From Makobore to Mbaguta to Kaguta
Many people are still asking me to write concisely about the history of Bahororo: who are they, where they came from, where they live, how they are related to Bahima, Batutsi and Banyamulenge, and above all how they rose to prominence in Uganda politics.
Location before they entered the Great Lakes Region
Bahima, Batutsi, Bahororo and Banyamulenge are cousins. They change names and language whenever they move to a new place. In former Ankole District they are called Bahima; in Rwanda and Buruindi Batutsi; in Eastern DRC Banyamulenge and in Rujumbura Bahororo. Until recently Bahororo were relatively unknown because they registered or introduced themselves as Bahima. We shall say more later on.
There is credible evidence that they are Nilotic Luo-speaking people who entered the Great Lakes Region in the 15 and 16th centuries from Bahr el Ghazal in Southern Sudan and not from Ethiopia as John Hanning Speke had written in 1863 (Eric Kashambuzi. Uganda’s Development Agenda in the 21st Century 2009). They are known for their love of long-horn cattle. J. Roscoe described them this way: “Men become warmly attached to their cows; some of them they love like children, pet and talk to them, and weep over their ailments. Should a favorite cow die, their grief is extreme and cases are not wanting in which men have committed suicide through excessive grief at the loss of an animal” (Richard Poe 1999).
Except changing their names and language (they use kiganda names in Buganda, names starting with “O” in Northern and Eastern Uganda etc and they know themselves and their cousins inside and outside Uganda), they have remained intact because men do not marry outside their ethnic group. P. Kesaasi in her article in Observer (Uganda) in April 2010 confirmed that Bahima (and Batutsi, Bahororo and Banyamulenge) men do not marry outside their circles because their women are the most beautiful in the Great Lakes Region! Many readers of her article reacted differently.
The history of Bahororo
Bahororo are Batutsi people from Rwanda who founded a short-lived kingdom of Mpororo in mid-17th century. The people of Mpororo kingdom became Bahororo both Batutsi and Bairu who occupied the land before Batutsi arrived. The kingdom covered northern Rwanda and parts of south west Uganda including Ntungamo and parts of former Kigezi district bordering on Rwanda. Rujumbura was never part of the kingdom. Because of internal conflicts, the kingdom disintegrated within less than 100 years. Rwanda and Ankole kings replaced Bahororo as rulers.
According to J. P. Chretien (2000) “After the fall of Mpororo, the takeover of the Nkore dynasty on the western highlands was accompanied both by installing armies and by reinforcing the power of Hinda lineage over the rest of the population, labeled Bairu”. Some Bahororo returned to Rwanda and became Batutsi. Under the Hinda dynasty, former Bahororo rulers who stayed in Nkore became commoners.
However, S. Karugire (1980) observes that although the name of Mpororo went out of use and did not figure on any map of Uganda, the people of former Mpororo “dispersed as they were, have tenaciously remained Bahororo in everything but geographical terminology whose absence does not seem to have made any impression upon them”. One of the reasons they have retained their identity intact is their determination not to marry outside their ethnic group.
Bahororo enter Rujumbura in 1800
Sixty to ninety years after the disintegration of Mpororo kingdom, a section of Bahororo led by Rwebiraro from Bashambo clan fled to Rujumbura where they sought refuge. With the benefit of a standing army and fighting experience, they suppressed resistance from indigenous Bantu people, subjugated and colonized them.
Before the arrival of Bahororo, Bantu people were engaged in mixed farming (growing crops and herding short-horn cattle, goats and sheep) and manufacturing a wide range of products especially those from iron ore. According to E. R. Kamuhangire, Bakimbiri, Bazigaba and Bayonga distinguished themselves as producers of iron products (B. A. Ogot 1976).
Donald Denoon confirms the economic structure of Bairu by writing that Bashambo established a principality over a mixture of pastoralists and agriculturalists. Therefore Bairu were not always agriculturalists as those who want to keep them marginalized have maintained. They have been impoverished to this day in 2010 through domination and subjugation by Bahororo who brought with them the identity of Bahororo, “despite the fact that Mpororo as a state no longer existed except in memory” (G. N. Uzoigwe 1982), again confirming that Rujumbura was never a part of Mpororo kingdom.
The rise of Makobore to prominence in Rujumbura politics
In the second half of the 19th century, Makobore, from Bashambo clan of Bahororo was involved in a struggle against Bantu kings and chiefs in a process of expanding his territory. At that time the Arabs and Swahili slave and ivory hunters arrived in the region with European weapons. Makobore decided to collaborate with them in return for their support to defeat his enemies. According to Ephraim R. Kamuhangire “The coastal traders were also employed in interstate raids for slaves. For example Makobore [described by Paul Ngorogoza (1998) as a restless man], the king of Rujumbura, employed them [coastal traders] in his raids against Butumbi and Kayonza. … Weaker societies were raided for slaves while interstate warfare became rampant” (B. A. Ogot 1976). Directly or indirectly, Makobore participated in slave trade.
By the time the British arrived in Rujumbura area, Makobore with the help of slave traders had managed to defeat other kings and chiefs and subjugate the conquered people. In Uganda the British used traditional or appointed chiefs to administer the territory under the indirect rule system. Makobore was therefore appointed chief of Rujumbura which became part of Kigezi district. Therefore Makobore a Muhororo (singular for Bahororo) came to prominence in Rujumbura politics through collaboration with slave traders and British appointment as the chief civil servant of Rujumbura. With British connections, the descendants of Makobore have remained in control of Rujumbura politics for 210 years now represented by Jim Muhwezi in Uganda’s Parliament. His re-election in 2011 is almost guaranteed.
The rise of Mbaguta to prominence in Ankole politics
Nuwa Mbaguta is a Muhororo of Bashambo clan. With the disintegration of Mpororo he became a commoner in Nkore kingdom. Following the death of Omugabe (king) Ntare, there was as always a struggle for succession. Eventually Kahaya, at the age of 19, became king with two regents: Kahitsi and Igumira. Mbaguta worked his way to Kahaya’s royal court and became the king’s favorite and aspired to the title of Enganzi which means a “position of proximity and trust in the royal establishment” (E. I. Steinhart 1999). A number of factors helped Mbaguta rise to prominence in Ankole politics including the following.
First, being a commoner, he did not threaten Kahaya’s titular sovereignty. And as a Mushambo he could never qualify for royal honors. Instead he became a great commoner.
Second, when the British arrived, Mbaguta collaborated with them in many ways. He quickly accepted the Anglican religion and was baptized as an Anglican in December 1902 and confirmed in October 1903.
Third, as liaison between the king and the British Mbaguta collaborated with the latter whereas Igumira (Mbaguta’s opponent) a member of the royal family and one of the two regents had difficulties doing so. Mbaguta proved extremely adept including in supporting unpopular taxes imposed by the British.
Fourth, Mbaguta became “legendary as benevolent tyrant, a man who treated even the Hinda princes like Iru servants and freely caned those whom he felt most needed disciplining” (E. I. Steinhart 1999).
For these reasons Mbaguta became popular with the British administration. Accordingly “Mbaguta was officially recognized as Enganzi [Prime Minister] by the visiting [British] Commissioner” (E. I. Steinhart 1999).
To give Mbaguta maximum space, Igumira was arrested by the British and exiled in Kisumu, Kenya and his supporters were dispersed and impoverished by inter alia having their cattle taken away. With Igumira out of the way Nuwa Mbaguta rose to prominence in Ankole kingdom politics.
Thus Mbaguta a Muhororo of Bashambo clan like Makobore another Muhororo of Bashambo clan was propelled to political prominence by the British.
The rise of Kaguta Museveni to prominence in national politics
There are different stories about Museveni. Some say he is a Mututsi (singular for Batutsi), others that he is a Muhororo (singular for Bahororo). Either way he is connected with Batutsi because Bahororo are Batutsi from Rwanda who settled in Uganda.
Keith Harmon Snow has described Museveni’s rise to political prominence in Uganda politics as follows: “War for the control of the Democratic Republic of Congo – what should be the richest country in the world – began in Uganda in the 1980s when now Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni shot his way to power with the backing of Buckingham Palace, the White House and Tel Aviv behind him” (Peter Phillips 2006).
Museveni has since collaborated with Western powers at the expense of Uganda. He dropped his popular and well crafted ten-point program in favor of “shock therapy” version of structural adjustment on the advice including of Linda Chalker former British Minister in Thatcher’s government when he knew it would cause untold suffering to the people of Uganda because he had opposed it under Obote II regime.
Many Ugandans and others believe Museveni has dragged Uganda into costly wars to secure Congo for his sponsors as noted above. For his collaboration, Britain helped him become Chairman of the Commonwealth and Britain remains his main backer judged by praises showered on Museveni by British ministers and advisers.
Conclusion
The three Bahororo – Makobore, Mbaguta and Museveni – have risen to power undoubtedly with a strong helping hand of Britain. In addition to the reasons given above, one needs to mention the following general observation as influencing British choice of Bahororo. Adam Jones (2006) has recorded that “In the divide-and-rule tradition, Tutsis became colonial and favorite protégés [in Rwanda and Burundi]. In part, this reflected the Tutsi’s minority status – it is often easier for colonizers to secure the allegiance of a minority, which recognizes that its survival may depend on bonds with the imperial authority”.
Similarly, Britain chose to support Bahororo (who are Batutsi from Rwanda) as their favorite in Uganda because of their minority status. On their part Makobore, Nuwa Mbaguta and Kaguta Museveni have collaborated in recognition that their survival depended on bonds with Britain.