Prince Kaijamurubi; King Oyo’s grandfather

In many ways, Prince Switzer Kaijamurubi Araali is the thread connecting the past to the present. The grey-haired striking royal is the only living grandfather of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the reigning Omukama of Tooro Kingdom, in south western Uganda.

Born on June 10, 1929, Kaijamurumbi is the last son of Rukirabasaija Daudi Kasagama Kyebambe III the tenth Omukama of Tooro. He was named Kaijamurubi because he was born after his father’s death. The name Kaijamurubi can be loosely translated as coming at a bad time.

The young prince was then raised by Sir George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III who succeeded Kaijamurubi’s father as the eleventh Omukama of Toro. Kaijamurubi, fondly known as Araali, reveals he was raised in the palace steeped in the traditions and beliefs of the kingdom.

“Although we were royality, our guardians strived to teach us humility, fairness and treating everyone with respect irrespective of their status in society. These are the values that helped us survive when in 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic, and the kingdoms were abolished,” he says.

Proud Mutooro
Araali has imparted the same values to his children, especially his daughter Princess Primrose Juliet Tibasaaga, who is present during the interview and works as an interpreter. She reveals that she identifies herself as a Mutooro before anything else. “I am proud to be a Mutooro.

Traditionally, we are a humble, respectable and dignified people, these are the values I try to embody in my own life,” she shares. During the interview, she treats her father with the reverence and respect due a king. She patiently repeats questions and statements and waits reverently for his responses, which are delivered with either a smile or a stern look, before nodding in the affirmative or in disagreement.

Dressed in a heavy dark coat and sitting on his verandah in a wheelchair, Araali displays an acuteness of mind rare in people his age. He is eager to state actual facts and timelines. It is not just his mind that is still in good condition but his eyesight too. He is an ardent reader, whose breakfast is served with the day’s papers which he reads as he takes his meal.

Once in a while, the papers cover issues close to Araali’s home; the Toro kingdom and its royals.

In 2015, Araali made news when he led a section of the Babiito royal clan to denounce King Oyo Nyimba and pay allegiance to his cousin Prince David Kijanangoma as their cultural leader. As an elder in the kingdom, he supported the vote of no confidence in the young king preferring his cousin Kijanangoma. However, the petition did not succeed in ousting Oyo who last September celebrated his 24th coronation anniversary.

A man of the people
Araali seems to have an invisible magnet that attracts everyone around him to him. During the interview, a number of villagers drop by to greet the old man, and share news or just make observations on the weather. In the wings is his cheerful wife Winfred Kaijamurubi Adyeeri, fondly referred to as Omugo, always ready to offer a meal or a drink to the numerous visitors. Adyeeri who also comes from a prominent family (she is daughter of the former Tooro Kingdom prime minister Josam Mboijana) plays her role of a dotting wife and a courteous hostess with admirable simplicity. From their interactions the couple is deeply fond of each other and enjoys being in each other’s presence. When we request them to pose for a photograph, she reaches out for his left shoulder, for a split second, he reaches out too and they hold hands while he rests his head on her lap.

She is full of energy and coordinates the home’s activities with an efficiency of a professional. She makes sure the husband gets served his favourite meals (mashed matooke) on time and his flask is always in his reach filled with either black tea or millet porridge.
One of Prince Kaijamurubi’s life highlights was attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London in 1953.
The prince traces the origin of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, from Kato from Buganda, and Rukidi from Bunyoro.

His father Omukama Kasagama, built the current palace at one of the hilltops of Fort Portal. He recounts a life of abundance for the while it lasted. He was 27, just as old as his grandson and current ruler, when then president Milton Obote abolished kingdoms. He says the abolishment of kingdoms did not kill the spirit of the Batooro tradition and culture. “The Batooro continued to live and and celebrate their norms,” he notes.

One unique aspect about Batooro is their pet names. “A boy is named after three days while a girl is named four days, after birth,” he explains. “Amooti or Okaari is for the king, Abwoori for pussycats, Ateenyi was a big snake along rivers. We also name Adyeeri, Akiiki, and others. There is a lot of documentation about Tooro and its culture,” he adds.
As we parted ways, the old man was in a giving mood and he bestowed upon me his pet name Araali.

History of Tooro Kingdom
The first kings were of the Batembuzi dynasty. Batembuzi means harbingers or pioneers. The Batembuzi and their reign are not well documented, and are surrounded by a lot of myth and oral legend.

There is very little concurrence among scholars regarding the Batembuzi time period in history, even the names and successive order of individual kings.

It is believed that their reign dates back to the height of Africa’s Bronze Age. The number of individual Batembuzi reigns, as given by different scholars, ranges from nine to 21.

The Bachwezi dynasty are credited with the founding of the ancient empire of Kitara; which included areas of present day central, western, and southern Uganda; northern Tanzania, western Kenya, and eastern Congo.

Very little is documented about them. Their entire reign was shrouded in mystery, so much so that they were accorded the status of demi gods and worshipped by various clans.

Many traditional gods in Tooro, Bunyoro and Buganda have typical kichwezi (adjective) names like Ndahura, Mulindwa, Wamara, Kagoro, etc.

The Bachwezi dynasty was followed by the Babiito dynasty. Tooro kingdom was and still is under the Babiito dynasty.

Any attempt to pinpoint the dates of this or any other dynasty before it is pure conjecture, as there were no written records at the time.

Modern day historians place the beginning of the Babiito dynasty at around the time of the invasion of Bunyoro by the Luo from the north.

The first Mubiito (singular) king was Isingoma Mpuga Rukidi I, whose reign is placed around the 14th century. To date, there have been a total of 33 Babiito kings, including seven princes who, for one reason or another, were not referred to as Omukama (king).

About Kaijamurubi
At 90, Prince Kaijamurubi struggles to say some words but still has a sharp memory, it is not surprising people still come to him for advice.
Kaijamurubi went to Namilyango College School and has fathered 15 children with his wife Winfred. The two have been married since 1961, yet to date, the chemistry between them is still visible.

He believes the young king of Tooro needs to be prayed for so as to keep loving his people and help the needy. He also believes that Tooro needs to be united.

Kaijamurubi is the only surviving child of the late king of Tooro, David Kasagama Kyebambe III and over the years, he says he has many royal friends from within Tooro, Uganda and the rest of the world.

Kaijamurubi is well travelled and attended Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation at West Minister Abbey in London in 1953.
He later travelled to Texas, US since some of his children reside there. A particular visit he still cherishes was in 2001 to attend his grandson’s wedding.

His father, Omukama Kasagama, built the current palace at one of the hilltops of Fort Portal. He recounts life of abundance for the while it lasted. He was 27, just as old as his grandson and current ruler when then president Milton Obote abolished kingdoms. He says the abolishment of kingdoms did not kill the spirit of the Batooro tradition and culture. “The Batooro continued to live and and celebrate their norms,” he notes.
As an elder in the kingdom, he supported the vote of no confidence in the young king preferring his cousin Kijanangoma. However, the petition did not succeed in ousting Oyo who last September celebrated his 24th coronation anniversary.