Ugandan Monarchy, Recent Histories and Restoration

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Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 14:43:10 -0400

Sender: The African Global Experience

From: "Emmanuel K. Twesigye or send instructions on how to"

Subject: RESTORATION OF AFRICAN MONARCHIES: UGANDA

From: IN%"[email protected]" 23- FEB-1995 11:26:54.52

To: IN%"ugandanet@bible .acu.edu"Subj: RESTORATION OF AFRICAN KINGS: UGANDA

Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 10:54:56 -0400 (EDT)

From: [email protected]

Subject: RESTO RATION OF AFRICAN KINGS: UGANDA

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African Monarchies and Kingdoms of UgandaBy Prof. Emmanuel K. Twesigye, OWU (Written in Response to Yoswa), 23 February1995

Yoswa you asked very profound questions about the kingdoms of Uganda, and how President Museveni would have handled theirrestorat ion if he taken the Uganda history seriously into consideration, particularly t he period between 1950-1989. This is the t ime whenUganda was undergoing mass nationalism, independence movements and self-redefinit ion as one nation and not four or more nationsbased on kingdoms and ethnicity.

The questions ofkingdoms are more vexing in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, and some parts of Nigeria because these areashave had kingdoms which probably go back into the past millennium. The empire of Ethiopia being a contemporary of Egyptian Empirepredated the birth Christ. As such, it predated most of the European empire, such as the famous Roman empire and other kingdoms,including the United Kingdom itself, which emerged much later.

There is great emot ional investiment and att achment to this kind of African history and institut ion. Yet, Mengistu Mariam Haille carried out abloody military coup and unceremoniously swept it aside without thought for t he preservation of history, culture, art , religion and ceremoniesatt ached to this long established institut ion. Therefo re, it should be restored for Africa's pride and histo rical reasons, especially now thatMengistu and his murderous regime are now o ut of power and on trail for these evils.

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The Ugandan kingdoms are ancient inst itut ions which trace their establishment f rom the famous Bunyoro-Kitara. This Bunyoro-Kitara was acattle-based economy, ruled by the cattle-keeping Babito aristocracy (ca. 1200-1600). It is reported to have covered vast areas in East Africaincluding, much of Western Kenya, Northern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, parts of Eastern Zaire, and most of Uganda.

The regional areas or provinces, finally broke a way to form their own kingdoms, such as those of Rwanda, Burundi, Karagwe, Kooki, Igala,Ankole, Mpororo (empire and kingdom), Buganda (agricultural and lef t alone), and later Toro which broke away f rom Bunyoro in the later partof the nineteenth century. These kingdoms paid tribute to Bunyoro at f irst, t hen, later declared their own autonomy. Bunyoro constant ly

waged war against them to bring them to submission, without success.

Therefore, at the time of British colonization, many Ugandan kingdoms, particularly, Buganda would have welcomed foreign allies andtreaties of Protection f rom Bunyoro's aggression! As a result , Buganda collaborated with the British to defeat Bunyoro and as reward, someof her counties and territories in Buyaga, Bugangazi, Singo, Buruli and Bulemezi were given to Buganda as reward for collaboration.

In addition, the Baganda chiefs were employed in Bunyoro and other areas as the agents of the British government. Luganda was employedas the language of the new British rule in these areas. In reality, the Baganda had become the local imperialist agents of the British conquest,colonization and rule in Uganda.

As a result , local national resistance against the British colonialism and imperialism became locally expressed as anti-Baganda movements. In

Bunyoro, the "Kyanyangire Abaganda Rebellion" was really a local Bunyoro nationalistic protest against both the British and the Baganda astheir agents.

In general, Ugandan local nationalism tended to be anti-Buganda and anti-Baganda. In this respect, the events of Kabaka Yekka andapparent Buganda secession attempts of the 1950s and 1960's were negatively viewed as anti-Uganda movements. The subsequent clashof Buganda and Uganda in 1967 and the consequent abolition of kingdoms in Uganda, was greeted with Joy by many Ugandans, becausethey saw it as a just punishment for Buganda and the Baganda.

Since Milton Obote abolished the kingdoms of Uganda, the nation has been more united. However, Idi Amin's ascendence to power andsuccess in governing Uganda for so long was partly due to the fact that Obote had abolished the kingdoms. Many Baganda hoped that IdiAmin would restore the kingdoms.

However, Idi Amin correctly realized that once, he did that, he would never be able to rule Uganda, since he had the hopes to become a life-president, he decided not to give the Baganda, the Kabaka, the unifying force that would render his governance of the united and host ileBaganda impossible. Both Obote and Amin learned that for most Baganda, loyalty was with Buganda and the Kabaka, and cared little for theunited Uganda.

However, President Yoweri Museveni did not seem to learn the what both Obot e and Amin had learned, prior to his reinstitution of thekingdoms of Uganda. In his bid for political unity, Museveni was willing to restore the former kingdoms as cultural institutions, without anypolitical power. How many Baganda "commoners" (bakopi), aristocrats and intellectuals would have settled for this compromise?

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At least f or many Baganda, the idea of a compromise was acceptable just as a means to t heir larger original goal! What was the Baganda'soriginal goal! Of course to restore the institution of Kabaka and resto re Buganda to its fo rmer glory! Would this mean that Buganda ownsKampala, Entebbe and the real estate? Yes, unless there was an amendment to create these areas into a neutral zones, beyond t hejurisdiction of Buganda, such as the District o f Columbia in USA.

Since, the kingdoms have been restored, then, their due powers, jurisdiction, lands, and property have also to be restored. This means thatthe Buganda kingdom can still go af ter t he eviction of the central government f rom Buganda or confiscate the assets of the government inEntebbe, and Kampala, if negotiat ion or legislat ion to protect them does not take place.

Can the t ragic history o f the sixt ies repeat itself? There are those who opt imistically think (like John Kiggudu), that it will not. However, myown answer is: "Yes. If we are not careful, Ugandan tragic histo ry can repeat itself, t o some destruct ive degree." If we refuse t o learn f romthe past history and avoid the mistakes or correct t hem to avo id such a tragedy. Safeguards have got t o be in place, so t hat it does notdepend on the personalities of those who happen to be players as the Presidents o f Uganda and the Kabakas of Buganda.

President Museveni took a bold step to restore the kingdoms of Uganda. However, Museveni is not Uganda. In a democratic fashion , heshould have put t he quest ion to the referendum or constitutional assembly, to whether they wanted the kingdoms resto red and how orwhen. As it stands now, the Banyankole are refusing to restore t he Bahima inst itut ion where the majority are non-Bahima.

The Solut ion here is either let the institut ion lapse and sink into oblivion, or t o create t he Bahima kingdom/district in Nyabushozi where

Prince Barigye will be king of the Bahima! The third opt ion is to have the king elected by the majority o f the Banyankole and to abolish itsBahima aristocratic hereditary nature. This would mean that a qualified "Mwiru" like the late Francis Xavier Tibayungwa the former (Enganzi)Administrative Secretary of Ankole would be elected king.

Kingdoms are an eff ective decentralization system fo r the ef fect ive development o f Uganda. Therefo re, the kings should be given fullauthority to govern, tax, discipline and their subjects and those people who live under their jurisdiction, except as exempted by the federallaws. The federal laws should outline the constitutional duties and powers of the local governments, including kings and their lukikos(legislatures). Those areas without kings should be allowed to elect and inst itute the equivalent of kings or governs who will have the samepowers and legal privileges as kings!

In short, Uganda should be a federal government. There should be strong central government, but the local kingdoms and regional

governments should be accorded sufficient power to develop their areas, including the establishment of schools, universities, banks andmedia communication-networks. Defense, highways, laws, coining money and foreign relations, trade and certification of education and thelike should remain a federal obligat ion.

Emmanuel K. Twesigye, OWU

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