HEA2: THE KINGDOM OF BUNYORO

After the collapse of Bunyoro Kitara, the component Kingdom became independent one of them being Metropolitan Bunyoro (Nucleus of Bunyoro Kitara) which retained a similar political organisation like that of Bunyoro Kitara Empire. It was under the leadership of Nsiigoma Rukiidi Mpuga

POLITICAL ORGANISATION

The Omukama was the head of the kingdom and he drew royalties from almost all the subjects since he was considered semi divine.

The Omukama ruled over the centralized kingdom i.e. all other people were below him. Below the Omukama was hierarchy of officers with varied duties ranging from house hold work, rituals, with the administration of sub districts, districts and provinces.

The counties were organized by chiefs who were responsible to the Omukama. The kingdom was divided into provinces each under chief in order of similarity

Chiefly titles were inherited but only retained with the permission of the Omukama.

Political organisation of Bunyoro ensured good order and administration from highest to lowest i.e. Omukama`s policy were transmitted through county, parish, sub parish down to clan leader.

The kingdom was governed as a loose confederation, joined agenda with armies for each federal state. The federal states were ruled by close relatives of the Omukama and that is why they were governed as sister states.

The provinces raised emergency armies during war time were to be a General appointed by Omukama.

Bunyoro had instruments of power collectively called royal regalia and this was made up of drums, spears, shields, bows and arrows. For his social and political prestige, there was an institution of palace, women and slave artisans.

ECONOMIC ORGANISATION

Bunyoro was engaged in pastoralism i.e. keeping the long horned cattle, besides the practiced agriculture, growing crops e.g. bananas, yams, maize, millet etc.

The salt mining industry was highly developed by 1850 and served for both domestic and export purposes.

Pottery of high stand was made to be marketed by the neighbouring communities. Other crafts were both cultural and economic were special clay dishes, clay jars and clay plates.

Barter trade became the centre of livelihood in Bunyoro before and after 1850 involving the sale of salt, pots, iron impliments, skins and hides to obtain bark cloth, foodstuffs, wax and honey.

The Bunyoro also engaged in iron working, making spears, knives, and pangas, arm bangles, hoes, shields, axes etc. for both agriculture and defence purposes.

Hunting was another economic activity which became of importance, after the foreigners especially Arabs, showed interest in elephant tasks. Ivory became one of the important trade commodities of the Banyoro. It was highly because of its various uses. It was used to make buttons, bangles, armament etc.

SOCIAL ORGANISATION

The society was classified, according to occupation, the highest close being that of the rulers who normally came from the header and the commoners being cultivators.

The Bunyoro believed in many gods, Ruhanga being the creator. The society was divided into clans which was a basic social unit each with its own favorite god, but there were national gods for all the Banyoro e.g. Wamara god of plenty, Muhingo, god of war, Migizi god of Lake Albert.

Banyoro carried out offering to their gods it was believed that the gods would only accept the offers after very many appeals. These were festivities and rituals among clans.

The Banyoro are remembered for their elaborative cultural and activities or sports, leisure games like Omweso and performances of magic etc.

They spoke a common language Runyoro and had common practices of pet names e.g. Amooti, Akiiki etc. they believed in life after death and believed in spirit existence is good ones to bless and bad ones to curse them

REASONS FOR DECLINE OF BUNYORO KINGDOM

Bunyoro began to decline in the late eighteenth century due to internal divisions. Buganda seized the Kooki and Buddu regions from Bunyoro at the end of the century. In the 1830s, the large province of Toro separated, claiming much of the lucrative salt works. To the south Rwanda and Ankole were both growing rapidly, taking over some of the smaller kingdoms that had been Bunyoro’s vassals.

Thus by the mid-nineteenth century Bunyoro (also known as Unyoro at the time) was a far smaller state, though it was still wealthy due to the income generated from controlling the lucrative trade routes over Lake Victoria and linking to the coast of the Indian Ocean. In particular, Bunyoro benefited from the trade in ivory. Due to the volatile nature of the ivory trade, an armed struggle manifested between the Baganda and the Banyoro. As a result the capital was moved from Masindi to the less vulnerable Mparo. Following the death of Omakuma Kyebambe III, the region experienced a period of political instability where two kings ruled in a volatile political environment.^[5]

In July 1890 an agreement was settled whereby the entire region north of Lake Victoria was given to Great Britain. In 1894 Great Britain declared the region its protectorate. In alliance with Buganda, King Kabarega of Bunyoro resisted the efforts of Great Britain, aiming to take control of the kingdom. However, in 1899 Kaberega was captured and exiled to the Seychelles and Bunyoro was subsequently annexed to the British Empire. Because of Bunyoro’s resistance to the British, a portion of the Bunyoro kingdom’s territory was given to Buganda and Toro.

The country was put under the governance of Bugandan administrators. The Banyoro revolted in 1907; the revolt was put down, and relations improved somewhat. After the region remained loyal to Great Britain in World War I a new agreement was made in 1934 giving the region more autonomy. Bunyoro remains as one of the four constituent kingdoms of Uganda, along with Buganda, Busoga and Toro.