Kings of Bunyoro

So the boys set out to their journey and arrived at their uncle’s place. They were told to get seated until he came to them. Meanwhile, he entered into his back house, in which he had a cow slaughtered, skinned and its head cut off. He then cooked millet and sweet potatoes. He got the food, an axe, a panga (knife) and carried them with a pad on his head and put them in the middle of the road.

When he got back he told the children: “Here are your milking vessels, take them and go.” As they walked, they found the things in the road. These were the ones which Ruhanga had secretly placed there. The eldest son immediately seized the basket of food. He began eating the food, but his brothers remonstrated with him for taking the food that was not rightly his. He took home, the potatoes, millet, a panga and pad. The second boy chose out a belt strap, thinking it might be useful for tying up the cows at milking time and the youngest carried home the cows head.

When they got back to their uncle’s house, they laid down the things before him and explained everything to him. After he had finished observing their choices, he decided to set for them another test. This time they were to sit down on the ground in the evening, with their legs stretched out, each holding on his lap a full wooden milk pot. He commanded them to guard the milk and not to drink as they had eaten his millet. 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. This they did. But at cock crow the eldest upset all his, and when he asked the others 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. When he looked into the first he found it empty; passing on to the second he saw that a little had gone out of it, and asked the boy if he had drunk it. The boy answered:

“No oh God, I did not drink it, but I filled up my little brothers pot for he had spilt some of his“. Ruhanga called his brother and told him that names had been found for his three children. The eldest he cursed and named Kairu (little servant), for he had eaten food on the public road with unwashed hands and had proved himself faithless in his match; hence forth he would be the servant of man, to gather firewood, to build houses and to be sub-servient in all things to his master. The second he named Kahuma (little herdsman), for he should minister as herdsman to him to whom he had given milk. To the youngest he said: “Your Name is Kakama Twale, (Ruler, Little King), You shall reign over all men, for you took from the road the cows head; all shall fear and worship you and your word”.

The name Rukidi of the first ruler referred to a point of origin in Tekidi and the name Isingoma seems to have been derived from the word Ise – Ngoma, meaning the father of the drums. It was a name commemorating the possession of the royal drums and Insignia that were from the old supporters of the Bacwezi – the Basita clan and other drums which Rukidi brought with him from Pawir-Chope. The name Mpuga meant the spotted one – meaning that Mpuga had mixed descent of the Bacwezi and the Babiito. They introduced many words, clans and customs which appear to have their origin in the cradle land.

The name Rukidi of the first ruler referred to a point of origin in Tekidi and the name Isingoma seems to have been derived from the word Ise – Ngoma, meaning the father of the drums. It was a name commemorating the possession of the royal drums and Insignia that were from the old supporters of the Bacwezi – the Basita clan and other drums which Rukidi brought with him from Pawir-Chope. The name Mpuga meant the spotted one – meaning that Mpuga had mixed descent of the Bacwezi and the Babiito. They introduced many words, clans and customs which appear to have their origin in the cradle land.

The Empire which the Babiito inherited was still extensive but certainly smaller than that of their predecessors. Nkore for example had broken away before the arrival of the Bito and Buganda seceded before the death of the first Bito King Isingoma Rukidi-Mpuga. The Kingdom which remained got another name Bunyoro hence the name Bunyoro-Kitara. The term Bunyoro according to some historians, seems to have specifically, referred to the new Luo element in the population, the bulk of which tended to form an intermediate class between the Hima-pastoral aristocracy and the ordinary peasants.

The national drum remained with its top downwards. Not once was it sounded. Silence covered the country like a shroud, and in the homes of people the rattles were put aside and all music ceased. The instruments of raiding were sheathered and everyone donned his oldest and dirtiest garments. People fasted day after day with sorrowful countenances; for death had never hitherto fallen on the throne. The Bunyoro regarded the death of the first Bito King as the curse on the King and prognostication of the overthrow of the Kingdom.

When the announcement went forth that a new king had been found, the nation breathed fresh hope and threw aside all garments of mourning. All people hastened to the capital to pay homage to the new king. The king was Ocaki Rwangira, son of Rukidi Mpuga. He was presented to the people by the priest, who placed on his head, the ancient crown of the Bacwezi. Offering of cattle were given to the king and deputies from Toro, Nkore, Busoga, and Buganda also presented their gifts. When the Omukama had received the homage of the people, he reversed the drum and exercised the royal prerogative of sounding it, as a sign of his sovereignty. As the booming resounded from hill to hill, the people broke out into deafening shouts of “Okali”, hail to our king and all the drums were awakened at the sound and responded in a roar of rejoicing.

Ocaki Rwangira became successor to Isingoma Rukidi Mpuga. He was a very peaceful man. During his reign Bunyoro Kitara enjoyed peace.

Historians attribute the peace to the absence of quarrels among the members of the royal family which had not yet started. Ocaki remained on good terms with his uncle Kato Kimera of Buganda and used to exchange gifts and messages with him. Ocaki did not have children. He was buried at Keci and his garments at Irangara. His mother was Iremera of the Balisa clan.

The Baganda lost the battle and their throne was occupied by a woman called Nanono for one full year. Olimi’s intention was to annex Buganda and restore it to the rule of Bunyoro Kitara. But his advisors prevented him from fulfilling the plan because one throne does not swallow another. However, Olimi withdrew from Buganda and invaded Nkore. Unlike in Buganda, the king occupied Nkore -for some period and built his capital there. According to Kinyoro traditions, Olimi withdrew from Nkore because of an eclipse of the sun. This is believed to have taken place in 1520, a date which agrees with the Nkore estimates of the reign of Ntare I. This date being one of the firm dates, It has been used as a peg on which chronological problems of this region have been hanged. Olimi I died and was buried at Kalimbi in Mutuba Gombolola, Ssingo. His mother was Nyagiro of the Banyungi clan.

Cwa I, Rumoma Mahanga succeeded Nyarwa. During his reign a plague broke out among the cattle of Bunyoro and the king ordered all the infected animals to be destroyed so as to arrest the disease and to prevent it from spreading to other districts.

The cows that were destroyed were so numerous that they could not be counted and when the servants had finished carrying out the King’s command, they came and told him that they had killed all the infected animals. The king was also advised to invade Nkore which at this time had a lot of cattle. Not waiting to waste time the King turned to his servants and said: “let him who has a shield smear on butter; he who possess a spear sharpen it and prepare for plunder, so that my flocks and herds should be replenished”

So the war drum was sounded and the men rallied round the king. He moved and confronted the Omugabe Ntare Kitabanyoro (scourge of Bunyoro) and defeated him at the battle of Rulembo. Ntare fled to the Kagera Islands. The king ordered that the Nkore royal drum should be cut into pieces, so that Nkore should cease to exist as a separate state. He came to be known as Cwa, He who cuts. Cwa I established his capital in Nkore on a hill called Kakunyu.

Meanwhile, Cwa also planned to invade Rwanda under the advise of the Abafumu of the Bacwezi clan that he would get a lot of cattle from Rwanda. This was after a three-year stay in Nkore. He encountered King Kahindira of Rwanda and a battle was fought in which Kahindira was beaten and his cattle captured. Many of the cattle were sent to Kitara. Cwa I settled in Rwanda and thus~, Rwanda became the centre for his raiding expedition. He ventured even beyond Lake Kivu. During his stay in Rwanda, the Omukama gave Rwanda a taste of good administration. He organised it on the same pattern used in Bunyoro-Kitara. In the chronicles of Rwanda, the Kitara occupation of Rwanda, is said to have been great because Cwa I, left a legacy of good administration, which came to be used.

Cwa I, died in Rwanda and his men decided to return to Bunyoro-Kitara. But they tried to hide the death of the King and from this fact developed the custom of saying that the King has been lost or swallowed up. Indications show that, the Banyoro must have been forced out of Rwanda. When Ntare learnt of the death of Cwa I, and the defeat of the Banyoro, he decided to ambush the remaining followers. Many of them were killed thus avenging his earlier defeat. This earned him the name Kitabanyoro. Because Cwa had not left a heir to the throne, a lady Masamba was put on the throne as regent. She was also the Batebe – the Kings official sister. Her mother was Runego of the Bagweri clan. Mashamba (Regent) was a princess and daughter of Winyi II Rubagiramasega, and she served as regent when Cwa I Rumoma Mahanga had been killed in Rwanda.

Omubiitokati (princess) Masamba Ga Winyi ruled the kingdom for a considerably long time until she was murded by Chwa 1’s son Prince Kyebambe 1 Omuziikya

During her reign, a lady called Ihembe, a former wife of Cwa I, who had escaped from Kitara, was discovered by the elders who were in earnest search for a legal heir. It is said that, this information to the elders of Bunyoro-Kitara was given by a man called Kyamatebe, who used to travel to Nkore with coffee beans, for exchange with butter. She had been captured by the Banyankore when she was pregnant. She gave birth to prince Winyi. When she was discovered, she was returned to Kitara together with prince Winyi. When they arrived the prince was first hidden from his aunt, because the Queen had secret plans to kill the boy. When the elders discovered it, they also planned for her assassination.

This being accomplished and her household officials being liquidated Prince Winyi was put on the throne and crowned as Kyebambe I, because he had usurped the throne of his aunt. He was also called Masikya because after killing her (Masamba) he had reduced the members of the clan. Masamba was buried at Rwembuba in Bugangaizi. She ruled for more than four years and was married to a Mubiito called Iguru son of Murro. Iguru is said to have been a cruel man and it was one reason why Masamba was deposed. Although Masamba was deposed, her reign remains significant because, she is the only remembered woman to have achieved this feat in this region.

The Basegu clan were raised in importance because the man who reported to the elders about Masamba’s planned murder of Winyi was a Musegu. So the elevation of the Busegu was in appreciation for their loyalty. The Kings dancers and singers called Abatimbo also gained importance and prominence for the King was a music lover. Kyebambe ruled peacefully and did not exploit the feud in Buganda between Kabaka Juko supporters and those of Kayemba. Omukama Kyebambe I, reigned for quite long and died very old. He was buried at Kijaguzo in the Nyakabimba area of Toro. His mother was a Mubiito called Ihembe.

Prince Winyi was put on the throne and crowned as Kyebambe I, because he had usurped the throne of his aunt. He was also called Masikya because after killing her  aunt (Masamba) he had reduced the members of the clan.

Kyebambe ruled peacefully and did not exploit the feud in Buganda between Kabaka Juko supporters and those of Kayemba. Omukama Kyebambe I, reigned for quite long and died very old. He was buried at Kijaguzo in the Nyakabimba area of Toro. His mother was a Mubiito called Ihembe.

Omukama Isansa attacked Nkore first and passed through Kyenkwanzi, Parajwoki, Bugahya, Bugoma, crossed Nguse river to Buyaga, Bujogoro, Mulongo and Kikana. He encountered Omugabe Karaiga at Rulembo (his capital) and beat him decisively. Nkore was captured and the country raided. Isansa had decided to attack Kyaihangiro too, but he was advised against that by his diviners who told him that it was not in order for Kitara Kings to attack Kyaihangiro.

First, Omucwezi Ndahura was captured and defeated there, in addition and secondly, Cwa I, got lost in that place. However, Isansa’s son called Mali had already left for Ihangiro before his father had been given advice. Indeed he was defeated and captured in Ihangiro. Prince Mali never left Ihangiro, where it is said he got children. Olimi III Isansa died and was buried at Kiguhyo in Buyaga. His other burial place (for his garments and other personal belongings is at Bukonda in Bugangaizi). He was son of Mpanga Omwangamwoyo, Omubiitokati (of the Babiito clan

The Mukama of Kitara used to send a Mubiito who performed the coronation rites such as silting the new King on the throne and handing him the royal spear. This connection which Kitara had with Kooki was retained up to the time when Kooki ceased to be an independent Kingdom and joined Buganda in 1896.

When Duhaga became King, he discovered that there was no Musaigi to succeed to the position of the King’s mother because his father, Isansa, had killed all members of the Basaigi clan in the country to avenge the death of his father Kyebambe II, Bikaju. The Basaigi, however, were still in Nkore and from there a Queen was got to fill the position of the official mother of Omukama Duhaga I. Duhaga I, who never had children was made fertile by a man who kept Wamara’s spear called Kimuli Kyokya Mahanga, from Bwera. From there Duhaga produced many children. He had the second greatest number of children among all Kitara Kings.

Duhaga fought against Nkore’s King called Karaiga. He defeated the latter and destroyed his royal drum called Bagendanwa, which he cut into pieces. He also invaded his son called Kitehimbwa, his own ruling in Kooki, but was protected by Kabaka Jjunju. Kitehimbwa had declared Kooki an independent kingdom after he had stayed behind from an expedition with his father in Nkore. Kitehimbwa lost his life and Kooki fell to Bunyoro. However, Kabaka Jjunju invaded Kooki and installed Mujwiga in Kooki. The Kabaka also attacked and killed Bwakamba son of Mukwiri, head of the Babiito clan as well as Saza Chief of Bwera. The Bwakamba family had ruled Bwera since the Omukama Isaza Waraga’s time. Jjunju appointed Ruziga of the Basita clan as saza chief of Kooki and Kooki fell to Buganda Kingdom. Kooki on the other hand became Mujwiga’s kingdom.

Today there are many characteristics which denote that Kooki was for a long time, a province of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. Such personal names as Katabarwa, Kagoro, Kagerre, Bwigora, Mukwiri, Kasumba, Komungoro, Kigemuzi are all Kinyoro authentic names.

Duhaga I, declared war on Buganda so that he could recover his lost territories. But as was the advice of Nyakoka’s predication, Duhaga was defeated. His move had been supported by another diviner called Kakyali, whose advice was taken for granted. Duhaga fled into Kaborogota swamps and hurt himself in the process. Some people suggest that he was cut by a papyrus, others say that he fell on his own spear which wounded him. Whatever the case, he was carried away by his followers to Nkwali market and died there. He did not die of wounds but took poison as most Kings of Bunyoro-Kitara did. He bequeathed the throne to Kasoma his son. 70 of his sons had died in the battle with Buganda. Duhaga was buried at Irangara in the Mutuba III Gombolola in Bugangaizi.

Nyamutukura fled through the papyrus covering the swampy river of Kairabya. He was assisted by the man (his servant) called Kanyaihe. When they had crossed to the other side, they arrived at the home of a man called Mutaikanga, who was a chief. From there he moved on and arrived at a house which belonged to a man called Kataba, before reaching his own area of Kisunga. He swore never to go back to the capital because he nearly lost his life there

Nyamutukura who gave up every hope of fighting for the throne was later to be assisted by Rumoma the Okwiri (head of the Babiito clan) to take power. One day, Rumoma the Okwiri and Rabwoni, son of Bireju came to pay their respects to the King. The two got drunk while at the king’s palace and started a heated argument which ended up into a quarrel. Rabwoni accused Rumoma of complicity in Nyamutukura’s plot to overthrow Kasoma, and mocked him for the failure of the conspiracy. Rumoma was very hurt by this allegation and assured Rabwoni that if he had been on the side of Nyamutukura, it would not have been possible for Kasoma to be King.

Although the King was called upon to intervene and stop the quarrel, he refused arguing that the two were sensible men who knew what was required of them to do. Okwiri Rumoma was so annoyed that he decided to give his support to Nyamutukura so that he could be the new king. He sent message to prince Nyamutukura in Rugonjo to come, so that they would move together to the capital and overthrow Kasoma. Nyamutukura, who refused at first later changed his mind when Rumoma had sent his son to Nyamutukura as a guarantee of his word.

They moved against Kasoma and Kasoma was seriously beaten. Nyamutukura marched with his victorious army into the palace and installed himself as king. Kasoma was offered posts in the new government but refused them, there upon causing anger to Nyamutukura who then ordered his immediate execution. He was taken to Kabale and executed near the lake. Olimi IV Kasoma was buried at Ruhunga in the Gombolola of Mumyoka in Bugangaizi. His mother belonged to the Mucwa clan and was a sister of Nyamutukura’s mother.

Nyamutukura reigned for a long period of time (1786 -1835), became too old and forced his son to desire the kingship through drastic steps. Many of the sons decided to rebel. The first son to scheme against his father was Karasama Bugondo, county chief Bugungu. He sought support from Kabaka Kamanya of Buganda, but the latter refused to give in the support. He instead informed Nyamutukura about the plot because the two kings had been on friendly terms. Nyamutukura tricked his son and got him killed before he reached Bugungu. His remains are at Kitagi in the Sabagabu Gombolola of Buhaguzi

The next rebellion was by the favourite son called Kaboyo who allied with the Batoro and Basongora elders. He had been sent to inspect the herds in Toro, but noting that he was welcomed, he declared Toro independent and made himself king of Toro Kingdom. Nyamutukura never wanted to kill Kaboyo for he loved him. So he prevented his soldiers from killing him. The soldiers were sent after the King heard that his rebel son had attacked the King’s cattle at Myeri. He told the soldiers not to chase Kaboyo if he ran away because he had a weak heart and not to engage him if he decided to give battle. Nyamutukura moved his capital to Bugoma to avoid raids from the Toro rebellion. He died there five years after Kaboyo’s rebellion. Nyamutukura had many children below are those who are known and their respective sazas

During the reign of Nyamutukura, Kitara weakened because it was reduced to a very small kingdom. Toro succeeded and extended as far as river Munobwa in Mwenge. Buganda moved as far as Kiboga and Nyabakazi in Buhekura county. When Nyamukutura died he was buried at Kibedi, Nyamarunda in Buyaga. His mother was called Kafunda of the Bacwa clan.

Dwetakya
Nyakuhya
Kweru
Rwakabale
Kamurasi (Saza Chief Bugungu)
Kamihanda Omudaya (Saza Chief of Kicwabugingo)
Isingoma Rutafa(the Father of Zeresire, Alifunsi (Alphonse) Ngasirwa and of Jessica Gafabusa and Kahimbara (daughters); and Kasami minor chief of Bujwahya. Mugenyi’s mother was Kajaja of the Bafunjo clan.

Kamuhanda’s army was commanded by Kikwizi son of Mulere of the Basaigi clan. Kamurasi moved and confronted Olimi with a large army, in which, Olimi was defeated and killed. He was buried at Kitonya in the Gombolola of Mituba III, Buyanja, Buyaga. His mother belonged to the Bazira clan.

Kabalega grew up in the palace with his brother, prince Kabigumire. They played together and like all younger boys discussed their ambitions and aspirations with each other. Kabigumire’s ambition was to slaughter all his father’s servants when he became king and replace them with those of his own choice. Kabalega’s ambition was to turn these servants into soldiers. There was no point in killing them he argued. As soldiers, they could be profitably used in maintaining internal stability and in raiding neighbouring kingdoms. Moreover, successful raids would make them rich and contented.

During this period, Kabigumire and Kabalega were placed under the care of Kamihanda Omudaya, the brother of Kamurasi. He was instructed to study them and note who exhibited kingly characteristics. At the same time, he taught them court etiquette and the history of the kings of Kitara. It soon became apparent that Omudaya was impressed with Kabigumire. He found him more royal and refined in behaviour. Kabalega, on the other hand, was impulsive, headstrong, proud, opinionated and short tempered. He devoted a lot of attention to the royal cattle and the court pages. Despite the views of Kamihanda, Kamurasi named Kabalega as his successor in his will, because of his younger son’s single-mindedness, aggressive qualities and obvious interest in the people – the common people Kabalega used to chat with them and give them gifts. They adored him. But the majority of the royal family hated him. They appear to have been apprehensive of him and to have made their minds that he would never be their king.