Formation of kingdoms did not end with Buganda, say Banyala

This time last year, the Banyala demanded that their chiefdom be recognised and respected as an autonomous unit by the reigning Kabaka. The Kabaka and his party were denied entry into Kayunga. The Baganda thought it preposterous. A riot ensued. Numerous parts of Buganda resembled a war zone for days...About 27 people lost their lives. Several others were injured.

Fast forward 2010.
We recently travelled to Kayunga to get a proper understanding of the Banyala’s standing relationship with the Baganda and Buganda Kingdom since the riots and what exactly they want of the independence they seek.

Related to Kabaka
And who better to speak to than the mother of IsaBanyala, Capt. Baker Kimeze and widow to the Late Nathan Mpagi – a man who openly advocated the plight of the Banyala throughout his lifetime. Ms Mpagi reveals that she is a Muganda and confides that she is related to the Kabaka of Buganda. “My grandmother lies buried in the Kasubi tombs. Therefore my family harbours no ill will for Buganda and Mengo. This whole mess with Mengo is unfortunate. We would want nothing more than co-operation and respectful recognition from them,” she says. Spoken like a true diplomat. But with encouragement, Ms Mpagi reveals how and when relations between Bugerere and Buganda went awry.

According to his widow, Mpagi and herself organised a “welcome party” for Kabaka Ronald Mwenda Mutebi of Buganda just after the monarchy was reinstated in 1993. “We held a big party here in Bugerere for the Kabaka, he came and he enjoyed it. It was a day of merriment.”

However, a few years after this royal party, she says, the Banyala, on Mpagi’s initiative built a symbolic royal palace for the Buganda Kingdom in Bugerere. They invited the Kabaka to officiate at its opening, but he did not come. He was, according to Ms Mpagi’s knowledge, advised to separate himself from this opening because “the Banyala were part of Bunyoro and had no business building a Lubiri for Buganda, even a symbolic one”.

In yet another gesture of loyalty and alliance, Mpagi convinced the Banyala to build a school in Kayunga, with the idea to name it Nalinya. The Kabaka was expected to be present and officiate the school’s grand opening. “Again we were told that we were Banyoro and that the Kabaka didn’t have to be a part of our culture or any such functions.”

With their relationship gone bad, the Banyala still went ahead to name the school Nalinya Secondary School without Mengo’s approval and thus began their need for cultural independence and autonomy. “It is puzzling to now witness Buganda ‘fighting’ for the Banyala, a group they have continually relegated to the sidelines in all of the kingdom’s history”, Ms Mpagi says.
It would, however, be inaccurate to state that the need for independence and autonomy among the Banyala is a recent one. They have wanted to be of their own since the late 1980s.

The chiefdom’s spokesperson, Mr James Rwebikere – (Rwebikere is a Muruli but speaks of himself as a Munyala) – said: “In 1987, Nathan Mpagi conceived an idea to form an association which would bring about unity, enlightenment and cultural development among the Banyala. It was called Culture and Development Association. All the Banyala got involved in this association and we would mostly meet once every month.”

In the meantime, the Baruli – a neighbouring tribe with similar issues – had independently organised their own cultural group known as the Baruli Development Association. One day Mpagi organised a grand meeting which would bring together the Banyala and the Baruli communities.

This association came to be known as the Baruli- Banyala Cultural Trust. Mr Rwebikere holds office as the spokesperson of this trust today. He states that the major achievement of this association was the fact that it enabled both Mukasa Muruli and Kitaka Gawere (a Muruli and Munyala respectively) to get to Parliament during the Constituency Assembly elections of 1992. These two, according to Rwebikere, were among the delegates who strongly advocated the freedom and independence of minority tribes and cultures in the constitution of 1995.

Constitutionally correct
And this is why, according to him, the Constitution carries Articles 37 and 246 which advocate the right to culture and institutions of traditional/cultural leaders for all tribes and cultures who might desire them. “The problem with the Baganda,” he says, “Is that they do not understand that the formation of kingdoms did not end with just their own. As Uganda’s independent tribes, we can have as many kings as we choose. And we don’t have to be an old royal tribe to qualify our cultural autonomy. After all, in 50 years time from now, the Bunyaala kingdom too will be known as an old kingdom!” If we are to understand, even slightly, how such misunderstandings came about, it is wise with this kind of case, to go back to the beginning.

We speak to Mr David Kikomeko Kalaafa, 65, an elder, and ask him to narrate an account of how the Baganda first occupied Bugerere which is traditionally known to have belonged to the Kingdom of Bunyoro Kitara. “In 1896, the Baganda invaded the county of Bugerere. Very many Banyala died during this invasion and others fled to parts of Lango, Teso, Bulamogi, Busoga and other neighbouring lands. When this war ended in 1899, the Baganda naturally assumed control of all our land and property. This takeover was legitimised with the 1900 Agreement between the Buganda Kingdom and the British. Bugerere was officially annexed to Buganda as another one of the kingdom’s token counties.”

Mr Kalaafa adds that not long after, any Munyaala who had stayed in Bugerere was treated as if they were sub-human. “We were called names that included night-dancers, jigger carriers, slaves and more.” From being prohibited from speaking their own language to ruling that every new born must take on a traditional Kiganda name, the Baganda demanded of the adults as well to abandon their traditional Kinyaala names and take on new Kiganda ones.

Mr Kalaafa narrates that anyone who resisted this was imprisoned after a harsh sentence. Without any noticeable hint of bitterness, Mr Kalaafa says it is about time the Baganda realised that they cannot rule over the Banyala anymore. “We want nothing of theirs. And it is irrelevant that they are more in number than we are. We don’t have to be millions to follow our own culture and tradition, to have our own rulers.” When asked to recall the old relationship between the Baganda and the Banyala, Mr Rwebikere gives a much similar account to that of Mr Kalaafa.

Dirty treatment
“They treated us terribly. They denied us entry into schools and called us the uneducated. They manned all the dispensaries in Bugerere and forced their names on our newborn children. They forced us to speak their language...,” Mr Rwebikere speaks, a tad too emotionally charged.

Asked to point out at least one significant and positive improvement the Baganda could have brought to Bugerere he says; “The one and major achievement of the Baganda here is the prisons. They built up to seven prisons, in a county that had only two schools. These prisons were obviously stocked with ‘Banyala criminals’.”

Almost all the Banyala spoken to seem to believe that with a king and kingdom comes dignity and wealth. They believe that today they can achieve, courtesy of the IsaBanyala, good roads, great health facilities, jobs, a sustainable income, an extended market for their crops and farm products among many other great things.

Open markets
Mr Rwebikire says with the IsaBanyala even not yet fully recognised as king, international markets have opened up in Southern Sudan, the Congo and Kenya for their fish and crops like cabbages, tomatoes, pineapples, beans. They point out that their youths today have been considered and given an opportunity at “jobs abroad”.

Everyone we interviewed seemed positively proud of the 50 recruits who were recently sent to Iraq to take on jobs as security guards to the American soldiers and their establishments.
It is clear to see that for the Banyala, a chiefdom or kingdom means a better life for them which is why they are demanding it. Whether they will get it is another debate altogether.