The Legend of Ruhinda and Foundation of Ankole and Karagwe

The Legend of Ruhinda and Foundation of Ankole and Karagwe

Omukama Wa-Imara(Wamara), the last king of Bachwezi empire had three sons: Ruhinda, Mugasha and Kanyagwe.

Ruhinda was born of a girl called *Njunaki*, a servant girl to *Omukama Wamara*. He is called Ruhinda because he had Ekihinda (a black mark) on his face. Either because of Wamara’s alleged affair with Njunaki or her status as a servant, her son Ruhinda, is regarded by all traditions, as an *illegitimate son of Wamara*. Even so, it was this so illegitimate son who was destined to revive the lost glory and fame of the Bachwezi by founding a new empire and establish a new dynasty -*Ruhinda Dynasty*, which has borne his name up to this day.

At the time of his father’s flight, Ruhinda is said to have been left behind in *Bunyoro-Kitara(former chwezi empire)* under the disguise as the keeper of the royal drum. He served the usurpers of his father’s throne, the Babito twins(Rukidi Mpuga and Kato Kimera) for a while, in the meantime making plans to escape with some of the regalia which his father had left intact when he fled.

His father and some bachwezi(Bahima) followers left and formed a new capital at Mahogora/Ntusi/Bigo, Meanwhile Ruhinda stole the most important of the Insignia of royal drum(Bagyendwnwa) and joined his father and group.

From there, Ruhinda, together with a group of followers, left his father and went to Buzinza and Karagwe, he took some of the bahima followers and left some with his father. When he returned from his expedition he found that Ntusi/Bigo had been raided by invaders (probably by the Babito to get back their royal drum). His father and most of the other bachwezi had been killed by the invaders, only his mother and elder brother Kanyangwe, had been spared. Since the place was no longer safe, he took his mother and brother to karokarungi(nkole).

In Karokarungi, he found *katuku*, an indigenous bantu as the ruler of the area(isaza) and forced him to flee, Ruhinda declared himself rule of karokarungi and build his capital at *Mweruka*. He later moved to Rurama. At Rurama, Ruhinda bore a son Nkuba to whom he later entrusted the Kingdom of Ankole.

*His Move to Karagwe*

After entrusting the throne of Ankole to his son Nkuba, he left for Karagwe with some of his followers and a large group of cattle and never returned to karokarungi.

While in Karagwe, he found Nono, a Bantu ruler, believed to be of the basita clan as the chief of the land, it is narrated that, he knocked on Nono’s door, when it was opened; he greeted his host with a curse, ‘Kachenjere!’ (may you perish), Nothing is said of Nono after his meeting with Ruhinda except that he did not continue to rule karagwe.

He installed himself as ruler of Karagwe with the royal drum called Nyabatma and established his capital at Bwehange, the site was selected after a bull called Bihogo bya Rutwenge had died on that spot, thus signifying that this place was suitable for a king’s capital, because of the strong winds in Bwehange, he abandoned the place for a new site Bweranyange, the new site remained the capital of karagwe until the Colonial German administration.

Ruhinda is also believed to have overthrown other indigenous bantu rulers, In Bumbwiga, he overthrew Mutunda of the Basita clan, in Buzinza, he overthrew Sansana, a Musumbwa ruler of the Batundu clan, his other expeditions are also recorded in Ihangiro(Bwirebutakya), Kyamutwara and Bugabo but these were unsuccessful.

Burial Disputes

It is said the Ruhinda died in Ihangiro or Buzinza. A dispute arose soon after his death. It was mainly over where his remains would be buried, since each of the major three states – Karagwe, Ihangiro and Buzinza wanted to have him buried in its territory.

Finally a compromise was reached, by which his head was to be buried in Karagwe, the trunk in Ihangiro, and the legs in Buzinza. Bwehange and Bwina are given as the locations where his remains were buried in Karagwe and Buziza respectively, but no name for the trunk in Ihangiro.