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THE DIVISIONS OF THE NATIONAL ARMY [ABARUSURA] AND THE PROVINCIAL OR COUNTY ARMIES [OBWESENGEZE]

A national army was created by Omukama Chwa II Kabalega. It consisted of brave men whom he named Abarusura . This army was divided into different divisions.

These are the divisions and the names of their leaders:

1. EKIDOKA: Was under Kyamuhangire Ruhimbya, son of Majara
2. EKIHUKYA: Was under Rusongoza, son of Byontabara and later on under Muhenda Ruhanika, son of Komubigo
3· EKIPOROPYO: Was led by Kajuraof the Badoli clan, He was killed during the war with Buganda, Known as the Benga War.
4. EKIGWRA: Was under Kabagambe, son of Itera. This was charged with the defense of the Busoga, Bukidi, and Buganda borders
5. EKIKABYA: Was under Rukara, son of Kabaseke.
6. EKIHAMBYA: Was under Rwabudongo. He was also the Treasurer(omukeeto) during Kabalega’s reign. He is the father of Yonasani Wamara , the father of Akio Kamese.
7. EKIBANGYA: This was first under Katalikabu, son of Byamu’ and when he was discharged from the army, his battalion on was given to Rwansambya.
8. EKIRWANA: Was under Saza Chief Ireeta, son of Byangombe: This was charged with the defense of the Congo
9. EKIBANJA: Was under Saza Chief Kikukuule, son of Runego. It was charged with the defense of the border between Buganda and Bugangaizi. He had also his own county(saza) army.
10. EKIBALE: Was under Saza Chief Nyakamatura son of Nyakatura. This division was stationed in the heart of Bunyoro.
11. EKITALYA: was under Kasabe son of Rujoimoza.. It was charged with the defense of Mwenge.
12. EKIKWYA: Was first .under Rwamukikabut was taken away from him and grven to Kiiza, son of Iteka, his chief.
13. EKIHAGURA: was led by Dona Kabejweka [the father of Martin Mukidi].
14. EKITIKYA: was first under Kibego, son of Mucokoco, and then given to Bikanga Kahuzi, son of Nyamugobwa.
15. EKISIGURA: was under Mucokoco, son of Ndinga. These last three [13: 15] were subsections of Rwabudongo’s Ekihambya. There were many other subsections of the first ten [1: 10] ebitongole o£ the Abarusura, which were in fact the major divisions of this national army.

Battalions of the Provincial or County Armies (Obwesengeze)

There were other minor armies which belonged to the saza chiefs and the generals of the Abarusura.
They were divided into the following battalions:

1. EKITANDA: belonged to Rwabudongo and was led by Tibakunirwa, a Muganda.
2. EKITASA: also belonged to Rwabudongo, and was led by Byendaimira, son of Nkumale.
3. EKIROHOZA: also belonged to Rwabudongo and was led by Mika Fataki, a Musoga.
4. EKIHINDA: also belonged to Rwabudongo, and was led by Sayi, a Nubian.
5. EKITALESA: belonged to Saza Chief Mugarra Ndunga, son of Kabwijamu of the Banyonza clan. There were many others besides these.

The above were the divisions of the Abruusura who defended the kingdom of Kitara and its provinces: such as Bukidi, Ganyi, and Bulega: and suppressed any rebels who revolted against Kabalega. Now, the younger generation may wonder how Kitara lost its prestige, honor, and its extensive areas between 1891 and 1900. But do not forget our proverb which says: Abasaija bali nke’ngesa, singurwa zimara zihumbuka, “Men are like eagles which fall and then rise again.”This is to say that with your hard work, and perseverance, we would not fail to restore our kingdom to its past glory so that the future generation can also visualize its former greatness. Everyone should try to do his best and should not belittle the little things he does for his country, for, as our proverb says: “He who uses the only spear he has, is not a coward.”

Four Bachwezi/Batembuzi governed Buganda(Muhwahwa) before Kato Kintu/Kimera.

That was:
1. Koya was appointed by Omukama Isaza of the Batembuzi to govern the area.
2. Ntege ya Koya was Son of Koya and governed after him. Ndahura, a Muchwezi Killed Ntege accusing him of cession tendencies. He was leader of the Ffumbe Clan
3. Ndahura replaced Ntege with Omuchwezi Kyomya
4. Omukama Wamara appoints Kaganda Rusiri son of Ntege to replace Kyomya after Ndahura abdicates the throne.

Other events
5. Bachwezi Disappear or are defeated (about late 13 century)
6. Isingoma Mpuuga Rukidi becomes Omukama of Bunyoro
7. Kato Kimera becomes Kabaka of Buganda(Muhwahwa)
8. Ruhinda, they say he was a bastard son of Ndahura refuses Rukidi Mpuuga rule and decides to go to Karokarungi(Ankole) to start a Kingdom.
9. Ndahura goes to Rwanda and establishes a new Pastroal class, adopts the language of the people.
10. Ruhinda leaves Ankole for Karagwe, kills King of Karagwe called Nono and takes over his throne.

Note 1: Kyomya was a grandson of Isaza and father to Isingoma Rukidi Mpuuga, Kato Kimera/Kintu, Kiiza, Nyarwa and other 5 children

Note 2: Isimbwa was the father of Ndahura and Kyomya

Note 3: Isaza was the father of Isimbwa

And:

Uganda comes from Buganda, and Buganda comes from Kaganda Rusiri who used to govern the place in the late 1300’s, the people in the areas used to be referred to as Kagandas little Men because of he friction between Bakitara and the people of the area, hence the name took shape.

Kaganda itself is a Chwezi coming from Kuganda meaning cool
#Ugandahistory #BunyoroKitaraHistory

The Bemba or Abasabemba

AbaBemba (the Bemba people) of Zambia in Central Africa are Bantus. The historiography of AbaBemba begins in the 15th century, when the 1484-1485 Portuguese expedition under Diego Cam (also known as Diogo Cão) was launched whereupon the Europeans first made contact with the mouth of the Congo River and interacted with the Kongo Kingdom.

The collection of ethnicities known as Bemba have a ruling class called Abena Ng’andu. This clan traces its ancestry to Mbemba Nshinga (aka Nzinga) who ruled Kongo from 1509-1543

The Ababemba in Uganda and EastAfrica

The BaShimba Leopard Clan or bena Ngo living among the Bemba people are part of the Basimba people now living in Tanzania, Uganda and the DR Congo.
Bemba folklore passed on from generation to generation cites the origin of the Bemba tribe as having originated from a woman who fell from heaven called Mumbi Mukasa and who had long ears.

#Nambi #Numbi #BembaMusota
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemba_people

Kitara

In 1862 John Speke was informed that the general name ” Kittara ,. . is gradually becoming extinct, and is seldom applied to any but the western portions” of Uganda indicating it was an ancient name. The most provocative explanation concerning the historic meaning of the name Kitara was suggested by J , H, Driberg (1931), who linked Kitara to awatwara a title used for provincial governors in Burundi, Having observed that the word was at that time “hardly recognized by the Banyoro” of the Kitara complex, he wrote, ” It is not until we reach Burundi that we find the origin of the word ‘Kitwara,’ Here we find that awatwara is used to designate provincial governors to this day ,,.,”

In view of the historic links between these interlacustrine kingdoms, the Burundi title for provincial governor and the twale or twari chiefly title in the oldest collected Kitara court traditions insignificant, the more so since the image of political organization that emerges from the traditions of the Batembuzi period focuses on provinces (sazas) as the key political unit.

“Kitara” may have originally meant the “place of the Twara” or twala (chief), that is to say, the Kitara name is an instance where the territory took the name of the title of the ruler.

In about the 13th century, Mubende hill was an important ritual centre for Nyakahuma, the Bachwezi cult medium of Ndahura, the first Mucwezi king of the Kitara Empire. Ndahura was believed to have the powers to give blessings to his people.

When he died, Nyakahuma, his eldest wife, became a central figure in the Bachwezi cult worship because many believed she was still able to communicate with the dead king. Consequently, many people travelled long distances to ask Ndahura, through Nyakahuma, for fame and fortune.

Unfortunately, Nyakahuma also passed away. But before her death, she had vowed to return to the people for as long as the tree, which made her Palace’s cornerstone, still existed.

Entogoro is a courtship dance with a long history.

As the legend goes, a very long time ago, several men sought to marry the same beautiful girl.

To settle who would win her hand in marriage, a big ceremony was organized and all the suitors were invited to dance before the girl’s elders who would then determine the suitor with the most stamina that would be best able to fend for and protect their daughter.

Although this is no longer used as a way to determine the eligibility of a suitor, entogoro is still performed for entertainment at traditional Nyoro weddings.

Visitors to Bunyoro on cultural tours can engage in this old courtship dance alongside local groups of men and women.

The Nyoro dance, Entogoro also called Runyege, is one of Uganda’s most famous traditional dances, and probably the most energetic.

The dance is named for the pod rattles tied around boys’ legs called ebinyege and entogoro that produce percussion rhythms that blend in with the song and drumbeat.

King Kamurasi wanted to marry off her beautiful daughter Kakwanzi

Two Men who wanted to be part of the royal kings lineage fought a blood bath battle that saw the princess drawn in a river and disappear.

The princess is recovered by a remote tribe of the Batwa (very short people). The Batwa have a strong admiration for the princesses beauty and elegance.

Since the princess does not know her way home she decides to stay and gets to know and learn the language of the Twa people and she even falls in love with koojo, a twa boyfriend

While in Karuzika(Kings Palace), King Kamurasi is in pursuit of her lost daughter

He sends his guards to look for her, they are able to locate her but are faught off by the Batwa.

The surviving guard reports back to the King, the king sends a full army(barusura) to rescue her daughter

Battle ensures and the princess is recovered

The Princess returns but she fell in love with the Batwa people of how well they treated her as well her boyfriend koojo

Kakwanzi tells her father that she had eventually found true love, and tries to convince her father, but he refuses, as a princess can’t marry a commoner.

Koojo meanwhile is also in search of the Princess

The princess escapes from the palace to return back to the Batwa people and to Koojo.

The father is infuriated but has nothing to do.

On the wedding of the princess and koojo, King Kamurasi appears suddenly to bless the marriage

Koojo and Kakwanzi live happily ever after

Omukama Isaza(Last King of the Tembuzi dynasty) ascended to the throne when he was still very young and he faced many difficulties including the first locust disasters during his reign.

The locusts are known to have destroyed forests and all plants. The King and his people could not defeat these locusts because were so many.

Scientists of the era sat down and tried to look for a solution and it was revealed Lakes Mwitanzige’s(Albert) water was poisonous and could kill millions of locusts.

Isaza Rugambanabato ordered his men from southern Rwanda to northern Uganda to work hard to face these locusts. Their work was to line up one by one from Southern Rwanda to Northern Uganda and dig a long dam in which they would plant trees that locusts liked to eat.

During that hard work old men were not able to work as King Isaza wanted. He ordered that all old men be killed to give space to young ones who were able to face the challenge. The young monarch was therefore nicknamed “Rugambanabato” (he who talks only with young people).

Trees that were most liked by locusts were planted and the locusts left Lake Nzige(current Mugesera in Rwanda) and started eating them up to Lake Mwitanzinge(current Lake Albert in Uganda) were they all died.

How the old men were allowed back in the palace

Rugambanabato enjoyed hunting. One day after killing a young gazelle, which had a nice skin, he expressed a wish to put on the skin of the young gazelle. His friends made the skin into the form of a cloth and gave it to him. The king was extremely delighted, but unfortunately, the skin dried on him and became too tight pressing against him to the point of squeezing him to death.

The King went to see aunt called Kogere and his sister Nyangoma to tell of his dilemma. The two had hidden an old man and the old man felt sorry when he was told the tragic story. The old man went with his grandson to save Rugambanabato.  When he arrived at the scene, he ordered Rugambanabato’s friends to take him to a river and let him sleep entirely in the water. When he emerged from the water, the animal skin has softened and with the aid of a knife the old man was able to cut the skin. He opened it and took Rugambanabato out of the skin.

King Rugambanabato was so delighted and ordered that if there is any other older man hidden somewhere, they should show up and come to live at his palace and made them his court advisors and ordered them not to depart from his presence. From then, Rugambanabato preferred the old men to the young men and agreed to be advised by the elders because young people were not able to save him.  He respected the old people from that time onwards.

This Nyoro “cautionary tale” points the familiar moral that a person in authority neglects at his peril the advice of those older and wiser than he, and that old men are likely to be better informed than callow youth. But it also stresses another important feature of Nyoro ideas about authority – namely, that it is not inappropriate for young person’s to have power.  in fact, succession by the youngest or a younger son is a characteristic feature of Nyoro inheritance. The role of the Older brother is to act as a guardian until the heir is old enough to assume full authority. Nyoro say that a first son should not inherit; Age is a qualification for advisory, not executive authority; it is right that the aged should be spared the arduousness of decision making, but right that they should guide and advise those in power.

In the beginning, there was Ruhanga-God who created the earth. When he created the first man, there were no names, so he simply called him Kintu, which means “created thing or person”.

Kintu had three sons but it was very confusing for them not to have names. They all shared the name ‘Kana’ (meaning little child) Whenever the father called one, they could all come and whenever he gave one child a present, they all quarreled declaring it was intended for them, So, he asked Ruhanga if they could be given names. Ruhanga agreed but he proposed *two tests* to help him select the boys names.

In the first test, the boys had to select some items that were placed along a path where they would find them.

In the second test, the boys had to keep bowls of milk on their lap during a night until morning.

For the first test, Potatoes, millet, leather thong/strap and a ox’s head were placed along the path, As the children walked, they found the things in the path, the eldest son picked up the potatoes and millet, the second pick up the leather thong and the youngest, picked the ox’s head.

For the second test, they sat down on the ground, with their legs stretched out, each holding on his lap a full wooden milk pot. At midnight, the youngest boy started to dose and spilt half of his milk: He greatly feared and turned to his brothers to beg them to give him their milk that his pot might be full, so the two brothers filled up their young brother milk pot. But at cock crow the eldest spilled all his milk, and when he asked his brothers to pour from their pots into his, they refused, saying that he would need so much to fill up the empty pot.

At dawn Ruhanga came and told each to uncover his milk pot. With the eldest, he found it empty; with the second, half full; while the youngest had his full.

So Ruhanga called Kintu that he had found the names for his three children.

The oldest son was named Kairu, which means “little peasant” for he had shown that he knew nothing about the value of cattle or milk. He had spilled all his milk, and he had chosen potatoes and millet from the items along the path. He and all his descendants forever would be farmers and servants.

The second he named Kahuma which means (little herdsman), This is because he had chosen the leather thong/stap, used for tying up cattle, and only half of his milk was missing

The youngest son had all his milk. And he had chosen the head of an ox in the first test. Ruhanga named him Kakama, which means “little mukama.” A mukama is a ruler.