Those Who Came Before Us: Recent Episodes

David

Most of us are aware of how badly represented Africa is. The continent is too often reduced to a number of degrading stereotypes. But Africa has a rich and diverse history. A history that is usually ignored or poorly understood not just by the world but by (sometimes) its own people. A certain British historian once referred to its past as darkness.

Well, I hope to be among those who hold a lantern to this so-called darkness of a history. Take my hand, as I guide you down the pathways of Africa’s supposed night covered past. Allow me to show you her numerous and diverse people, their perspectives, religion, and their stories.

Hosted by David Ibanda( a devoted student of African history with a penchant for Corny jokes)

Follow podcast instagram page at @twcbupod.

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In this episode, we explore the role of horns in spiritual practice across kingdoms like Buganda, Bunyoro, and Busoga.

Often filled, sealed, and carried, these horns were believed to contain forces that could protect individuals from harm but also act against others.

Moving beyond simple explanations, this episode looks at how these practices reflect a broader worldview: one in which illness, misfortune, and even truth itself were tied to unseen forces that could be influenced, controlled, or resisted.

Sources
Bamunoba, Yoramu K.. The Cult of Spirits in Ankole. N.p.: Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US, 2019.

Beattie, J. H. M. (John). "Divination in Bunyoro, Uganda." Sociologus 14, no. 1 (1964): 44–61.

Bjerke, Svein. Religion and Misfortune: The Bacwezi Complex and the Other Spirit Cults of the Zinza of Northwestern Tanzania. Norway: Columbia University Press, 1981.

Culture Research Centre. Ritual Gestures in Busoga. Jinja, Uganda: Culture Research Centre, 2001.

Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. United Kingdom: University of Virginia Press, 2010.

Kyewalanga, Francis. Traditional Religion, Custom & Christianity in Uganda.

Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978

Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021.

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This is the story I didn’t say.

In the main episode, I focused on what the envoys meant to Buganda.
Here, I slow things down and follow their journey step by step from the Nile, through Sudan, into Egypt, and eventually to England.

This is a closer look at the places they passed through, the people they encountered, and the world they were trying to make sense of.

If you want to go deeper, I’ve put together a full written version on Substack, along with a Google Earth flyover map so you can actually trace the route for yourself.

Read the full article: (Substack link): https://open.substack.com/pub/thosewhocamebeforeus/p/the-envoys-who-saw-the-world?r=7y1sc9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Explore the journey (Google Earth map): https://earth.google.com/earth/d/1LT04xJD8UvmNS2N_lqMOn4fiw6hqaVnf?usp=sharing

Click the slideshow for a better viewing experience.

Sources

Church Missionary Society. The Church Missionary Gleaner. Vol. 8. London: Church Missionary Society, 1881.

Wilson, Charles T., and Robert W. Felkin. Uganda and the Egyptian Soudan. Vol. 1. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882.

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By 1879, the kingdom of Buganda found itself caught in the expanding shadow of empire. To the north, Egyptian forces were pushing deeper into the Upper Nile, threatening to extend their authority toward the Great Lakes.

In this episode of Those Who Came Before Us, we explore how Kabaka Muteesa I responded to this growing danger. Facing the possibility of Egyptian domination, the Kabaka turned to an unlikely strategy: diplomacy with European powers already present at his court.

Catholic and Protestant missionaries representing France and Britain, became potential channels through which Buganda might secure powerful allies. Muteesa’s decision to send a diplomatic mission to London in 1879 was not simply curiosity about the outside world. It was a calculated attempt at survival diplomacy, balancing foreign powers against one another in order to preserve Buganda’s independence.

Key Themes

The Egyptian expansion into the Upper Nile and the fear it created in Buganda
How missionaries became unexpected instruments of diplomacy
Kabaka Muteesa I’s strategy of balancing foreign powers to protect his kingdom

Sources

Church Missionary Society. The Church Missionary Gleaner. Vol. 8. London: Church Missionary Society, 1881.

Forbes, F. A. Father Lourdel: Planting the Furthest Seeds in Africa. Reprint, Mediatrix Press, 2017.

Harrison, Alexina. Mackay of Uganda: The Missionary Hero of Uganda. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1891.

Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.

Mukasa, Ham. Backward Never, Forward Ever: Translation by J.N Batte, Simuda Nyuma - Luganda: Ham Mukasa Foundation 2002.

Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. London: Religious Tract Society, 1892.

Wilson, Charles T., and Robert W. Felkin. Uganda and the Egyptian Soudan. Vol. 1. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882.

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Lake Victoria has always been more than geography. For the people who lived along its shores in Buganda and across the Great Lakes region, it was a living domain capable of taking life without warning, yet sustaining entire communities.

In this episode, we explore Mukasa, the spirit of the lake whose power touched every layer of life: food, labor, kingship, fertility, and the sacred rules that held society together. Through fishing rituals, canoe symbolism, and the discipline of taboo, we uncover an older East African worldview in which nature was not separate from humanity. It was governance.

This is not just African mythology. It is the story of how spiritual belief shaped political authority and everyday survival.

If you enjoyed this episode, listen next to our exploration of the serpent spirits of Lake Victoria to understand the deeper cosmology behind these traditions.

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SourcesKaggwa, Sir Apolo. The Customs of the Baganda. Translated by Ernest B. Kalibala. Edited by May Mandelbaum. New York: Columbia University Press, 1934.

Kenny, Michael G. “The Powers of Lake Victoria.” Anthropos 72, no. 5/6 (1977): 717–33.

Kollmann, Paul. The Victoria Nyanza: The Land, the Races and their Customs, with Specimens of some of the Dialects. Translated by H. A. Nesbitt. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Ltd., 1899.

Lyewalyanga, F. X. S.. Traditional Religion, Custom, and Christianity in Uganda. Germany: Freiburg im Breisgau, 1976.

Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1911

Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021.

Speke, John Hanning. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 2nd ed. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863.

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The world’s second-largest freshwater lake is more than a body of water. It is a boundary. For those who lived along its shores in East Africa, Lake Victoria was shaped by unseen presence—spirits, serpents, and forces that governed life, death, and survival.

In this episode, we explore Lukwata and the serpent world beneath the waters. These were not just myths, but part of a spiritual system that shaped fear, respect, ritual, and everyday life in Buganda and the wider Great Lakes region.

This is part of an ongoing series on African mythology, spirituality, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of East Africa.

Sources

Kenny, Michael G. “The Powers of Lake Victoria.” Anthropos 72, no. 5/6 (1977): 717–33.

McGrath, Andy. Beasts of the World. United States: Hangar 1 Publishing, 2022.

Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021.

Speke, John Hanning. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 2nd ed. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863.

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At Kagei the crucial port on the southern shore of Lake Victoria and the main gateway to Buganda by canoe, James Hannington finally steps free after his detention by King Romwa of Buzinza. But just as the last stretch of his journey comes into view, sickness overwhelms him. Too weak to continue , Hannington realizes his long-awaited mission is slipping away. Buganda lies just across the water from Kagei yet it has never felt more unreachable.

Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc

Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/3Xzsp_FfSwU

Sources

Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.
Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.
Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.
Hartwig, Gerald W. “The Victoria Nyanza as a Trade Route in the Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of African History 11, no. 4 (1970): 535–52.
Holmes, C. F. “Zanzibari Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route.” African Historical Studies 4, no. 3 (1971): 477–503.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.
Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910
Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.
Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.

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After a brutal trek across the interior, James Hannington and two fellow missionaries finally reach the lands of Romwa of Buzinza, exhausted, sick, and desperate for canoes to cross Lake Victoria. But with empty hands and no tribute to offer, they quickly learn that Romwa is no simple chief. He is a wary monarch guarding his sovereignty in a world where strangers mean danger… and nothing comes for free.

Youtube Episode link: https://youtu.be/oII9e6b000c

Sources

Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.
Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.
Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.
Hartwig, Gerald W. “The Victoria Nyanza as a Trade Route in the Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of African History 11, no. 4 (1970): 535–52.
Holmes, C. F. “Zanzibari Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route.” African Historical Studies 4, no. 3 (1971): 477–503.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.
Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910
Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.
Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.

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Frail and fevered, James Hannington reaches the caravan’s camp only to find them seized by dread. Beyond the horizon lies Mirambo’s domain, a land few dare to cross. His name moves through Central Africa like a storm: the warrior-king who defied the Arabs and reshaped the trade routes. When the caravan finally leaves Uyui without him, they are forced to turn back. And when they return, Hannington rejoins them on the road, with the only path forward being through Mirambo's territory.

Sources

Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.

Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.

Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.

Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.

Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910

Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.

Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.

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The missionary James Hannington crosses the harsh Ugogo Plains of Tanzania’s Dodoma region, home of the Wagogo people. Battling wind, dust, and disease, his faith is tested in one of the most unforgiving stretches of the 19th-century East African caravan routes.

Sources

Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.
Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.
Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.
Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910
Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.
Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.

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Today marks 140 years since the death of Bishop James Hannington of the Church Missionary Society, killed on his way to the Buganda Kingdom on October 29, 1885.

What many don’t realize is that this was actually his second attempt to reach Buganda. By then, the kingdom had become a prime destination for European explorers, missionaries, and Arab traders especially after H. M. Stanley’s famous letter to Europe, declaring that the Kabaka of Buganda had invited missionaries.

In this five-part series, I retrace Hannington’s journey. But this isn’t only his story. It’s also the story of the people he encountered, the lands he crossed, and the African voices too often reduced to the background in European writings.

Part 2 arrives next week.

Sources

Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.
Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.
Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.
Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910
Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.
Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.

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Enkai is the creator god of the Maasai people. He reveals himself in three colors: white, red, and black. Among them, red and black speak the loudest.

Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai, this episode follows a lone Maasai woman as she offers a series of prayers, pleas for life, for mercy, for a child. Her voice becomes a bridge between the earthly and the divine.

The story is told in a poetic, haiku-like form..sparse, symbolic, and intimate. Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai.

It’s an experiment.

Take your time. Listen. Feel it.

I hope you enjoy. 😁

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/JD8Y9LJpmUk

SOURCES

Naomi Kipuri. Oral Literature of the Maasai. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 1983.

Dorothy L. Hodgson. The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters between Maasai and Missionaries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.

Jomo Kenyatta. Facing Mount Kenya. London: Secker and Warburg, 1938.

Douglas E. Thomas. African Religions: Beliefs and Practices through History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2018.

Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, eds. Encyclopedia of African Religion. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2008.

Project FUEL. Engai: God of the Maasai. Google Arts & Culture, n.d

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The king may be gone but his wives remain.

At the royal tombs of Kasubi, a small community of women continues to serve long after death.
They are the royal widows of Buganda: chosen from different clans, bound to the king in life… and still present in his death.

From sweeping the tombs to preparing rituals, they carry out their roles with quiet dignity.

Not as relics of the past, but as part of a living royal tradition.

Who are these women?
What do they remember?
And what does their presence mean for a kingdom that never forgets its kings?

This episode is a journey through royal duty, legacy, and the sacred roles that still echo within the thatched walls of Kasubi.

Sources!!!!

Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.
Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010.
Ray, Benjamin C. Myth, Ritual, and Kingship in Buganda. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911.
Reid, Richard J. Political Power in Pre-Colonial Buganda: Economy, Society, and Warfare in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: James Currey, 2002.
Schiller, Laurence. "Royal Women of Buganda." The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10, no. 2 (1977): 171–188. https://doi.org/10.2307/217347.
Wrigley, Christopher. Kingship and State: The Buganda Dynasty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
CyArk. “Royal Tombs at Kasubi – 3D Explorer.” Accessed June 2025. https://cyark.org/projects/royal-tombs-at-kasubi/3D-Explorer
Personal Interview with Catherine, guide at Kasubi & Field Footage (Kasubi Tombs 2025)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1022/

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What if a king never truly dies?
In Buganda, power doesn’t end with a funeral. It transforms.

Today, the royal palace is modern, more European in design than ancestral. But at the Kasubi Tombs, the old world still breathes. This episode traces how the king’s presence moved from palace to tomb, how his body became spirit, and how his home became sacred ground. We step inside a world where the roof was measured to the size of his head, where each clan held a cosmic role, and where power radiated from one man like the sun.

This isn’t just history.
It’s memory made architecture.
And the king?...Well.
He never really left.

Part 2: “Royal Widows” drops August 31st.

Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/nHKlrbTjKnA

Sources!!!!

Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.
Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010.
Ray, Benjamin C. Myth, Ritual, and Kingship in Buganda. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911.
Reid, Richard J. Political Power in Pre-Colonial Buganda: Economy, Society, and Warfare in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: James Currey, 2002.
Wrigley, Christopher. Kingship and State: The Buganda Dynasty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
CyArk. “Royal Tombs at Kasubi – 3D Explorer.” Accessed June 2025. https://cyark.org/projects/royal-tombs-at-kasubi/3D-Explorer
Personal Interview with Catherine guide at Kasubi & Field Footage (Kasubi Tombs 2025)

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In this episode, I dive into the chilling legends of the cannibal night dancer said to feast on human flesh and embody the darkest fears of African folklore. But beyond the myths, how did accusations of cannibalism shape perceptions of morality, justice, and otherness? I explore the psychology behind these stories, the real-life consequences of being labeled a night dancer, and how law and society have dealt with those accused of such crimes. Is there truth behind the fear, or are these tales reflections of something deeper within us?

Intro - 0:00 - 2:01
Chapter 4 - “Cannibalism and African Zombies“ - 2:02 - 7:59

Chapter 5 - “Cannibalism, the Banality of Evil and Otherness” - 8:00 - 29:03

Chapter 6 - “Law, Crime and Justice” - 29:04 - 46:31

Conclusion - 46:32 - 48:42

Youtube video: https://youtu.be/Sq7-brM4ppo

Local Motion Safaris - https://www.localmotionsafaris.com/

Sources

A.B.C Ocholla Ayayo, “Traditional ideology and ethics among the Southern Luo”, The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies Uppsala, 1976

Harry Johnston, “The Uganda Protectorate”, New York Dodd Mead & Company, 1904.

Heike Behrand, “Resurrecting Cannibals: The Catholic Church, Witch-Hunts and the Production of Pagans in Western Uganda” James Currey, 2011

Isiko Alexander Paul, “An Expository Study of Witchcraft among the Basoga of Uganda” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2019, PP 83-96

Isaac Christopher Lubogo, “Law of Witchcraft in Uganda Sorcery and Illuminati in Uganda, A Philosophical Discourse”, Suigeneris Publishers, 2022.

John Beattie, “The Story of Mariya and Yozefu: A Case Study from Bunyoro, Uganda”, Africa: Journal of the International African Institute , pp. 105-115 (11pages), Cambridge University Press, 1964.

J.W. Nyakatura, “Anatomy of an African Kingdom” (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973)

Tibamanya Mwene Mushanga, “Criminal Homicide in Uganda: A Sociological study of violent deaths in Ankole,Kigezi and Toro Districts of Western Uganda”, 2013

Tom Kwanya, “Stigmatisation of Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Night Running in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion in Africa Vol. 48, Fasc. 4 (2020), pp. 376-392

Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978

Web Sources

https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/two-wanted-for-raping-suspected-night-dancer - Aisha Nalwanga

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/night-runners-kenya

https://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/night-dancing-is-associated-with-cannibalism-not-mental-illness-ssalongo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqHpE7wfnC0&ab_channel=SaltMediaUganda

https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/pamela-newkirk-on-ota-benga-at-the-bronx-zoo.html - Ota Benga

https://www.lynchburgmuseum.org/blog/2021/8/9/ota-benga-mbye-otabenga - Ota Benga

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/bukunja-the-infamous-land-of-night-dancers--1576818

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1023716-eichmann-in-jerusalem#:~:text=Evil%20comes%20from%20a%20failure,is%20the%20banality%20of%20evil. - Hannah Arendt

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/hannah-arendts-lessons-for-our-times-the-banality-of-evil-totalitarianism-and-statelessness/ -Hannah Arendt

https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1047829/proud-cannibal - Benedict Seruwu story

Special thanks to Elizabeth Atuhaire and her neighbours for sharing with me their night dancer stories.

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In this debut episode of the African Book of Monsters series, we unravel the haunting legend of the night dancer. What makes these figures so feared across communities? And what deeper truths do their stories reveal about the societies they haunt?

Join me for a blend of history, mythology, and cultural insight as I explore the night dancer’s place in African folklore. Whether you’re here for a thrill or to learn more about the unseen side of African traditions, this episode has something for you.
Monster Entries will be updated on an occasional basis.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for more on Africa's untold history.
Youtube video link : https://youtu.be/Ccxfp2BNlvc

Sources

Isiko Alexander Paul, “An Expository Study of Witchcraft among the Basoga of Uganda” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2019, PP 83-96

A.B.C Ocholla Ayayo, “Traditional ideology and ethics among the Southern Luo”, The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies Uppsala, 1976

John Beattie, “Sorcery in Bunyoro”, “Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa”, Psychology Press, 2004

Robert Blunt, “Anthropology After Dark: Nocturnal Life and the Anthropology of the Good-Enough in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion and Violence Vol. 8, No. 1 (2020), pp. 35-57

Owen Davies, “The Nightmare Experience, Sleep Paralysis, and Witchcraft Accusations”, Folklore Vol. 114, No. 2 (Aug., 2003), pp. 181-203 (23 pages)

Published By: Taylor & Francis, Ltd

Tom Kwanya, “Stigmatisation of Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Night Running in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion in Africa Vol. 48, Fasc. 4 (2020), pp. 376-392

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016)

Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978

Victor W Turner, “Witchcraft and Sorcery: Taxonomy versus Dynamics” Africa: Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1964), pp. 314-325

Kiyoshi Umeya, The Gospel Sounds Like the Witch's Spell: Dealing with Misfortune among the Jopadhola of Eastern Uganda, Langaa RPCID (Feb. 10 2022)

Web Sources

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/sleep-paralysis-causes-symptoms-and-treatments

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12133-parasomnias--disruptive-sleep-disorders

https://youtu.be/4FIqsPWiwhg?si=XYiASZ1Imzhkq9km

Special thanks to Daniel Brian Omyeri, Elizabeth Atuhaire and her neighbours for sharing with me their night dancer stories.

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The Uganda Martyrs incident that resulted in the deaths of 45 christian converts in 1886 is widely known to christians worldwide.
Unbeknownst to many, there is another martyrdom incident that occurred 10 or so years prior. In fact, there are 2 events that interestingly happened around the same time.
These obscure episodes in Buganda and African history ironically feed into each other and are what I present today.
This was a really fascinating story for me to learn about.
Just to be clear, I do not claim that Kabaka Muteesa 1, who is responsible for the killings, to be a death diety. Rather, I am simply making a comparison between the power over life and death that Muteesa had, to that of the grim reaper.

Corrections

Min 15:50:10 - Meant to say King's Uncle
Min 33:32:13 - Meant to say some Basoga not Baganda.

Youtube Video Link

https://youtu.be/-zhiX9O54wY

Enjoy!!

SourcesABK Kasozi, “The Spread of Islam in Uganda 1844 -1945” PHD Thesis presented at University of California, Santa Cruz 1974.

Ahmed Katumba and F.B Welbourn, “Muslims Martyrs of Buganda” Uganda Journal 28 1964 (151 - 163) https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00073/39x

Arye Oded, “Islam in uganda: Islamization through a centralized state in pre-colonial Africa” Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem 1974.

C.F. Holmes, “Zanzibar Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route”

African Historical Studies, Vol. 4, No. 3 (1971), pp. 477-503.

Ham Mukasa, “Backward Never Forward Ever”, Translation of the book “Simuda Nyuma” by Francis J.N. Batte, Hamu Mukasa Foundation 2012.

Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473

Venny M.Nakazibwe, “ Bark-cloth Of The Baganda People Of Southern Uganda: A Record Of Continuity And Change From The Late Eighteenth Century To The Early Twenty First Century, (Middlesex University, 2005) (Pg, 130 - 133)

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/0aaa6bfe6c4498a8090e2481452682d5ba1878d69146fcccf4404e2267a73572/45355158/Nakazibwe-phd.pdf

https://quran.com/al-fatihah

H.M Stanley book https://archive.org/stream/stanleysdespatch00stan/stanleysdespatch00stan_djvu.txt

https://www.deseret.com/2016/10/1/20597261/the-opening-of-the-quran/

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/series/east-africa-indian-ocean-basin-world-economy-1760-1880/3-caravans-and-impact-long-distance-trade

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/namugongo-how-a-haunted-village-became-world-famous-1518256

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Busiki and Busambira are among the many small nations that came under the umbrella of the current Busoga kingdom.
Unlike most of the well known busoga states ruled by the AbaiseNgobi clan, these 2 are headed by the lesser known AbaiseIgaga clan.
Follow me as I talk about their pre-colonial history starting with their founder the meat giver Nemwe all the way to the end of the 1900s when they were incorporated into the Busoga Kingdom and largely the nation of Uganda.
If you prefer to watch, check out the youtube channel link below.

https://youtube.com/@thosewhocamebeforeus9326?si=C87e33Dsnsi1NJMO

Words to note.
Kisiki/Kisiginyi: Leader of the Busiki State

Kisambira: Leader of the Busambira State

Kabaka: Leader of the Buganda state.

Naminha: Leader of the AbaiseNaminha Clan

Igulu: Leader of the AbaiseIgulu Clan

Please see sources below.

SOURCES

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House).

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022) Text 64, 68, 71, 76, 77, 78, 79

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

William FitzSimons, “Warfare, Competition, and the Durability of Political Smallness in Nineteenth Century” Journal of African History ( Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

Happy Mother's day to all mothers in the world. Queen - Mothers were vital to the power structures of the intralacustrine region. They were often the rallying points around which clans gathered to defend their candidate of choice. Here is a list of 5 pre-colonial Queen-Mothers of Uganda. Enjoy!!

Sources

Buganda

Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473

JM Gray, “Mutesa of Buganda”

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Motherhood, Food Procurement and Politics in East-Central Uganda to the Nineteenth Century” ( Evanston, Illinois 2007)

https://arch.library.northwestern.edu/downloads/x633f108q

Kabaka Muteesa’s letter to Queen Victoria ;

https://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/mutesas-letter-to-queen-victoria/#:~:text=Oh!,He%20is%20God%20of%20God.

Ham Mukasa, “Ebifa Ku Mulembe gwa Kabaka Mutesa” The Uganda Journal, Vol 1 No 2, April 1934. English Version translated by A.H.C. Full name isn’t displayed. Title in English is “Some Notes on the Reign of Kabaka Mutesa”.

https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00056/52j

Bunyoro

Ade Adefuye, “Kabalega and the Palwo: A Conflict of Aspirations”, (Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria Vol VIII NO 1 December, 1975)

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973)

Edward I. Steinhart, Conflict and Collaboration, The Kingdoms of Western Uganda 1890-1907(New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977) https://www.amazon.ca/Conflict-Collaboration-Kingdoms-Western-1890-1907/dp/0691615594/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U1JCNQI4FX7J&keywords=The+Kingdoms+of+Western+Uganda+1890-1907&qid=1694981666&s=books&sprefix=the+kingdoms+of+western+uganda+1890-1907%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-1

Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30717853317&searchurl=kn%3DTwilight%2BTales%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBlack%2BBaganda%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image1

https://kabalegafoundation.org/facts-about-omukama-kabalega.html

https://www.bunyorokitarausa.org/amasaaza-ga-bunyoro/

Busoga

David William Cohen, “Womunafu’s Bunafu” ( New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31182157137&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3Dwomunafu%2527s%2Bbunafu%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Motherhood, Food Procurement and Politics in East-Central Uganda to the

Today, I cover the pre-colonial history of the Bulamogi and Bukono states of the AbaiseNgobi clan up to 1900. The AbaiseNgobi are the royal clan of Busoga that ruled various states that eventually came to be known collectively as Busoga.
Bukooli was one of the many states that came to make up the modern traditional kingdom of Busoga in Uganda, East Africa.

Words to Note.
Zibondo - Title for King of Bulamogi Kingdom
Kabaka - Title for King of Buganda Kingdom
Nkono - Title for King of Bukono Kingdom
Tabingwa - Title for King of Luuka Kingdom

SOURCES

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House).

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Lloyd Fallers, “Bantu Bureacracy” ( The University of Chicago Press, 1965)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

Today, I cover the pre-colonial history of the Bukooli state of the AbaiseWakooli clan up to 1900.
Bukooli was one of the many states that came to make up the modern traditional kingdom of Busoga in Uganda, East Africa.
I start with the origin of their founder Okali who travelled with and was brothers with Kakaire of the Abaisemenha clan from Episode 3.

Bukooli grew into a state that attempted to dominate their neighbours.
Their connection to the much larger kingdom of Buganda enhanced their military and economic opportunities granting them access to guns and goods from the Zanzibar coast.

This is their pre-colonial history.

Correction at 21:06 Banda state in southeast Bukooli was ruled by the AbaiseKibiga not the AbaiseKiruyi. I got it wrong.. Twice. 🤦🏿(pg 467, Enkaana) I will forever hang my head in shame.

Few things to note.
Wakooli - Ttile for King of Bukooli Kingdom
Kabaka - Title for King of Buganda Kingdom
Ngobi. - Title for King of Buzimba-Kigulu Kingdom

Please see sources below for further reading.
Ashe, Robert, “ Chronicles of Uganda” (London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1894)

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House).

Early Treaties in Uganda, https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00061/520

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022)

Ogenga Otunnu, “Crisis of legitimacy and Political Violence”, (Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)

William FitzSimons, “Warfare, Competition, and the Durability of Political Smallness in Nineteenth Century” Journal of African History ( Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

Bugweri is one of the chiefdoms that make up the current kingdom of Busoga.
It is ruled by the AbaiseMenha clan.
Imbued with the authority of Mukama from Bunyoro kingdom in the 18th century, their founder Kakaire established himself in the southern part of the state. Their rulers are given the title of Menha.
This is their pre-colonial history.
Follow me on instagram @twcbupod
Youtube, Tiktok and twitter @ThoseWhoCameBeforeUs
Sources

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

David William Cohen, “Selected Texts: Busoga Traditional history (1966-1967)

Benyamenyi Menha, mwiseMenha, recorded at his home at Namakunhu, Bugweri, 22 September 1966. Text 331
Miss Kitimbo Lukiya Kitimbo, mwiseMenha, recorded at her home at Busesa, Bugweri. Text 330
Kibedi Y.M. Zirabamuzale, mwiseMenha, recorded at his home at Bugembe, Butembe-Bunya, 21 September 1966. Text 333

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

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Music Used

Ntajermwa

Okwidhibana

Endhala Yomusana

This is a morbid cautionary tale from Busoga in Uganda. It was told by Christopher Baseuse from the AbaiseKiranda clan. It was recorded by historian David Cohen at Baseuse's home on 7 October 1966.

Follow me on
Instagram at twcbupod
Tiktok at ThoseWhoCameBeforeUs
Twitter at ThoseWhoCameBeforeUs
Watch the Youtube version at the link below.
https://youtu.be/TKlc2SDHiRw

The AbaiseNgobi are the clan from which the Kyabazinga(king) of Busoga will be picked.
They are the royals of the kingdom. There were many states which were under their leadership.
Today I discuss the pre-colonial history of the AbaiseNgobi of Kigulu chiefdom.
FYI, I happen to be a prince from there. ;)

Follow me on
Instagram: TWCBUpod
Tiktok: Those Who Came Before Us
Youtube: Those Who Came Before Us

References

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

David William Cohen, “The Political Transformation of Northern Busoga:Cahiers d'Études Africaines, Vol. 22, Cahier 87/88, Systèmes étatiques africains (1982),pp. 465-488

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House).

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Renee Tantala, “The Consolidation of AbaiseNgobi Rule in Southern Kigulu” ( Madison: University of Wisconsin, B. A. thesis), IV-77 P. mimeo, 1973)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

Music Used

Omukazi Omugamba Lubala, Sound of Africa Series.

Obuwala Bwe Nawandende, ‘’ ‘’

This story is based on the folklore called "The famine" which was collected by Mrs George Baskerville. I think the name change is more fitting. lol.
The name of the book it was published in is called "The Flame Tree and other folklore."
Like and Subcribe.
Check out my instagram page @twcbupod and Youtube channel for the video version.
https://youtu.be/S64Z0Dfmj3I
I am working on the next historical podcast and video on busoga. It's coming. In the meantime, I'll be posting folklore.
Stay tuned. :)

The Busoga kingdom is located in Eastern Uganda. It's one of the 5 monarchies of Uganda.
Today I talk about the pre-colonial beginnings of Busoga.
Kintu and Mukama are two men mentioned as being the fathers of the people who founded the many states that comprised this kingdom. Enjoy. :)
There is a youtube version of today's episode if you would like to check that out. There are slight variations in presentation between the two but the information is the same.
Please follow link below. Subscribe and follow.
https://youtu.be/2MGe3WVXKh8

References

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprinted from original written in Luganda)

B.A Ogot, "The Great Lakes Region" , "UNESCO General History of Africa IV, Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century" (Heinemann Educational Books, 1981)

The Eclipse Of Biharwe 1520 AD, Biharwe Hill Mbarara (https://www.travel256.com/safari-news/2017/11/the-eclipse-of-biharwe-1520-ad-biharwe-hill-mbarara/) (Nov/2/2017)

Music UsedInfados" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ominous" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Musirankondo by Kuruseni and Soga Men (Busoga)Odhiambo Odet by Ogalo Mirasi (Western Kenya)
Ntajemerwa by The Ntajemerwa Royal Drummers (Bunyoro)
Recorded by Hugh Tracey in the 1950s.Nva Jinja by Laty Wizy ft Busoga Stars. Nva Jinja means "I am from Jinja"

In today’s episode, we talk about the military of the pre-colonial African kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara.
For most of its history, Bunyoro did not have a standing army. Instead, they relied on the common man to take up arms when called upon by his chiefs. These armies were called Obwesengeze.
That was until the 1870s when Kabaleega created the Abarusura army, a force dedicated to the protection of the state.
The army was led by several commanders such as Rwabudongo, Ireeta, Kikukule, Nyakamatura and Byabachwezi.
Enjoy the episode!!
Sources

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p208 - 210

G.N. Uzoigwe, Revolution and Revolt in Bunyoro- Kitara (Kampala, Longman Uganda, 1970)

Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006) p 42 - 61

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p 138 -153

Edward I. Steinhart, Conflict and Collaboration, The Kingdoms of Western Uganda 1890-1907(New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977)

Albert Bushnell Lloyd, Uganda to Khartoum: Life and Adventure on the Upper Nile (T. Fisher Unwin, 1906) pg 33

Sir Samuel Baker, Ismailïa: A Narrative of the Expedition to Central Africa for the suppression of Slave Trade (London: Macmillian and CO, 1879) pg 377

Sir Samuel Baker, The Albert-nyanza, Great Basin Of The Nile And Explorations Of The Nile Sources (Outlook Verlag, 2019 ) pg 229 (Reproduction)

Chris Peers, East Africa: Tribal and Imperial Armies in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, 1800 to 1900: East Africa - Tribal and Imperial Armies in Uganda, Kenya, ... to 1900 (Armies of the Nineteenth Century), ( Foundry, 2004) pg 40-51.

Sound used

Pyscho dog man news video
Burundi war drums
Nsiriba ya Munange Katego (Sound of Africa series)
GTA Type beat (prod XNOVA)

Before the arrival of Christianity and Islam, the religion of Kubandwa was an East African spirit possession faith practiced by many groups in the great lakes region. It is still practiced today to a much smaller degree and has a terrible/unfair reputation of witchcraft like other indigenous african religions. In this episode, I discuss what the religion must’ve looked like in Pre-colonial Bunyoro. We will talk about what it actually is, what it meant to people and how followers became mediums.

References

John H. Beattie, Initiation into the Cwezi Spirit possession cult in Bunyoro (African Studies, Vol 16, Issue 3, 1957)

John H. Beattie, John Middleton, "Spirit Mediumship and Society in Africa "( London: Routledge Library Editions, 1969)

Yk Bamunoba, "Diviners for the Abagabe", (Uganda Journal Vol 29, Issue 1, 1965)

Shane Doyle, "Cwezi Kubandwa Debate: Gender, Hegemony and Pre-Colonial Religion in Bunyoro, Western Uganda", Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 77, No. 4 (Cambridge University Press Africa: 2007)

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, "Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear "(Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016)

Cecilia Pennacini, "Religious mobility and body language in Kubandwa possession cults", (Journal of Eastern African Studies Vol 3 No 2 , 2009)

Paul Van Thiel, "Some Preliminary Notes On The Music Of The Cwezi Cult In Ankole" (Western Uganda) (African Music, Vol. 5, No. 3 (1973/1974))

Music

Ankole, West Uganda

Ekitaaguriro - Iru
Reeba, mandwa - Hima
Ebizooba - Hima

Sound of Africa Series

Okuturukya Omukama
Ntajamerwa

This episode is an attempt to reconstruct the pre-colonial society of Bunyoro. I discuss their clans, livelihoods, marriage and justice etc. Please note that the information presented was collected during the colonial period in Uganda. Therefore it is impossible to say with absolute certainty that everything was exactly the same as in pre-colonial times.

Enjoy.

PS: Banyoro, please excuse my butchery of your language. :)Sources

John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960)

John Roscoe: The Bakitara (London: Cambridge University Press, 1923)

G.N. Uziogwe: Precolonial Markets in Bunyoro-kitara( University of Michigan: Cambridge University Press 1972)

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereign Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016),

Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006)

J.K Babiiha, The Uganda Journal; The Journal of Uganda Society Vol 22 No.2 “The Bayaga of Western Uganda” (The Uganda Society Kampala, Sept 1958) p123

Sir James George Frazier, Marriage and Worship in the Early Societies A Treatise on Totemism and Exogamy (New Delhi: Mittal Publications, Jan 1986) p497

Isaabaruuli Isaabarongo Mwogezi Butamanya, “The History of Baruuli/Banyala” (Kampala: Earnest Publishers, 2004)

Background Music Sources

Truth in the Stones Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

“Obugambo bunsemerire ngalyara” recorded by Hugh Tracey.

“Kawamyita wagenda baligira nkaituoha” recorded by Hugh Tracey. It’s a wedding song.

The following episode is an examination of the kingship and authority in the pre-colonial Bunyoro state.

Great Britain succeeded in forcing the submission of Bunyoro after the 1890's war of conquest.
In their wake was left an utterly dejected people who struggled more than their regional counterparts to adapt to the new status quo.
Their undeserved bad reputation plus their resistance of almost a decade, was reason enough to punish them for a war that had cost the invaders a lot of money.
This is an account of the Bunyoro peoples lives during the colonial period from 1900-1962.

Sources

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016)

G.N. Uzoigwe, Revolution and Revolt in Bunyoro- Kitara (Kampala, Longman Uganda, 1970)

Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006)

Shane Doyle, Population Decline and Delayed Recovery in Bunyoro, 1860-1960; The Journal of African History, Vol. 41, No. 3 (London: Cambridge University Press, 2000)

Shane Doyle, “From Kitara to the Lost Counties: Genealogy, Land and Legitimacy in the Kingdom of Bunyoro, Western Uganda” Social Identities Vol. 12, No. 4 (London: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2006)

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Breaking Chains of Poverty, Bunyoro - Kitara Kingdom Advocacy Publication (Hoima; Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Royal Palace Karuziika)

Music Transition Sources

Infados Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Energizing Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The death of Omukama(King) Kamurasi in 1869 triggered the customary succession war between 2 of his sons Kabigumire and Kabaleega.

The latter won the duel and went on to be Bunyoro’s greatest king. He initiated new political and military reforms unlike anything the kingdom had seen before.

Under him, Bunyoro began to regain the strength that it had been losing over the past century. Increased trade with the Arabs enriched and allowed him to modernize the state. He handled multiple crises back to back and sometimes at the same time. These included his country’s age-old rivals the Baganda, the Arab slavers, and the Egyptian Equatoria empire.

But by far it is his 6 year war of resistance against Great Britain that makes him popular.

Tune in and learn about the man whose defiance caused the biggest military deployment of troops in East Africa during the colonial conquest era of the late 1800s.
Transcript is available at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1180802 if you would like to read along. Sources

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p208 - 210

G.N. Uzoigwe, Revolution and Revolt in Bunyoro- Kitara (Kampala, Longman Uganda, 1970) p 8

Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006) p 42 - 61

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p 138 -153

G.N. Uzoigwe, Succession and Civil War in Bunyoro - Kitara, The International Journal of African Historical Studies ( Boston University African Studies Center, 1973) p66

John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960) p 18-20

Kihumuro Apuuli, 1000 Years of Bunyoro- Kitara Kingdom - The People and the Rulers (Kampala; Fountain Publishers, 1994) MusicIsolated Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

After the collapse of the Bachwezi empire, the Babiito took over as Bunyoro’s 3rd dynasty in the 16th Century. The precise year this happened is hard to pin down. However, the Babiito began their kingship differently from their predecessors. While the Bachwezi and Batembuzi were both healers and politicians, the Babiito stayed away from the ritual side of things.

Their rule extended into the 19th century when the kingdom was experiencing long term decline due to various circumstances. Bunyoro was no longer the number 1 regional power. That spot went to their neighbour and age old rivals… Buganda.

Sources

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p174, 186, 192, 193,

David Schoenbrun, A Mask of Calm: Emotion and Founding the Kingdom of Bunyoro in the 16th Century, Comparative Studies in Society and History (Northwestern University, 2013) p 634,

G.N. Uzoigwe, Revolution and Revolt in Bunyoro- Kitara (Kampala, Longman Uganda, 1970) p 9

Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006) p14, 43

Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938), p120, 159

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p 41, 57, 84 -95

G.N. Uzoigwe, Succession and Civil War in Bunyoro - Kitara, The International Journal of African Historical Studies ( Boston University African Studies Center, 1973) p66

John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960) p 18-20

Music Transition

Energizing Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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In this episode, we discuss police brutality in Africa. A slight detour from the Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara series. #BLACKLIVESMATTER
Sources

Glasman,Joel. 2017. What is the Concept of Professionalization Good For? An Argument From Late Colonialism. Police in Africa:The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press

Steinberg, Jonny. 2017. Policing During and After Apartheid: A New Perspective on Continuity and Change. Police in Africa: The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press

Faull, Andrew. 2017. Fighting for Respect: Violence, Masculinity and Legitmacy in the South African Police Service. Police in Africa: The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press.

Kyed, Helene Maria. 2017. Inside the Police Stations in Maputo City: Between Legality and Legitimacy. Police in Africa: The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press.

Lar, Jimam. 2017. Historicizing Vigilante Policing in Plateau State,Nigeria. Police in Africa: The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press.

Thurmann, Laura. 2017. Somewhere between Green and Blue: A Special Police Unit in DR Congo. Police in Africa: The Street Level View, NY, USA: Oxford University Press.

International Crisis Group. 2017. “Double Edged Sword: Vigilantes in African Counter Insurgencies” Accessed August 13. https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/sierra-leone/251-double-edged-sword-vigilantes-african-counter-insurgencies

The Conversation. 2017. “Vigilantism is Flourishing in Nigeria- with Official Support” Accessed August 13 https://theconversation.com/vigilantism-is-flourishing-in-nigeria-with-official-support-86867

Livingstone, Steven. 2013. Africa’s Information Revolution: Implications for Crime, Policing, and Citizen Security, Washington DC, USA: African Center For Strategic Studies.

Forrest, Kally. 2015. Bold Recommendations Embedded in Timidity: International Union Rights, Vol. 22, No. 3 (2015), pp. 6-7: International Centre for Trade Union Rights

De Mesquita, Bruce Bueno. 2007. Leopold II and the Selectorate: An Account in Contrast to a Racial Explanation, Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung, Vol. 32, No. 4 (122), Neue Politische Ökonomie in der Geschichte / New Political Economy in History, pp. 203-221. Gesis - Leibniz - Institute for the Social Sciences, Center for Historical Social Research.

NTV Fourth Estate.2020. “How the Media Covered Emmanuel Tegu’s Death” Accessed August 10

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Digya Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Energizing Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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The Bachwezi attract a lot of attention because of their grandiose claim of an empire.
Many theories abound of their supposed identity. Were they Banyoro? Were they Portuguese? Egyptian? Greeks? Or simply a figment of a society’s imagination.
The answer is of course much closer to home. Join me in this episode as I talk about the real history behind the Bachwezi.

Kitara map link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19odGsKU1EsxbXoXE9q37M_zRKoGavLot/view?usp=sharing

Bachwezi Lineage Tree Link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wfkxR3Trcl0knlwhXKUWfqs3phU5fK4b/view?usp=sharing

Night Runners (Night Dancers) Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wCfTAa-w4Y&t=118s Roc(Middle Eastern Mythical Bird)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roc_(mythology) Sources

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, "Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear "(Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p 52, 80-83,131, 146-147, 155, 163-167, 175

Christopher Wrigley, “Some Thoughts on the Bacwezi” The Uganda Journal, The Journal of the Uganda Society Vol 22 No. 1”( London: Headley Brothers Ltd, 1958) p 14

E.C. Lanning, “The Identity of the Bachwezi” The Uganda Journal, The Journal of Uganda Society Vol 22 No.2” ( London: Headley Brothers Ltd, 1958) p 188

Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938), p97, 103

Edith Sanders, “The Hamitic Hypothesis; It’s Origin and Functions in the Time Perspective” The Journal of African History, Vol. 10, No. 4 ( London: Cambridge University Press,1969), p 521

B.A Ogot, “The Great Lakes Region” General History of Africa volume 4: Africa from the 12th to the 16th Century (Berkley : University of California Press, 1984) p500,502

Shane Doyle, “From Kitara to the Lost Counties: Genealogy, Land and Legitimacy in the Kingdom of Bunyoro,Western Uganda” Social Identities Vol. 12, No. 4 (London: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2006) p 459

Music Transition Sources

Gregorian Chant Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Infados Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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The Bachwezi are the second dynasty in Bunyoro-Kitara's history. This family is the most revered due to the fact that they are credited with the creation of the legendary empire of Kitara.
In this episode, we'll talk about the Bachwezi as told by Bunyoro oral tradition.
Their stories have it all,

1, Family drama -check
2, Forbidden love - check
3, Prophecies - check check check

SourcesYolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p 65

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p 21 - 44

John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960) p 15-16

Lukyn Williams, Ankore Folktales, Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 21 No.1 ( London: Cambridge University Press, 1951) p 40

Christopher Wrigley, “Some Thoughts on the Bacwezi” The Uganda Journal, The Journal of the Uganda Society Vol 22 No. 1"( London: Headley Brothers Ltd, 1958) p 14
Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938), p86

Background Music Sources

Constance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Teddy Bear Waltz Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Rising Game Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Firebrand Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Mystery Bazaar Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Welcome to the second episode of the show "Those Who Came Before Us".
We continue the history of this ancient kingdom with the story of Isaza, the last king of the Batembuzi.
It's a popular tale about the importance of respect for the elders. In this episode, I not only tell you Isaza's story but also reveal the real history behind this folklore. Enjoy!!

Hosted by David Ibanda.

Sources
John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960) p13 & p26
J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p9-11
Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns' Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p 93,105,118,119,122
Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938), p80-83
David Schoenbrun, “Pythons Worked: Constellating Communities of Practice with Conceptual Metaphor in Northern Victoria Nyanza, ca. 800-1200 CE,” in Andrew Roddick and Ann Brower Stahl (eds.) Knowledge in Motion: Constellations of Learning Across Time and Space (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2016), p218&219.
Background Music Sources
Kumasi Groove Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Slow Heat Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Truth in the Stones Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Bunyoro-Kitara is a prestigious kingdom in Uganda. One that is said to be the heir to the legendary empire of Kitara. Join me, as I go through the birth of this esteemed kingdom that is known as the father of all kings in the African great lakes region.