When The Omugabe And Omukama Went To War Over A River: A Ugandan History Classic
I stopped actively following the affable and venerable Amos Wekesa, not out of spite or any bad faith, but for the known fact that he depressingly paints a picture of what Uganda’s tourism could look like and how simple it would be to attain those glories if we only applied a little effort. When I started out to write this column close to a year ago, I made a small mental note that I would not attempt to write about tourism. Firstly, because I thought it would be a cliché and secondly, for the same exact reason I stopped checking in on Amos. But guess what, as the idiom goes, never say never.
When I was having difficulty keeping up with the weekly consistency of publishing this column, I coincidentally travelled to the North of the country for duty and an unexpected opportunity presented itself. — I found myself under the beautiful, breathtaking and therapeutic Aruu Falls. Inevitably, my mind wandered to the untapped tourism potential of this country. Because of the mental note that I alluded to, I resisted writing about that experience but the nudge didn’t go away since.
The persuasion in my spirit was compounded when I visited Ibanda and went hiking the Nyakahandogoro hills/caves. The hike was strenuous and demanding. There are pictures of me sweating profusely and gasping for air. A secret that I will go to my grave with. No other eye should ever see.
It was on this steep ascend that our guide begun to unveil the secrets of Ibanda (a.k.a Ibandulwa), and the forgotten tourism destinations of the district.
Legend has it that the Omugabe of Ankore, Kahaya I, and the Omukama of Tooro then, were caught up in a fierce dispute over the ownership of the territory which is part of present day Ibanda district. Each Kingdom was claiming ownership. An agreement was then reached that a battle should be fought and the victor would be the sole owner of the disputed territory.
The dispute for the territory dated back long before Kahaya I ascended the throne. His grandfather, Nyabugaro Bwera, Ntare I, had lost a battle for the same territory to the Omukama. Kahaya I then avenged his grandfather and annexed the territory back, putting him squarely on a crush course with the reigning Omukama of the time.
To settle the back and forth, the two royals agreed to engage in yet another battle. — A trial by combat if you like. The Omukama set up his vantage point on a hill, present day Ntara Subcounty in Kitagwenda district and the Omugabe was on Kijonjo hills in present day Ibanda district. I have always had my own unclear questions about these boundaries but at this point, it all starts to make sense. The Omugabe Kahaya I suffered the same fate like his grandfather before him. He was decisively defeated by the Omukama and the territory was lost to Tooro.
Devastated and distraught, Kahaya I returned to his grandfather and laboured to narrate the defeat that he had just suffered. So heavy was his chest that he couldn’t help but cry. Myth has it that as his tears hit the ground, they formed a lake, Akayanja k’Omugabe, popularly known today as Akayanja Ka Kosiya or simply, King’s Lake. Kahaya went on to break the News to his maternal grandmother as well. The weight of the defeat was still sp fresh and painful that he shed some more tears. It is believed that these tears also caused the formation of a smaller but unnamed lake which later came to be named Akayanja ka Gigi. Named after a gentlemen that settled there just like Kosiya.
All the kings of Ankore, starting with Omugabe Rwebishengye, the son and successor to Kahaya I, went through a four-day cleansing ritual in Akayanja k’Omugabe (the king’s lake), before ascending the throne.
We shall debate the legends and myths another day, but I would like to draw your attention to where Omugabe Kahaya went first when he was troubled. To his grandfather and grandmother — a support system rooted in culture. Even as King, he was not an end in and of himself. Where do you go when sorrows come? I deviate. Where were we?
Because the passage of time alters a lot, present day Ibanda district, with the current demarcations, is considered Ankore territory. However, important to note, the territory that comprises Kashaara and Omukinyungu, areas that are clearly within Ibanda district are considered as part of Kitagwenda district and therefore in Tooro. It is believed that these same counties could have been the Omukama’s major interest as there is a river that runs through them, the same one that today acts as the border line betwen Ibanda and Kitagwenda. The people of Kashaara and Omukinyungu though considered part of Kitagwenda (Tooro), receive most of their public services from Ibanda.
Back to the decisive battle, (the legend goes on). It is said that a depression was created where Omugabe Kahaya knelt to launch his spear into battle, and to this day the same depression exists as a dry crater in spite of the human activity around it. The story goes on that when the Omugabe wiped his eyebrows, the sweat dropped on the ground and also created a dry crater that is visible to this day.
Simply telling these stories in their proper contexts, whilst preserving the correct narratives and also supporting the local authorities to build the appropriate infrastructure and workforce, would go so far in bolstering the existing efforts to promote tourism. With time, the 72 trillion Uganda Shillings National budget wouldn’t be a problem. I deviate again.
Fast forward, early 1900s. Enter Sir Harry George Galt. A tax collector for Ankore sub-region cum Colonial sub-commissioner for the Western Uganda province. From what I gather, Galt was a very instrumental figure in the British colonial administration. A lot of mystery and controversy surrounds his life and death. Today, I add to the same.
Sir Harry Galt is said to have been in a romantic love affair with a native girl, Julia Kibubura. He occasionally stopped over at Ibanda to check on her on his way to the provincial head quarters in Mbarara. Our guide revealed that Kibubura and Galt usually met at the King’s lake to spend quality time together. He went on to state that kibubura was not very beautiful but she was intelligent. She was the pioneer female Subcounty Chief in the entire country. An extremely prestigious position in the early 20th Century. Arguably the highest ranking female political figure at the time. She is revered in all of Ankore and her legacy lives on. Schools and roads are named after her.
As one of the early Christian converts, Kibubura was instrumental in the construction of the first church in the region. — Present day St. Paul Cathedral, Ibanda.
On the fateful day of 19th May 1905, freshly appointed as a provincial officer. Galt, the harsh and cruel officer, decided to move his base of administration from Fort Portal to present day Ibanda (maybe Kibubura was partly the reason, guess we will never know). As a mode of transport, he had the local people carry him on a makeshift wooden carriage from Fort Portal to Ibanda. Exhausted, the porters requested to rest but the cruel colonial master in his typical style, insisted that they had to soldier on up to Ibanda.
Three kilometres outside present day Ibanda town, the white supremacist eventually agreed to take a break and rested in a government house at a place called katoma. Legend states that as the locals recounted Galt’s cruelty, a man known as Rutaraka was so riled up that he picked up his spear, walked within striking distance and hurled it at Galt who died moments after. Out of fear for the retribution that would befall him from the British, it is said that Rutaraka committed suicide.
Whereas everyone agrees that Galt was murdered by a spear, other sources contend that the actual killer is unknown to this day and that the Rutaraka story was fabricated by the Ankore Kingdom government so as to exonerate themselves from the murder. There was a lot of tension after Galt’s death, believing that the murder was politically motivated, and in rebellion to the British, the colonial government sentenced two Ankore chiefs to death. The penalty was appealed and later rescinded by the East African Court. Ladies and gentlemen, this is 1905. Anyway, we continue.
The controversies and mysteries surrounding Galt’s death are endless. Some believe he was killed for being romantically involved with Kibubura and others say it was for molesting Nkore girls.
All that notwithstanding, all sources agree that after his murder, the locals were punished by having them gather stones to cover Galt’s blood that had spilled to the ground. The activity created a 3 metre long and 5 metre wide pyramid monument that stands to this day in Katoma, Ibanda district. The site is known as The Galt stones or locally as Amabare ga Goti.
Lest we forget, this whole time as the guide narrates these stories, we are hiking to the Nyakahandogoro caves, a place where the locals believe the Bachwezi first lived before spreading out to other parts of the world. He said that on given days, people are seen worshipping and praying to the Bachwezi here. Not yours truly — You shall worship no other gods but me, says the 1st Commandment. The caves also have running water that is believed to be divine. Visitors wash faces and hands as they pray.
It is not enough when I say that the view from above the caves was exceptionally beautiful and breathtaking. The higher we went the more amazing it looked. You would have to stand there yourself to understand my high praise. The rooftop of Ankore, is the nickname that I coined for it. Please find time and head out there, you will even be awarded a certificate for the hike. It is not all doom and gloom. A toast to better tourism days in this country we call home.
Special credit goes out to Twijukye Eliya, Hon. Caroline Arituha and Wikipedia.
ThE LAst TeSO cHieF
