{UAH} FROM BWIRU TO BUDDU AND BWERA TO MAWOGOLA, A HISTORY OF GREATER MASAKA

A SAMPLE OF A HISTORY OF BWIRU/BUDDU AND BWERA/MAWOGOLA TO BE PUBLISHED SOON.
Ssembabule District is the Metropolitan of the kingdom of Bwera under
Abamooli dynasty, a break away group from Ababiito dynasty of the
kingdom of Bunyoro. Bwera was founded by Kiheesi, who is said to have
been given a war drum of water back called Lusama which was said to
have been the drum of Ndahura, the first Muchwezi king of
Bunyoro-Kitara Empire. (M. Ponanky in Uganda Journal, 33, 2 (1969) PP
125 - 150. "Until recently the drum or later replica of it was kept in
Makoole near Katonga a few miles from Bigo. Makole was for a time
being, the saza headquarters of Mawogola County, Kihesi is said to
have acquired the name Bareremwa and established the kingdom of
Bwera." (M. Posnansky, 1969: 125-150) .


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According to M. Posnansky, Bwera is said to have remained quasi
independent through out the 19th century and in 1892, Lugard
stipulated that it should remain so. It was incorporated into Buganda
in 1899 and confirmed as such in 1900 Uganda Agreement. Kabaka Junju
is said to have tried to conquer Bwera (around 1797) but failed and to
which his brother Ssemakookiro took flight. He is supposed to have
rewarded one of the Bannabwera called Kahera (Kyera) by giving him the
district of Bulondioganyi (Bugerere) in Kyaggwe, where his successors
remained as cattle keeping people. Kabaka Mwanga in 1896 also took
refuge in vicinity of Bigo (All contained in historical files
collected by Masaka District Administration from 1908-1962, now
deposited with Makerere University College Library).


According to E.G. Lanning:1954: 28) Bwera remained unsettled until
1900 when it was incorporated in Buganda by Uganda Agreement. The
events leading up to its absorption are worthy of note.


It was in 1899 that Kabaka Mwanga fleeing from Buddu entered Bwera.
With Capt. Sitwell, he encamped on Bukongote Hill, South of Bigo
earthworks. Having already engaged the enemy, once Sitwell finally
came upon Mwanga's rear guard on 4th March 1898, as it was crossing
the Katonga and engaged it. The elusive Mwanga, had, however, already
fled north, and wit well had to be content, with entering in his dairy
for that day. "Mwanga is reported to have crossed by Nanzigombe's
crossing" C.C. H. Sitwell, Uganda Dairy, 1895-1899. MS Secretariat
Library, Entebbe. Following this action, Sitwell's Baganda levies
overran Bwera which from that time, ceased to be an independent state.
(Masaka District Minute Paper H/8).


Omwami J. L. Kagugube (latterly of the Uganda Medical Service),
grandson of Nanzigombe, hereditary Omulangira of the area Nabubale
(Mubende District), and a portion of present day Mawogola (Masaka
District), as far as Lwentale, Muntu, a brother of Nanzigombe, was
recognized as ruler of the portion of Bwera south of Lwentale
including a small part of Buddu." Omutajka Njovu, waso ne of the
chiefs that were signatories of Buganda Agreement of 1900. He was
succeeded by his sone Omutaka Frank Museveni Muntu who died in 2011.
Maj.James mugira, however, is the grand son of Njovu's brother that
inherited the north western part and was given a Mailo estate covering
Nkonge Railway station and Kabamba Army School of Infantry.


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According to M.B. Nsimbi in Amannya Amaganda n'ennono zaago (1982),
the saza headquarters was transferred from Makoole to Ssembabule. The
Bamooli dynasty was recognized as Abengabi Emmooli, with Muntu, as the
clan leader. He was given a Mailo-Estate at Bulera, the seat of his
clan, and at Kyebando, eight kilometers on Masaka-Mubende high way.
However in 1901, the first non hereditary Saza Chief of Mawogola was
appointed with the capital at Makoole near Nkonge Railway station on a
boarderline with Buweekula County/ Mubende District.
Among Baganda's first military administrators in Mawogola, was Prince
Nyansi Bulenzi Kasajja, who was a page in Kabaka Mwanga's palace at
Mmengo, he became the first Muluka Chief Miyenje later Nsoga, which
covered present day Mijwala Sub County and Ssembabule Town Council. He
owned a Mailo etstate at Nnambiriizi, which previously was Bwera
kingdom capital, and died in 1939 and was succede by his son Prince
Matia Makaato. He died in 1954 and was succeeded by his son Prince
Zuli Arabi Iddi Dungu Mukasa Kimera. He died in 1988 and was succeeded
by his son, Prince Sheikh Abbaas Nkangabwa Kimera. He died in 2002 and
was succeeded by his son Prince Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi.
Nyansi Kasajja was a son of Omutaka Makaato, the lineage of Biringwira
at Kisawo near Lukaya in present day klaungu, Buddu, and they hailed
from Omutaka/ Prince Kateregga Luguma at Bukakkata, Buddu on shores of
Lake Victoria.
Benedicto Kalibbala, one of Mawogola's saza chiefs, said that present
day Mawogola County covering both Mawogola South and Mawogola North,
including Lwentale later Mijwala Sub County now covering Mitwala and
Lugusuulu sub counties and Ssembabule Town Council;Mateete Sub County
now covering and Mateete Sub County , Mateete Town Council, and
Lwebitakuli Sub County, were parishes under Kalungu Sub County in
Buddu until 1937 when they were reclaimed by Mawogola.


In 1974, the Military Government under the then general, Idi Amin
Dada, restructured local administrations. Uganda was divided into 10
provinces and over 40 districts. South Buganda province was made up of
Buddu, Mawogola Kooki, Ssese and Kabula counties, with headquarters at
Masaka. Buddu became a district with Mawogola as a sub district.
Mawogola itself was divided into two counties of Mawogola and
Lwemiyaga.


The sub district status was scrapped off after the fall of Idi Amin
regime to Tanzanian Forces and Ugandan exiles in 1979. The provincial
administrations were abolished and Buddu turned back to Masaka
District covering it with Mawogola and Ssese. In 1988, a sub district
status was reinstated by the National Resistance Movement (NRM)
government with appointment of Mrs. Margaret Baryehuki as Assistant
District Administrator Masaka, in charge of Ssembabule sub district.
It became a district by a resolution of Parliament in 1997.


According to Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka, A History of Buganda from State
Formation of 1900, Ssembabule District was the Kingdom of Bwera under
Abamooli dynasty which broke away from Ababiito dynasty of the Kingdom
of Bunyoro.


It was a district in a larger Buddu Province. When Buddu fell from
Bunyoro to Buganda in the late 18th century subsequently; Bwera also
fell to Buganda and by 1900, had become Mawogola County.


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According to Ssemakula Kiwanuka, That the banks of River Katonga a
boarder line between Bwera and Buddu on one hand, and Gomba and
Mawokota counties on the other, were under the dynasties of Abagabo
and Abazanzi. That clearly indicates how heterogeneous present
Ssembabule District is.


According to A Thousand years of Bunyoro - Kitara, A History of People
and Rulers (1995) by Prof. John Barongo, Bwiru (Buddu) and Bwera, were
the same. When it fell from Bunyoro to Buganda, Bwera also did the
same.


According to East Africa through a Thousand Years by S. Were and
Wilson (1982) Buddu, Bwera (Mawogola) and Kooki were some of the
counties Buganda conquered from Bunyoro.

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