KingSango:


[b]The kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara was unstable. The instability resulted into the decline of the kingdom as against the more centralized and organised kingdoms of Buganda and Ankole. Kabalega grew amidst this political instability and grasped the cause of his kingdom's importance more than his predecessors. According to reports given by one of his sons Aramanzani Mwirumubi, Kabalega made up his mind to reassert the authority of royal power, quell dissident and rebellious elements, centralize the kingdom, undertake a policy of national reconstruction and reconciliation and restore the fortunes of the once powerful and famous empire of Kitara by reconquering the rebellious princes. In short, Kabalega had taken the task of founding a strong, united, and centralized state, modelled on these initiatives. Any one who prevented his realization of this goal was an enemy and must be resisted.

Kabalega's ideals would remain dreams so long as he was not a king. So he had to establish himself on the throne. This proved to be a very difficult task. In 1869, Kamurasi died. Kabigumire at once seized the body of the king. According to Nyoro custom, the prince who buried his father's body and killed his opponent became king. Civil wars were inevitable. The chief contenders were Kabigumire and Kabalega. It was an unusual succession war because normally aristocratic support tended to be evenly balanced between the opposing candidates. This time it was different. Given the views of Kabalega regarding centralization and the surbodination of the aristocracy, it was not surprising that practically all the Bito and the other important people in the kingdom supported Kabigumire who emerged as the aristocratic candidate. Only two Bito, Kabagonza and Nyaika, supported Kabalega. Of the important chiefs only Nyakamatura Nyakatura, Saza Chief of Bugahya is known to have supported him. The majority of the chiefs opposed him. Initially his prospects of success appeared slim but soon became clear that Kabalega had the enthusiastic support of the royal guards of Kamurasi as well as that of the Bairu (common people) agriculturalists. The Arab traders divided their support between the two opponents. So , the stage was set for a bitter struggle.


How Kabalega excelled:

Nyoro sources unanimously assert that the greatest achievement of Kabalega was military. His major task on assuming the throne was to reform and reorganize the army which had fought so well for him during the succession war. He called his new army the Abarusura. This army was different from the traditional one known as obwesengeze. With this army, Kabalega became not only the head of state but also the commander in chief of all the Armed Forces. The institution of the Abarusura had a modem ring in it because it involved the transfer of military leadership from the Saza Chiefs to a new group of men who were professional soldiers and who took order from the King. This was a very important change in the base of political power in the land.

The army was divided into regiment/battalions each with 1500 men. Each battalion was put under the command of a royal, courageous and well trained soldier. People could become commanders irrespective of birth. That is why his force was led by the Bairu commanders such as Rwabudongo, Kikukule and Ireta. Battalions were given task names such as Ekidoka, Ekihukya, Ekiporopyo, Ekigwera, Ekikabya, Ekihabya and the like. The commanders of each of these battalions were appointed from their respective battalions. This was different from the traditional Army 'obwesengeze', which consisted volunteers from each province of the Kingdom and were commanded by their respective provincial chiefs. These were in most cases Biito princes and were not directly responsible to the King. The political and military implications which these two systems of recruitment bore on the strength of the Kingdom can be understood. The regimental system of which Kabalega introduced meant that the Abarusura was a state army which derived its powers from the King . It suited the centralised political system which he had introduced. While the volunteer system which operated before, made provincial chiefs to be semi-autonomous. These provincial chiefs hardly took orders from the King. That is why secessionism and intrigues had retarded the political development of Bunyoro-Kitara for a long time and had almost led to her collapse by the middle of the 19th Century.

However, by 1890 Bunyoro was a power to reckon with in the whole of the interlacustrive region. It had conquered Toro and subdued all other provinces which attempted to secede such as chope and Bugungu. It posed as a potential threat to Buganda and Nkore which through centuries had gradually extended their borders at its expense. With the administrative and military reforms, Omukama Kabalega had-consolidated his power and rallied all his people together. The Kingdom of Bunyoro Kitara became once united and all elements of rebellion and intrigue which had existed were curbed out.

With internal peace, any form of development takes off and it was the case in Bunyoro-Kitara during Kabalega's reign, particularly in the field of economic-development. After the session of Toro, Bunyoro had lost the vast salt resources of Lake Katwe and Kasenyi. With internal instability its own salt working industry had declined. When Kabalega re-organized the Kingdom and installed hope and confidence into his people, the human and natural resources were utilized to the full. Toro which had been re-conquered in 1870 and the salt works at Katwe and Kasenyi coupled with those of Kibiro earned the Kingdom the capacity of supplying salt throughout the interlacustrine region. The iron working industry revived and Bunyoro became the main supplier of hoes to all areas north of the Lake Kyoga. In fact some accounts reveal that regular markets were established along the northern shores of Lake Kyoga. Bunyoro market masters were appointed to run these markets. The markets were established purposely to trade in Bunyoro hoes, which would be exchanged for foodstaffs from the neighbouring region.

Equally so, the salt markets which had been in operation before Kabalega were re-organised, and many were established to trade in salt and other products throughout the kingdom. Kabalega did not only encourage internal trade but also stimulated external trade. The old slave trade was replaced by the ivory trade and Bunyoro benefited from having two exits to the international market. Bunyoro's ivory could be exported either through Cairo or the East African coast. Ivory was exchanged for guns and ammunition, brought by Khartoumers and Swahili Arab traders. Unlike the salt and iron trade which was an occupation of the peoples, ivory trade was the King's preserve. All the ivory throughout the Kingdom would be collected and brought to the king's palace. It would be traded there. Since it was exchanged for guns and ammunition, the concentration of its sale at the King's palace was intended to prevent lawlessness in the Kingdom. Also they never wanted ivory to be smuggled to the neighbouring areas without the King's notice.

Kabalega introduced the public works system (oruharo), in order to rehabilitate what had been destroyed during the war. People could work on state farms for production of food like millet. The surplus food would be stored in underground granaries, 'enguli'. The stored food would be used during times of famine.

Kabalega was very much concerned with problems of national unity and reconciliation. He urged his people to pull together and work together towards a common destiny. He used the Ganda threat to appeal for unity as the following song sung by a Murusura in front of Kabalega testifies:

I own goats and the Ganda
Are planning to come over and
size them. The Ganda are vowing to
help each other and fight. When the Ganda
come over, we should aid each other;
we should love each other.
I, the omurusura of omukama,
By your highness, I will have to do
something -1 swear, I will beat them off.
I vow to die with his Highness.


There were many similar songs devoted to the theme of national unity and reconciliation. Indeed Kabalega was a remarkable nation builder.

He encouraged intermarriages between the three historical social groups of Bunyoro, to forge greater unity. Kabalega set the fashion where he married a Mwiru lady. She was called Achanda (affectionately remembered by her family as Elizabeth). She hailed from the Ritwanga village of Chope (now Kibanda county). It is worth nothing that Achanda's family had refused to identify themselves with Mupina's rebellion and had migrated southwards. Kabalega met her at Bugahya Hoima and made her his Queen. He rewarded her parents with presents including servants. Altogether Kabalega had 150 wives and 150 children. They came from all groups and according to oral evidence they were all beautiful.

Whether or not Kabalega was completely successful in his efforts at national reconciliation is difficult to tell. But what is certain is that during his period there were no rebellions. The country enjoyed peace and stability. This equilibrium was upset by the Anglo-Ganda combination against Bunyoro in the 1890's.

Kabalega's great power and influence gave his people that self-confidence and pride in them selves which they had not known for some generations past. To all Banyoro, he was a focal point and a symbol of unity.[/b]

Actual source of story: http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0unescoen--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&cl=CL2.6.2&d=HASHc3697d0c37be5024d365b7.9&x=1

KingSango:
Greetings,

I thought I would give a little history lesson for us to understand that political fighting, spiritual warfare and sometimes open conflict among African people isn't always a no win situation. Sometimes those of us who have truth and justice on our side must not give up in the face of corruption and tyranny and sometimes that corruption and tyranny can come from our own family, in other words, other African people. The history of Omugobe Kabalega of Bunyoro Kitara gives us a clear example:




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqPMRq311dg

Only the return of African Kingdoms to full sovereignty, infrastructural development and our cultural heritage will save us from this darkness:
http://undergroundriseup..com/2017/04/bunyoro-kitara-empire-of-light-bachwezi.html

naijaking1:
Next, you will tell us how Othman dan Fodio rode on horse back, massacred fellow Africans, made himself sultan, and forcefully converted northern Nigerians to his islamic sect.
We don't need to worship such persons

KingSango:


Are you being a smart ass or your butt is really smart? And if your butt is so smart then how come your head is so stupid?

Kabalega is a National Hero for Uganda. He is not this other person you mentioned. You could have at least read the passage to confirm that your comparisons was in err, but typical troll activity, disagreeing without being objective.
Ase
Love Sango

naijaking1:


Did you read Milton Obote's memoire, do you know about Bugandas of Uganda?
While you get yourself more education, Africa doesn't need to celebrate tyranical hero conquerors of other Africans. They should go conquer Europeans, Chinese