Is Kagame a Muhororo like Museveni?
When an individual becomes a public figure citizens have a right to know who this person is and who his close allies are within and without the country. Because of the close relationship between Kagame and Museveni since the 1981-85 guerrilla war in Uganda, it is rumored that Presidents Kagame and Museveni of Rwanda and Uganda respectively belong to the Bahororo group of Nilotic people whose Luo-speaking and cattle herder ancestors entered the great lakes region from Bahr el Ghazal of southern Sudan.
Bahororo are Batutsi from Rwanda who under the leadership of Kahaya Rutindangyenzi of Bashambo clan founded the Kingdom of Mpororo in north-north-east of contemporary Rwanda and most of south-west Ankole in mid-17th century (Karugire 1980; Ehret 2002 and Chretien 2006). Before Mpororo kingdom was founded the area was occupied by Bantu people. All the people of Mpororo kingdom (Bantu ‘agriculturalists’and Nilotic Batutsi cattle herders) became Bahororo (the people of Mpororo kingdom).
Because of internal feuds the kingdom disintegrated within one hundred years. Bahororo cattle herders who came from Rwanda lost their special political positions in an overwhelmingly Bantu population and many returned to Rwanda where prospects were better. Others remained in former Mpororo kingdom or got scattered in Uganda and possibly beyond.
However, as Karugire (1980) stressed the disintegration of Mpororo “left a people [Bahororo or Batutsi of Rwanda origin] that are not only still recognizable despite their dispersion [including to Rwanda] over a long period of time, but who have maintained an attachment to their past separate and independent existence to a degree that has puzzled casual observers to the present day”. Karugire added “But her people [Bahororo who came from Rwanda], dispersed as they were, have tenaciously remained Bahororo [but kept a low profile and used different names, languages and identities such as Bahima in Ankole and Rujumbura and Batutsi back in Rwanda] in everything but geographical terminology whose absence does not seem to have made any impression upon them”.
It is possible that following the social revolution in Rwanda in 1959, Batutsi/Bahororo sought refuge in Uganda where their Bahororo relatives still live. They were warmly welcome particularly in Ankole and Kigezi where many Bahororo settled after the disintegration of Mpororo kingdom. According to B. L. Jacobs, (1965) “Mr. Kangaho[of Ankole], Member of [Uganda]Legislative Council, maintains that the cattle and refugees can be accommodated in Ankole”. Consequently, “One-third of these refugees [35,000 refugees and 15,000 cattle] appear to have settled with relatives in Uganda [Ankole and Kigezi]…”
During the NRA (National Resistance Army) guerrilla war in Uganda (1981-85) led by Museveni some 25 percent of the guerrillas were Batutsi, many of them possibly Bahororo like Museveni. Museveni’s closest advisers and commanders were people he trusted. Paul Kagame who served as head of intelligence and counter-intelligence in the NRA (West African November 2002) and handled sensitive assignments (Yahoo news August 11, 2010) must be close to Museveni.
In 1990, Kagame went for advanced military training overseas. He rushed back when the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) invaded Rwanda later in 1990 led by Fred Rwigyema. “After Rwigyema’s death, Maj. Gen. Salim Saleh, the former army commander and younger brother to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, personally took Kagame to the PRA headquarters inside Rwanda whereupon Kagame took charge of the shattered force and reorganized it” (Yahoo news August 11, 2010).
Since 1994 when RPA captured Rwanda and Kagame subsequently became the second President after Bizimungu, Kagame and Museveni appear to be working closely together on the Tutsi/Mpororo Empire project to cover (initially) Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and DRC. As part of this plan, Museveni and Kagame fought together to remove Mobutu Sese Seko in 1996/97 and again together to remove Kabila in 1998/99 in a war that brought in Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad and Zambia. President Mugabe made it clear against the advice of the cabinet and other important figures that he moved Zimbabwe troops into DRC to stop the formation of a Tutsi empire in the middle of Africa.
As part of Tutsi/Mpororo empire project, the name of Mpororo has already reappeared on Uganda maps and the history of Mpororo is discussed regularly in the media. As has been the case before, Kagame and Museveni or their spokespersons will deny any plans to establish Tutsi/Mpororo Empire. During negotiations for Uganda’s independence, Bahororo wanted a separate district but did not succeed. However, they did not give up the idea of re-establishing Mpororo kingdom. Talk of adjusting colonial boundaries (Berlin II) and fast track negotiations for East African political federation is part of that plan.
Therefore given the above analysis of the relationship between Kagame and Museveni it is possible that Kagame is a Muhororo like Museveni. Museveni was thought to be a Muhima of Ankole until recently. Further studies may be necessary to confirm or deny this relationship.