Table Of Content1. 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 209
i
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.
It is usual to refer to the whole kingdom as Bunyoro-Kitara as is done
formally, but for simplicity's sake the ancient kingdom is called Kitara, the
modern kingdom Bunyoro, and anything that does not fall readily into these
x
