BUGANDA KINGDOM

Buganda Kingdom up to 1850

Buganda Kingdom was part of the Chwezi empire. The baganda believed they decentralized and raced by a council of clan leaders Abataka. It president was regarded simply as the first among equal. However, the founder of modern Buganda was Kato kintu a man who appeared from the east perhaps beyond.

Tradition has it that he passed Bakedde to react Buganda in 1340.

He subsidized  the clan leaders council and reduced their powers by establishing 13 new clans. He married Nambi Naututhlulu and these there are the biological ancestors of Buganda.

Kato Kintu was buried at Nnono in Busujju county and was succeeded by his son, Chwa (10 Nabakka who established five new clans.

Chwa (1) was succeeded by his grandson Kimera. Kimera was the son of Kalemera, a prince who had died during visit to Bunyoro palace. By the time Chwa  I did , Re lad no uni  son.

The Baganda decided to fetch Kimera whose mother was Wangane of the grasshopper clan from Bunyoro, thus Kimera became the third Kabaka and this explains the Bito link kin Buagnda Kingdom.

By 1500, Buganda was highly centralized but still under Bunyoro. It was at this time that it began expanding from three counties by conquering parts of her neigbours, Bunyoro, Busoga and Karagwe.

The most expansionist kings were Junjja (1494- 1524), who took over Bwere and Buweekala (1794 – 1884).

By 1850, Buganda had attained her size of today and by 1900, she was divided into 212, countries covering the area between L. Victoria and L. Kyoga, including some islands on those lakes between R. Nile and Ankole, Bunyoro frontiers.

Factors responsible for Baganda and rise

1. Buganda was situated in an area with abundant rainfall, fertile soils and was able to support her population in terms of food cash crops and settlement.
2. Centralization gradually reduced the political influence of the Abataka without undermining their tradition status.
3. The Kabaka gradually reduced the political influence of the Abataka  without undermining their tradition status
4. Division of Labour. The women were kept to look after the family tree the men to engage in war and trade and other crafts.
5. Buganda was a relatively small kingdom compared to the expensive Bunyoro. She was easily governed by the king under an effective 5 years in which all the posts a part from the clan leadership were appointive.
6. The motivation of the Kabaka was highly regarded by the Buganda, royal and commoner alike. The Kabaka originated all authority and access to rewards. He was regarded as a semi God and as a spiritual head of the kingdom. He has so many attributes, most importantly Sabataka (land) owner which is the key possession to the Baganda), Sabasajja (owner or chief of all men).
7. Succession system. Unlike her neigbours, Buganda has a smooth system of succession which minimized disputes and incidents of civil war. All the princes were candidates for the throne a part from the eldest, Kiweera, also it was the chancellor, Katikiro and Mugema the head of the Nelima clan who close  the next Kabaka. Originally they other princes would be killed that they may not context for the throne of their brother – and since the king took his mother is clan, all the Baganda felt  their clan  would at one time rule the kingdom  felt that their clan   would at one time rule the kingdom so rebellion was unheard of.
8. The decline of Bunyoro was a blessing to the rise and expansion of Buganda. Buganda grabbed Bunyoro’s provisions to increase on her size and might in the region.
9. The long distance trade. Buganda entirely participated in the LDT of East Africa. She was trading with the Banyoro, Langi, Teso and Bukuba. When the Swahili traders rocked Banda, the palace of Kyabaggu, this make the beginning of Buganda participation in the coastal trade. She sustained wealth from her exports and her access to imports for example firearms and power disadvantaged her neighbors.
10. The coming of the European missionaries, traders and colonial officials these groups gave Buganda superior weaponry, a new civilization and favoured her against her neigbours. Some believe that if it was not for the Europeans, the reviving Bunyoro under Kabalega Chwa II would have been able to defeat Buganda.

Political organization

Buganda was a centralized kingdom, governed in a pyramid structure whose a pex is the Kabaka. The Kabaka was assisted by hereditary clan leaders (The Bataka), his appointed chiefs (Abakungu), his chancellor (Katikiro) acted as a chief minister and ruled the kingdom on his behalf. He was known as Kamalabyona and had full authority of all the matters outside the palace.

The Katikiro was assisted by a cabinet of ministers to run key departments. Those important were the chief justice (Omukamuzi) and the treasurer (Omulamika). Buganda was divided. These committees were divided into sub committees (Amagombolola) each under a Gombolola chief.

Each o sub county was divided into parishes known as Emiruka. Each  emiruka was divided into villages under omutongle.

Other officials included the court pages and messengers. Although Buganda had a royal clan, it did not have a ruling clan.

There were various checks and balances against the excesses of the king the king, although on absolute monarch was answerable to his mother as the family judge.

The mother was known as Namasole and enjoyed independence from the Kabaka. She had her own palace, army, administration and chiefs. The head of her government was her brother known as Sabagaru.

There was office of Kibaale who was the judge of the disputes between the Kabaka and the royal wives. This office was put in place by Kabaka Mutebi I (1624 -54).

Army

The Kabaka was the commander in chief from the region of Kabaka Innjju, all adult males were considered soldiers.

The head of the standing army was general Myaasi the navy on L. Victoria with headed by Gabaunga the head of the Mamba clan.

Each county had barracks for soldiers, ekitongole and in the palaces there was a police forces known as Ebigalagala.

The army used spears and shields and later they acquired repeater riffles from the Europeans.

 Legislature

There was a state council known as Lukiiko which deliberated on all matters of concern in the kingdom. However its role was to advise the king on the issues affecting his subjects. It was made up of all the chiefs and officials of the Kabaka that is from the Ssaza chiefs to the minister as well as the Abataka (clan leaders).

The Economically

Agriculture was the most dominant ministry. The women and slaves produced different crops mainly yams, bananas, sweet potatoes etc. The men dominated other industries crafts, iron working, wood working, pottery and fishing.

The Baganda were a trading people, trading internally and externally and by 1850, they dealt with this Swahili, coastal Arabs as well as the Khartoum. It was this long distance trade that led to Kampala and mengo burning urban centres.

Taxation

The king taxed his subjects 18% on every production. The foreign traders were taxed by the king and the conquered provinces paid him annual tributes. By 1850 such tributes came from Busoga, Barali, Kooki, Ssese is, Kiziba in Karagwe. Radio were also used to sustain the kingdom’s economy. For these, it got women, slaves livestock, tributes and land.

Socially

The clan was the central unit of Buganda’s society. Each clan had its own totem and even the conquered peoples could be assimilated in the clan  of the master.

The Baganda believe in common ancestry that is  Kintu and Nambi as their spiritual ancestors. They believed in Kato Kimera and Nambi Nartuthiluhu as their biological ancestors.

They believe in one god Katonda, the creator, and they worshiped to  duties, Balubaale. They worshiped  ancestral spirits  in shrines known as Amasabo and regarded the Kabaka as their spiritual head linking  the dead and sacrifices were offered for different purposes by priests, priestesses, fathers in the home, and the Kabaka human sacrifices were also acceptable.

They had elders   for rain (Musoke), Ddungu for hunting, Mukasa for lakes, Kibuuka for war.

There was social stratification among Baganda but the relation between the chooses was cordial. These were royal, freeborn commoners, and slaves and sefts.

One could upgrade from a slave to a commoner and all offices were occupied by only commoners.

Among the taboos, one would not marry from his/her clan or mother’s clan.

There would be no physical contact between in laws and respect was awarded to elders and courtesy to all strangers.