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Namasole: The tradition of Buganda Queen Mother
L-R: Sarah Kisonkole, Rebecca Zirimbuga Musoke and Margaret Siwoza. PHOTO/ FILE/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Apart from the Nabagereka or Queen, and Lubuga or female co-heir to the throne, the Namasole is always by the side of the Kabaka.
Namasole is the formal title for the King’s mother. But the title has no limited reference to the mother of the reigning king because even those who were once mothers to other kings retain it.
So the title and privileges, of Namasole are inherited by a sister who takes over as heir to the deceased Namasole.
The title holder also commands high respect and honour throughout the kingdom.
However, the difference is that the Namasole of the reigning king is seen as more powerful.
On Tuesday, November 28, Margaret Siwoza passed on. She was the caretaker mother of the Kabaka.
She took up the roles in 2013 when her predecessor Rebecca Zirimbuga Musoke passed on.
Zirimbuga was the heir of the late Sarah Lule Kisosonkole, the biological mother of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi.
Kisosonkole died in 1974 when Kabaka was only 19 years old.
Going by that tradition, whoever will inherit Siwoza will automatically become the new Namasole of the Kabaka.
The Namasole is considered one of the three people closest to the Kabaka at kingdom events.
Apart from the Nabagereka or Queen, and Lubuga or female co-heir to the throne, the Namasole is always by the side of the Kabaka. The Lubuga is not necessarily a sister of the Kabaka but of same lineage. The current one is Nnalinya Agnes Nabaloga.
But Ganda literature shows that the Namasole is given a palace of her own to live in and various chiefs to serve her.
In ancient times, the Namasole would have a chief administrator or Katikkiro.
In Buganda, the title ‘Katikkiro is given to the head of Kabaka’s government who today is Charles Peter Mayiga.
The Katikkiro is also the administrator of the various clans of Baganda.
Although the Namasole is one of the top figures in the kingdom, she has no role in the governance of the Kingdom.
Information provided by the kingdom website shows that “in fact, since Kimera’s time to that of Ssuuna II, the Namasole was not allowed to even set eyes on her son who had ascended to the throne.”
During that period, it was the brother of the Namasole whose title was Masimbi who would go to visit the king on Namasole’s behalf and return with news of the king’s health among other reasons.
Whenever Masimbi visited the king, he would carry a shield and two spears to symbolise Masimbi’s readiness and all the king’s maternal relatives to fight in defense of their “son” if need be to ensure that he retains the throne.
Like in the past, the Namasole had an important brother who is given the title Ssaabaganzi.
Emmanuel Ssekitooleko currently shoulders the responsibility of consulting traditional doctors and oracles on all matters concerning the king’s health to help ensure his continued well-being.
Traditionally, the Namasole with a group of 18 others separated in equal numbers of her sister and brothers formed a team that was called “Bannakazadde ba Kabaka” (Kabaka’s parents).
This inner circle, Mr Fred Wantaate, who is familiar with the Ganda traditions, says: “They formed an intelligence team and used to be scattered in various parts of the kingdom and served as listening posts to try and forestall any plots on parts of civil chiefs to rebel against the king, or worse still any attempts by a prince to dethrone the king.”
When the king passed on, the Namasole was not allowed to remarry because it was abominable for a king to call another common man his dad but also this was done to prevent the king from having siblings who were not from the royal lineage.
As a constant reminder to avoid the scenario, the Baganda coined a saying “Kabaka taddwaako mukopi,” meaning that the king cannot have a commoner for a sibling.
But Kabaka Edward Mutesa II was the first king to dispense with this custom when he gave permission to his mother to remarry and this led to substantial uproar in the kingdom. But to quell this, the official duties of the Namasole were transferred from Lady Namaganda to her older sister, Perepetwa Nnaabaweesi.
Carol Summers in her 2018 book, Scandal and Mass Politics: Buganda’s 1941 Nnamasole Crisis, says Kabaka Muteesa II was forced to break the norm and allowed her mother to remarry after she announced she was six months pregnant.
“In February of 1941, Irene Namaganda, Buganda’s queen mother, informed Buganda’s prime minister, Uganda’s Bishop, and eventually British administrators of the Uganda Protectorate, that she was six months pregnant, and intended to marry her lover. That lover was only slightly older than Muteesa II, her teenage son who had been selected as Kabaka in 1939”.
PROFILES OF THE NAMASOLE
Rebecca Zirimbuga
Namasole Rebecca Zirimbuga died on June 21, 2013. She was the heir of Kabejja Sarah Kisosonkole, the mother of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi.
She was regarded as the second woman of importance in the leadership hierarchy of Buganda, followed by Nalinya and Nabagereka.
At the time of her death, she was a resident of Kyaliwajala, Namugongo in Wakiso District.
She was buried on Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at Magonzi, in Singo County.
Kisosonkole
Sarah Kisosonkole became Mutesa’s wife after the king had a misunderstanding with his official wife Damali, a sister of Sarah.
Sarah went to King’s College Budo.
According to Katikkiro Mayiga, Sarah Kisonkole died in 1974. At the time of her death, Kabaka Mutebi was only 19 years.
