KYABAZINGA CORONATION, Gabula iv joins line of glorious Kyabazingas

The institution of Kyabazingaship started in the 20th century with the formation of Busoga Lukiiko (parliament) in 1894-with its headquarters in Bukaleba in Mayuge (bunya) before they were moved to Iganga in Kigulu and later Bugenbe in Jinja (Butembe).

All the 11 hereditary chiefs of Bukono, Busiki, Bulamogi, Kigulu, Bukooli, Bugweri, Bunya, Butembe, Luuka, Bugabula, Bunhole, were all members of the Lukiiko and were expected to move to Bukaleba. The first head of Busoga Lukiiko used the tittle ‘’president’’ and he was Governor Sir William Grant. But because of language barrier, grant had issues communicating wth the chiefs, which forced the colonialists to hire their Muganda cadre, Semei Lwakirenzi Kakungulu in 1906 to become the new president.

However, he was not a Musoga wrangles amongst the different chiefs and clans continued and the most basoga still retained affiliation to their chief. Kakungulu was removed in 1913, ushering in a rotational leadership, which required every chief to leave his palace and move to Bugembe and rule for three months. This system lasted until 1919 when fatigue set in and the chiefs opted to elect one of them to rule.

Since then Busoga has had only three Kyabazinga’s with William Gabula iv becoming the fourth Kyabazinga. Ezekeri Tenywa Wako, became the first Kyabazinga in 1939 as he had served as the president of the Busoga lukiiko since 1919. He was succeeded by sir William Wilberforce Nadiope Kadhumbula (ii) and Henry Wako Muloki.

Below is a quick glance at Busoga’s Kyabazingas as depicted at the cultural research centre museum in Jinja.

1. Ezekeri Tenywa Wako (1919-1949)

He was born to prince Wambuzi one of the sons of Kisira, who was the Zibondo of Bulamogi at the advent of British rule in Uganda in 1894. 

After completing his studies at Kings College Budo in 1914 Wako became the Zibondo since his grandfather had died at Bukaleba and his father (Wambuzi) had died in exile at Kakoro in todays (Budaka) district in 1907.

In 1919, Wako became the first Musoga president of Busoga after the first president Semei Lwakirenzi Kakungulu, a Muganda, who had administered the area from 1906 to 1913, had been dismissed by the colonial government.

In 1925, Wako became a member of the council of Ugandas kings who included the Kabaka of Buganda, the Omukama of Bunyoro kitara, Omukama of Tooro and Omugabe of Ankole. 

During his twenty years as president (1919-1939), wako actively promoted education including maintaining of balangira high school, which had been established by the church missionary society and Yosia Nadiope at Kamuli in 1911, and transformed it into Busoga College Mwiri in 1933.

He also supported the construction of Busoga government headquarters at Bugembe, construction of a number of churches, county and sub county, administration centres, opening of several Criss crossing roads, establishment of health centre’s and promotion of community development programs.

Also during the inter war period of 1919-1939, Wako and his chiefs helped to promote agriculture and commerce. They encouraged Busoga farmers to grow cotton, coffee and some food crops for sell. In turn the agriculture and commerce led to the expansion of Jinja town and creation of small towns like Iganga, Kaliro, Kamuli and Bugiri, the following establishment of Kakira sugarcane plantation in 1927 and cotton ginneries in various parts in Busoga.

In addition, wako used his position as the chairman of Busoga Council and chief judge in Busoga district to initiate some reforms in administration and judicial matters and to strengthen the powers of Busoga council.

2. Sir William Wilberforce Nadiope kadhumbula (Gabula ii) (1949-1956 and 1962-1967) 

He was born in 1911 to prince Yosia Nadiope and Suzana Nasikombi who was the sister to sir Apollo Kagwa. At the age of 8, Nadiope was taken to the only outstanding school in Busoga known as balangira high school in Kamuli which had been started by his father together with Rev T,R,Buckerly of the church of missionary society. But after a few years he was taken to Mengo by his uncle Apollo where he stayed for short time before he went to Trent College in Nottingham, England, were he studied with other prince. 

The young Nadiope returned to Uganda in 1929 with intensions of going for further studies at the famous Achimota College in Accra Ghana. However, he changed his mind after he was requested to take over leadership from Daudi Kintu Mutekanga as county chief of Bugabula in 1930. 

Following with William Nadiope’s flashes with the British administrators in 1933 1nd 1938, he was exiled to Bunyoro in 1939. He was later returned to mobilize basoga to go for the second world war which he did successfully earning the title of ‘’sir’’ from her majesty the queen of England. 

He survived the war in far East (India, Burma, and Malaysia) and returned to Uganda in 1945.

In 1949, he was elected by Busoga council as the second Kyabazinga. In 1952, Nadiope was re-elected, and in 1954, he was one of the dignitaries that receive Queen Elizabeth ii at the official opening of the falls dam in Jinja.

During his reign, Busoga government created bursary scheme to support poor and deserving learners’ especially in secondary schools and encouraged the establishment of Busoga Growers Cooperative Union (BGCU) in 1953 under Marthius Mbalule Ngobi. When nNdiope lost the Kyabazingaship in 1955 to Henry wako muloki, he turned his eyes to national politics. He was elected to legislative council (LEGCO) in 1958, having won a sit Busoga north, Busoga south was won by Martius Ngobi.

3. Henry wako Muloki (1962 and 1991 to 2008)

He was born in 1921 to Ezekeri Tenywa Wako and Yunia Nakibande.A few years later he went to Budo junior school before Joining King’s College Budo where he was head prefect in 1941-42.

Between 1943 and 1948, he was a student at Makerere College (now university) where he obtained a diploma in agriculture. After, he worked as a researcher at serere Agricultural Research station in teso before he become an assistance agricultural officer in Busoga.In 1955, he was elected the 3rd Kyabazinga of Busoga and married Alice Kintu of Abaisekisu clan from Bulopa in 1956.

Muloki assumed the Kyabazinga with a new team of people who included Yeseri Kazungu Mulondo ( Secretary General) and Zedekia Wambi ( chief judge) together with JB Lubandi who had become treasurer in 1953. Since four of them (with the exception Wambi) were ex-Makerereans, it was easy for them to chart a new socio-economic and political program for Busoga. 

In addition, Mulondo was already a backbencher in the legislative council from 1945 while Walukamba was elected by Busoga council to the legislative council in 1955 to 1953, with David Livingstone and Kaira Lubogo, who was the first Ugandan to qualify as a barrister in 1954.

During Moloki’s seven years and four months as Kyabazinga from May 1955 to September 1962, Busoga government achieved many things which included:

• Establishing Iganga junior school (1955), Kiira College Butiki (1959), and Wanyange girls secondary school (1960).

• Persuading the Madvani group to establish Wairaka College, PMM girls secondary school Jinja and Wairaka farm school.

• Establishing a number of leprosy camps and planting a number of forests in different parts of Busoga.

• Establishing cattle dips in different areas.

• Creating a bursary/scholarship scheme for advanced studies overseas.

• And starting a Busoga government newspaper called Kodeyo. 

4. William Nadiope Gabula iv

He was born on November 1,1988 to professor Anold Wilson Nadiope (Gabula iii), who spent much of his time abroad before he returned in 1987, and he was appointed state minister for tourism. Professor Anold Nadiope who is a son to sir William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope (Gabula ii) married a daughter of engineer Mpaata, who gavebirth to prince William Nadiope iv who became chief of Bugabula, following his father’s death in 1991. 

Gabula IV went to Rohanna Academy before joining Busoga College Mwiri for his O’level 2002-2005 and Kyambongo College school for his A’level 2006-2007, he then joined Kyambongo University where he pursued a Bachelors Degree in Economics. The king who has been working as a development analyst with the ministry of Energy and mineral development, flew out this month to UK for his masters degree

ARTICLE PICKED FROM THE OBSERVER OF SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2014 WRITTEN BY SIMON MUSASIZI

The Irony of the Economic Migrants against Refugees: Failure of World Leadership.

A few months back the world press was full of economic migrants trying to get into the UK from France. Many have braved the sea from Libya and through Libya to try and make it to Europe. People are distraught with poverty in their countries and are looking for better places to live in. Incidentally those who do are usually the less skilled or graduates who fail to find jobs in their respective countries. It's not common for those who can find a job home to yearn to live abroad. Of course I must accept that the developed countries have all those marvels for us from poor countries to see and admire and everybody would wish to see them given a chance. Therefore every African would wish to visit the developed west. Of course with control of the media the western countries make it only to attractive for Africans to want to go there by showing only poverty and wars in African countries.  Before our minds left these migrants largely from Africa another wave hit the mass media. This time not immigrants but refugees!! All of a sudden a flow of people hits the world. Refugees fleeing Syria and now many Arab countries is what we see in our living rooms if you have a TV. Unlike economic migrants who are locked out these are welcomed with open arms!
Both groups are a creation of the rich west one in a subtle manner other out of massive aggression. The migrants fleeing Africa and parts of Asia are fleeing from poverty.this poverty is a function of many factors but one of them is the west not allowing these countries to trade with them . There is no level playing field and there are a host of restrictions that make poor Africa unable to trade with the rich West. Given their squalid conditions how do you expect poor African to meet the health requirements for certain export to the West. Given their lack of education and inability to focus on science how do you expect poor Africa to be able export any product to the West.

Africa is known for wars and military coups. There is literature that most of the coups are inspired by the west, look at what happened in Egypt recently. Gaddaffi, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah. There is something to do with CIA or something like that when this happens and there are the famous wars in Africa who is funding them? Who is funneling the wars there? Under such conditions leadership in Africa has been a captive to western interests and have failed to deliver the required grant. This leads to poor Africans who desire better conditions to want to relocate to those countries where the conditions are better.

This will continue for a s long as there is no development in Africa, Africa cannot grow without selling anything to the rich west. The merging economies of Asia including the power house today China had to look to the West for growth Africa cannot be different.
The Arabian refugees entering in Europe is a different story. Many critics of western policies attribute the current crisis to the American invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration. That was the fatal mistake that was made that today reverberates throughout the Middle East. Invading Iraq according to the economist of September was to satisfy Israel and weaken whoever was intone region who could threaten Israel. The desire to contain Egypt which is now fixed, Syria which so far they have failed to fix and Iran which they fear to fix is what is causing the current refugee crisis. The bombing of Syria and creation and support of various fighting groups has torn the country apart. This has led to refugees in Lebanon and other neighboring countries. About half a million people have moved to Europe from Middle East. It is also reported that over 4 million people have been displaced in Syria.

But these refugees are welcome unlike the economic migrants! They are welcome for various reasons. One that the West created the problem by bombing these countries if they don't address the challenge it may soon backfire on them. The level of destruction of these countries is unprecedented. Two, migration of young productive people can be good for the nations in the long run. In the short run they have to house fed and generally looked after but in the long run they provide the required labour to fuel the growth. Most of these western countries have an aging population and small families. Europe is running short of labour. The USA and UK which have over the years welcomed migrants have been able to keep a steady supply of labour. German is one county that feels the pinch in its growth plans. It needs the people. Unfortunately they did not know how many to expect and it kind of went out of hand. None the less with German organization this problem will be fixed. It is said that the German working population will shrink by 20million by the year 2030 as the number of deaths outstrip births. The economy will therefore not be able to grow. The most European countries need people to fill this gap.

This had its dark side. The Arabs moving into Europe are Muslims and there is a mixed feeling about Muslims in Europe. Most of the Muslims and nationalities from Asia's do not assimilate into the cultures they go into. The struggle between the Arabs and Israel's has been turned into a religious war successfully. It no longer Israel and the Arabs it is Israel, the west and Muslims. This has now created the good muslim and the bad muslim. The good one is that one collaborating with e west the bad whoever is fighting the west. It has also created successfully the word Islamist and accepted by many Muslims who now use it as it is correct. For the some of us who cooperate with the west we are moderates! Those who don't are Islamists. Why are such two countries unequal creating an economic migrant crisis? The US is aware, it requires fresh labour and they have an organized system if bringing in migrants every year. Recently, during the Pope’s visit to the US the girl who broke into security to deliver a letter to the Pope was a demonstration of the challenges of immigration in the United States. But when you have dead bodies of kids floating on the sea and others electrocuted as a result of these policies, you ask what the global leadership is up to.

In North America, the situation has been very different. Mexicans from the relatively poor Mexico are trying to get into the United States. The US has put barbed wire along the border that separates it from Mexico but Mexicans still scale these fences.  The world has never been fair especially to poor people. But poverty amidst this plenty is a shame and a failure of world leadership, the mass movement of refugees is a failure of world leadership. Unless if the issue is intentional it is not possible that the west with all it might and wealth would fail to find a solution not only to the economic migrant t but to the refugee crisis