Buganda Kingdom In Uganda – The Rise And Fall Of The Kingdom

During the 19th century, the Buganda kingdom was the most famed, largest, and advanced kingdom in Uganda, East Africa.

They are found along the Northern shore of Lake Victoria which is now the South Central of Uganda presently known as the Muwaawa. In 1894, Buganda became the center of the Uganda colony. The name Uganda was the Swahili meaning to Buganda.

Buganda speaks Luganda; a part of the Bantu-language group. The kingdom was said to have been found in the 14th century, at the time the Kabaka (Buganda head of state) centralized his rule over his kingdom.

Buganda or Ganda practice constitutional monarchy. They Bakungu chiefs, appointed by the Kabaka. There are the traditional Bataka chiefs and the Batangole chiefs.

The survival of Buganda’s economy is its cultivated crops. They have laborers whom they hired from the neighboring clans to take care of their work especially livestock farming. Banana is regarded as the biggest staple food.

In this kingdom, they believe that farm works, while men; trade, political engagement, and fighting war.
In the olden days, before the western clothing, Buganda makes their clothes from the bark of trees. Due to how rich in fertility, their land does not require bush fallowing nor shifting cultivation for their farming.

Among the notable Kabaka, was the 16-year-old Mwanga II, who was known for his persecution on Christians that refused to denounce their faith (Charles Lwanga, and Joesph Mukasa).

They have 52 clans in Buganda with few other groups claiming to be clans. After Uganda gained their freedom from their colonial masters, Buganda was recognized in the federal affairs of the new Uganda – they were considered autonomy among others.
But the fact that Buganda was asking to be a sovereign state and that resulted in a clash between Kabaka Mutesa II, and the then prime minister, Milton Obote who later dissolved Buganda and other kingdoms in Uganda.