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Busoga is the kingdom of the 11 principalities of the Basoga people, one of the five traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda. It is ruled by the Kyabazinga Isebantu (traditional king). The current Kyabazinga of Busoga is HM Henry Wako Muloki. The cabinet of the government of Busoga is headed by the Katukiro (Prime Minister).
Although often called a ‘Kingdom’, it is debatable whether Busoga (whose inhabitants are known as Basoga) can really be classified as such. Unlike its more powerful western neighbor, Buganda – Busoga did not have a central ‘all-powerful’ King or Queen until 1906 at the behest of the British colonial powers. Prior to this, the Basoga were organized in semi-autonomous chiefdoms under the control of Buganda and Bunyoro – two of Uganda’s powerful Kingdoms.
What holds the Basoga together is language. The Lusoga language is very similar to Luganda – spoken by the Baganda and it is believed that the people in southern Busoga originally came from Buganda and in the early 14th Century overwhelmed the original inhabitants - the Luo who came from the north and Iteso who came from the north-east. This similarity of language is best depicted by the folklore surrounding the death of Bishop Hannington.
James Hannington (1847-1885) led a Christian expedition into the interior of East Africa aiming to reach the Kingdom of Buganda. Most expeditions to Buganda in those days were made from the east, from Mombassa in Kenya. To reach Buganda, travelers had to go through Busoga. On the orders of the King of Buganda, Hannington was detained by one of Busoga’s chiefs. The chief received the order to kill Hannington which he did. Later probably due to the embarrassment of the wrong their king had ordered, the Baganda alleged they had sent the message ‘mu mute’ (release him – in Luganda), but this had been mispronounced by the Basoga messenger as ‘mu mwete’ (kill him – in Lusoga). The truth of this story is of course debatable but the tale is still told today.
Another important influence in Busoga, particularly in the northern parts of the 'Kingdom' comes from Bunyoro - another once powerful kingdom in Uganda. During Bunyoro's expansion eastwards, one of their princes, Mukama had entered Busoga and decided to settle there. He had five sons and divided the area between them and making each one of them a chief - many of these northern Busoga chiefdoms remain today. The descendants of these chiefs - "Abaise Ngobi" are one of the most prominent clans in Busoga. However Bunyoro's influence over Busoga was never as strong as the Buganda influence from the south.
Buganda’s influence over Busoga remains strong today, and Luganda is widely spoken in the region. The remnants of the chiefdom structure are still apparent in the numerous Lusoga dialects – the most common being the Basiki and Bagabula in the south, Balamogi in the north and the Banyole in the east. The different dialects raise disagreements amongst the Basoga themselves about ‘true Basoga’. The Basiki and Bagabula who are more closely aligned to the Baganda often assert themselves as the holders of the ‘true Basoga’ mantle.
When Uganda became a British protectorate, attempts were made to create a central form of administration on the model of Buganda which was a fully fledged Kingdom. The Buganda King – the Kabaka had lineage going back centuries. However, in Busoga some of the chiefs had been simply appointed by the Kabaka – and it is believed that in some cases they were descendants of favored Buganda chiefs who were given rule over land in Busoga. Others simply belonged to powerful landowning families that had become self-appointed rulers over vast areas. The British brought all these chiefs into an administrative structure called the Lukiiko – a name borrowed from Buganda. The British appointed a Muganda from Buganda, Kakungulu as the President of the Lukiiko and he de facto became Basoga’s first 'King' although the British refused to give him that title.
However wrangles amongst the different chiefs and clans continued, and most Basoga still retained affiliation to their chief, clan or dialect. It was also not helpful that the 'King' was from Buganda. The Lukiiko structure collapsed. The structure had however given the Basoga a taste of what influence they could muster in the protectorate if they had a King. It would elevate them to the level of Buganda. Pressure grew to create such a figure head, and in 1918-9, the title of Isebantu (“For the People”) Kyabazinga was created and one of the chiefs, Wako took the throne.
By independence in 1962, Busoga was one of the most powerful regions in Uganda. Its power lay in the regional capital, Jinja which is Uganda’s second largest City. Jinja was the home of 70% of Uganda’s industries and also hosted the Owen Falls Dam that supplies electricity to Uganda and parts of Kenya and Tanzania. Jinja was also the home of the majority of Uganda’s Asian population. The Uganda Asians who had been brought to Uganda from the Indian sub-continent by the British during colonial times, had helped to establish Jinja as one of East Africa’s most vibrant commercial centers.
When monarchies were abolished in 1966, the Kyabazinga was dethroned.
When the dictator Idi Amin expelled the Asians from Uganda in 1972, Jinja suffered both socially and economically. The government of Yoweri Museveni has tried to encourage Ugandan Asians to return but this has not revitalized Busoga. Jinja is a shadow of its former self and is these days a sleepy city with shells of old crumbling factories. However the Asian influence remains, particularly in the architecture and street names. Another reason for the region’s decline is that most of the Basoga elite have moved to Uganda's capital city, Kampala – in Buganda.
The Kyabazinga was reinstated with the other monarchies in Uganda by Museveni’s government in 1993. Unlike most monarchies, the Kyabazinga has no heir or Crown Prince. Instead, the Kyabazinga is succeeded by a reigning chief elected by the Lukiiko and the Royal Council. This is often a source of contention amongst the Basoga.
Chiefdoms are represented as follows (c2006):
Bagabula - (Chief)Bugabula Prince William Nadiope, Balamogi - (Chief) Prince G. W Napeera, Bakigulu - (Chief) Prince Izimba Golologolo, Baluuka - (Chief) Prince W. Tabingwa Nabwana, Bankono - (Chief) Bukono Prince C. J. Mutyaba Nkono, Bakooli - (Chief) Bukooli Chief David Muluuya Kawunye, Bantembe - (Chief) Butembe Chief Badru Waguma, Bamenya (Bagweri) - (Chief) Bugweri Chief Kakaire Fred Menya, Basiki - (Chief) Busiki Chief Yekosofato Kawanguzi, Bunha - (Chief) Bunya Chief Juma Munulo, Banyole - (Chief) John Ntale Nahnumba.
External links
"Busoga"