walk so her husband, Mukama, built a house for her near Kamigo and left her there. Her sisters then came to attend her but Mukama continued his journey. He traveled along the banks of the River Nile and eventually came to that part of the country which was later known as Buzaya, after Muzaya the prince who ruled it. He gave this part to Muzaya and in the course of his travels he gave the central part, now known as Kigulu to Nyiro. Ngobi Ibanda Tabingwa was given the area of Kamigo. Muzaya built his own mbuga in the place where his father was when he was dividing the country between his sons, and he lived there permanently.
Some people state that Mukama gave locations to Ibanda and Unyi from Bunyoro and that he gave them an emissary, Nabala of Mpisi clan, to go and show them the location. This is stated in the history of both Kigulu and luuka.
It is thought that Muzaya was the eldest of the sons who were given land latterly. He was older than Okali, Nyiro, Ibanda and Kitimbo. It is further stated that most of these sons were born during the wanderings of Mukama.
Having given lands to most of his children, Mukama continued his journey along the banks of the Nile. He had with him his son, Kitimbo, and many followers. He eventually reached a place called Kakindu and then viewed that part of Buganda which is now known as Bugerere. He also caught sight of Kasato Hill which had so long attracted his attention. He climbed to the top of the hill and had a view of the whole country through which he had travelled. He also sighted the hills of Bugondo in Lake Kyoga, and Namulumuka Island, which he passed on his way from Lango.
The view of the country, as seen from Kasota Hill, satisfied Mukama’s belief that Busoga was too small for him and his followers. He, therefore, decided to cross over to Bunyoro.
The whole group then left Kasota Hill and sailed across Lake Kyoga and landed in Bunyoro. The place where Mukama embarked on his boat on his way to Bunyoro is regarded as sacred by many people in Busoga. This is where the water for bathing a new-born Mukama - or the child to be dedicated to Mukama - is drawn.
Once he landed in Bunyoro, Mukama never returned to Busoga. He found a man named Kitandwe who was living on the shore of the lake and asked him to accompany him inland. Before the arrival of Mukama, Kitandwe had been the ruler of the whole country. Then the two rivals went inland and engaged themselves in hunting. Kitandwe, however, was a selfish man; whenever he killed any game, he never shared it with the people. He thus lost popularity because of his selfishness. But Mukama, who was very generous, won the popularuty of the whole community and was made King. Most of the inhabitants were People of Cooli and Lango districts. They were not known as Banyoro.
Before Mukama left for Bunyoro, he gave to Kitimbo that part of the country which lay before the hill of Kasato. On two of its sides, this part was bounded by Muzaya’s and Ibanda’s countries.
Another group of historians state that Mukama was the head of a clan whose obscure origin was either the mountainous country of Bugishu, or north in the Sudan. From this obscure origin Mukama travelled westwards in company with many people, cattle, goats, sheep, dogs and other things. He first travelled through Teso and down to the Nile, in the Madi country — now Lango District. He then altered direction and travelled backwards. This was how the Jaluo people came to Bugwere, Bunyuli, Budama, Busoga and Kavirondo. Mukama had sighted some attractive hills and wished to travel towards them. Probably one of these hills was Gambalagala Hill in Teso; but failing to find his way to these hills, Mukama retreated and struck a new course along the Nile. He reached the shores of Lake Kyoga via the country inhabited by ‘Abamiro’ or Lango people.
It is stated in the first chapter of the book of the ‘Bassekabaka ba Buganda’ written by Sir. Apolo Kaggwa, K.C.M.G. and published in 1912, that Kintu came from Podi in the Sudan, N. Africa, and arrived in Bunyoro. In a book written by the Katikiro of Bunyoro, Petero Bikunya, an explanation of how Bunyoro came into existence is given. He states that the ancestors of Bunyoro came from Madi, now Lango District. All these facts prove that our ancestors came from the north, in the Sudan.
Sir. Apolo Kaggwa adds that when Kintu arrived in Buganda he sent his grandson, Ntembe, son of Unyi, to Busoga. Ntembe, it is alleged, was sent to Busoga as a ruler. This is the root of the allegation often made by Baganda that the whole country of Busoga belonged to Ntembe. This is not accepted by Basoga.
Petero Bikunya states that there was a Munyoro prince who was sent to Busoga and that all the Basoga of to-day belong to the lineage of this prince. Even this statement is not accepted. It is generally believed that four sons of Mukama of Bunyoro were sent to Busoga by their father. Some individuals seem to disagree with this view. They maintain that these sons were only left in Busoga on his way to Bunyoro. However, it is widely known that the Basoga people belong to the Jaluo stock of people who came from the north Sudan. The other people who belong to this group are the Acholi, Lango, Bagwere, Badama and Kavirondo people. While Mukama was still in Lango, he visited a certain island in Lake Kyoga and climbed up Namulaka Hill and had a good view of the distant countries. He sighted the hills of Kasota, Kagulu, Nsomba and others. He immediately conceived an idea to travel towards them; but his progress was badly handicapped by the absence of a boat by which he could cross the lake. The country was almost uninhabited and there were no people who could make boats or canoes. He was, therefore, obliged to take the land route which was much longer. He travelled through Teso, Bugwere and along the River Mpologoma and entered Bunyuli, hence to Budama. From the latter country he travelled along a land route and arrived in Busoga.
On his arrival in Busoga, Mukama first went to Nangoma Hill in Bukoli. He stayed on this hill for a short time surveying the country and hunting wild animals. All through the course of his travels, Mukama thrived on the flesh of the animals that he killed. From Nangoma he travelled to Walugoma in Bunya. By then the Luba rulers had not come into existence as such, but there were members of Isemagumba (Njaza) clan living there, mostly on the shores of Lake Victoria. The central part of Busoga was very sparsely populated. From here Mukama returned to Bukoli, where he had come from. Among his followers was a man named Nabala of Mpisi clan. Mukama had two dogs named Lubale and Munyoro, which were put in the care of Nabala. After a short stay in Bukoli, Mukama again returned to Bunya and reached Bukaleba for the second time. While he was there he sighted the hills of Nanso in Buganda and the hills on the islands of Buvuma. From Bukaleba Mukama travelled to Buluba, where he stayed for a short time before penetrating into the heart of the country.
There are many and various views held about Kintu and Mukama. Some people state that Mukama was living in Buganda when he sent his sons to occupy Busoga. Others maintain that Kintu descended from heaven with his wife, a hen and other things. However, they all invariably believe that Kintu is the father of them all. Even those people who regard themselves as members of the lineage of Mukama of Bunyoro also believe that Kintu was the father of all fathers. The sons of Mukama ruled over a large piece of country which could hold a population of about 100,000 people. Everyone of them had his own kingdom and ruled like a real king. They had sub-chiefs below them and lived in large palaces, observing customs and traditions just like any big Kabaka.
Example of these kingdoms are Bugabula and Bulamogi. The whole population of these kingdoms was loyal to their king. They practised the custom of digging up the skulls of their dead kings for preservation in the most sacred huts. This is exactly the same custom as practised in Buganda.
Since the line of the Kings of Buganda is believed to have originated within the lineage of Mukama the fact that this custom is practised in two different countries proves that the sons of Mukama truly came to Busoga. The custom is a testimony to the close relationship which exists.
The skulls of the kings of Bugabula are taken to a place called Kiwa in Bulamogi; those of the kings of Bulamogi are kept in a place called Lwamboga, Bulamogi. The skulls of the kings of Buganda are kept at Kasubi.
Such customs tend to draw a distinction between the sons of Kintu and those of Mukama. The sons of Kintu ruled over much smaller areas with a population of about 30,000. Some of their kingdoms had a population of under 30,000. Because of the small size of their kingdoms, they were not as powerful as Mukama’s Sons were; they were inferior to the latter and their clans were diversely different from those of the lineage of Mukama.
Furthermore, the lineages of the sons of Mukama were often much longer than those of the sons of Kintu. This was so because the families of the former were often much larger. It is probable that the sons of Kintu were the first to come to Busoga although they were later overshadowed by the sons of Mukama, who live much longer. The clans of members of the lineage of Kintu were very much affected by sleeping-sickness, which took a heavy toll.
The sons of Kintu died so soon that the lines of successors are extremely long compared with those of the sons of Mukama. These untimely deaths among the sons of Kintu were not too ancient. People died early with the outbreak of a war against the Sudanese rebels in 1897 - 1898 at Bukaleba, in Luba’s kingdom. This deadly episode was immediately followed by the outbreak of sleeping-sickness, a plague which carried off many of the lineage of Kintu.
In any case, the coming of Kintu or Mukama brought into existence the country of Busoga. The history of this country begins with the coming of Kintu or the sons of Mukama. There is no definite evidence to show that either of the two people (or parties) came. Since no war was fought between them, it is difficult to say who came first.
As it has already been stated above, the various clans formed by Kintu’s lineage ruled over very small areas. This shows that these people were, as rulers, inferior to those of the lineage of Mukama. The latter could preserve their independence as well as rule others. There were eight ruling clans altogether with the lineage of Mukama. In spite of their small numbers, they ruled over a considerably big area, about 3/4 of Busoga. The remaining 1/4 was under the rule of the rest of the clans; the sons of Kintu owned about 3/4 of the remainder.
Mukama’s sons were experienced rulers; they could organize some form of governments in their kingdoms and they also practised rigid customs and traditions. Within Kintu’s lineage there were many ruling clans, although their area of rule was very small. They had no kingdoms or even firmly established customs. They had no royal stools, spears-or shields; but Mukama’s sons had all these things, showing that they were relatively much advanced. They probably learnt all these things from their father, Mukama. They appointed their subjects to important positions in their countries and they often gave the princes their right places.