Colonialism changed Bahororo boundaries

On November 23, 2017, the Uganda Population Census 2014 was launched. The report covered all ethnical groups tabulated in numbers of their existence in the country.
With keen observation over the numbers related to the Bahororo tribe, the combination in numbers exceeded other tribes in Uganda. The Bahororo were the inhabitants of greater Mpororo, which existed many centuries ago. The Bahororo established their sovereignty nation under their powerful kings, the Kahayas.

The extended boundaries under the Bahororo jurisdiction were well marked by natural demarcations. The territorial boundaries extended south of River Katonga to Lake Tanganyika and across, from Lake Victoria to the Western Rift Valley. That kind of naturally occurring water bodies partly saved Mpororo from outside aggression.
The tradition nomadic life of cattle grazing spheres and internal barter trade were carried out without any interference.

The original Bantu settlers – Batembuzi and the Kushite immigrants with their long horned cattle, lived together in harmony – Buhoro.
Both Bantu and Kushite, referred to as Bachwezi dominion, established the tradition clanical relationships. The clans incuded the Bagahe, Bagyesera, Bamugwe, Bamwisya, Bamuhutu, Babutumbi Batsyaba Bahinda. Each of the clans produced many related lineages or sub-clans.
Those clans shared or enjoyed their social activities such as customary marriages and promotion of tradition leadership. That social development began from 100 AD to 1900.

The appearance of outside aggressors such as Arabs traders toward the end of the 17th Century found the Bahororo united and no human slave trade was carried out in the region.
In reality, Mpororo was regarded as a refugee place (Buddukiro) for Baganda, including Kabaka Mwanga and Kabaka Mutesa II.

The coming of colonialists in the early 18th century interrupted such traditional authoritative powers. The 1884 Berlin Conference in Europe declared the partition of the African continent among themselves. The greater Mpororo fell victim under the Germans, Beligians and the British.
The Kivu Mission treaty of 1909 signed near Lake Kagyezi and earlier the 1900 Buganda Agreement divided the existing Mpororo Sovereignty, into small states and districts.

The defunct Mpororo territorial provinces, which once enjoyed monarchical rulers were dismantled under colonial rule. Those included Butaye into present Rwanda and Burundi, Karagwe, which fell under German, East Africa (Tanganyika), Buregye/Kyangwe of present Kivu province of Belge Congo. Bwera the present Greater Masaka – Buddu which included Koki and Kabura were annexed to Buganda Kingdom.
The Central Bwishikatwa and South of Butumbi areas formed Ankole Kingdom. The Bushegyerwa and the Central Highlands became Kigezi district, upto lake Edward. From the period of colonial rulers, the separate groups adapted alternative ethnical status in accordance with their masters’ instructions.
The once unified people under Mpororo were no more and they began calling themselves by the names of their allocation.

Therefore, the separation into ethnic/citizenships was as the result of colonial methods under divide and rule policy. The mentioned population categories were Bufumbira, Bahororo, Bakiga, Banyaruguru, Batagwenda. The total population was 7,111,531, the majority of ethnic/citizenship in Uganda.
The same would apply to Greater Masaka – Buddu, namely, Ssembabule, Rakai and Kyotera, Lyantonde (Kabura), Mubende (Bigobyamugyenyi) which some of their residents lost to Buganda.

Despite the errors committed by colonialists, even the present generations have remained uninformed. They don’t realise the importance of tradition culture and heritage. Instead, they continue to promote ethnical divide and rule which was introduced by colonial era.

Mr Karebu Kahirita is a member of the Banyakigezi Elders Forum