The First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga, has called upon Ugandan historians to actively document the history of the various communities for posterity.
Kadaga made the remarks on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, while officiating the premiere of the “Busoga” segment of the Tuko Pamoja documentary film series at the National Theatre in Kampala.
This is the third segment of the docuseries premiered by Nyati Motion Pictures, a film and advertising company in Uganda. The first segment titled “Bunyoro-Kitara” premiered on February 3 followed by “Buganda” on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at National Theatre.
The 13-part docuseries about the unity of Ugandans, East Africans and Africans, was written by Rogers Atukunda, a journalist with SoftPower News and directed by Dr Cindy Magara, a lecturer of film and literature at Makerere University.
In her speech, Hon Kadaga who traces her ancestry to the Great Chwezi Kings of the glorious Kitara Empire, said her people entered Busoga even before Prince Kiiza aka Mukama Nyamutukura set foot at the historical Kagulu Rock in Buyende district.
Nyamutukura, the chief Royal Prince of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom is believed to have deserted the land of his ancestors over endless power struggles and sailed through Lake Kyoga to settle in Busoga, where he discovered the Kagulu Rock in the early 16th century and started the 11 chiefdoms of Busoga.
While praising Dr Magara’s team for their commendable efforts in recording Busoga’s history using an audio-visual medium, Kadaga revealed that there was much, in terms of history, that Busoga had to offer, citing the various ethnic groups like Bagwere and Balamogi who were not captured in the documentary.
“There is much more we need to document. We need to close this gap,” she said while praising historians and key interviewees; Prof Paulo Wangoola and Dr Frank Nabwiso have extensively documented the history of the kingdom.
She called upon Ugandan historians to correct the false and altered narratives about their communities.
She was unhappy with the way local names of places had been altered under colonial influence citing the examples of Mpumwiire and Busoga schools (Mwiri and Wanyange).
Busoga College was founded on 25 September 1911 in Kamuli, as Balangira High School, to educate the sons of Busoga Chiefs but later became Mwiri after relocation to Jinja.
Meanwhile, Wanyange Girls School which opened on 1 March 1960 in Iganga was in 1967 provisionally merged with Busoga College Mwiri and named Busoga College Wanyanga although it later regained its old name.
On the other hand, Mpumwiire (meaning I have rested) was later altered to Mpumudde by a colonial agent, Semei Kakungulu. This is the place where Omukama John Cwa II Kabaleega of Bunyoro breathed his last while returning from exile in the Seychelles Islands on April 6, 1923.
Princess Hellen Namutamba, the tourism minister in Busoga Kingdom, said the cultural heritage on sites like the Kagulu Rock is overly attracting tourists with the love to adventure into ancient cultural aspects and spirituality.
She cited other sites like The Budhumbula Mausoleum, Dolwe Island, The Buswiikira Site, Bujagali Falls and Source of the Nile, among others which are of great historical and tourism significance.
While pledging the kingdom’s support, she invited the Nyati Team to take advantage of the Kagulu Rock annual climbing event which is graced by the Kyabazinga of Busoga and showcase the film for the benefit of the people.
On his part, Prof Wangoola urged Ugandans to unite starting from the community level, to the national, East African and then African levels.
“To unite is a struggle and to stay united is a struggle,” he is quoted as having said in the documentary.
Dr Nabwiso, on the other hand, urged historians to uncover more Basoga heroes on top of Kyabazinga William Wilberforce Nadiope and Nabamba Budhagali, the 39th, who have remained Busoga’s endearing heroes.
Samia Prince, Francis Ojambo Nakamolo, also chronicled the history of his people who started with Wanga (the founder of the Wanga Kingdom in Kenya), the son of Simbi (from Nyamutukura’s line), demonstrating the interconnectedness between Basoga, Banyoro and the Luhyas of Uganda and Kenya.
In her speech, Dr Magara urged Ugandans to go to cinemas and watch the histories of their people not only to enrich and immortalise them but also to contribute to the growth of Uganda’s film industry.
“I know the economy is still recovering from Covid-19 but we must move forward. We need to grow this industry. I urge you all to buy tickets and go to the cinemas and watch this history. We will be premiering the other segments of this series until June. Come, let’s talk history,” she urged.
The Busoga segment is currently showing at Ham Cinemax in Wandegeya, opposite Makerere University Main Gate at Shs20,000 (Adults) and Shs10,000 (Students).
Next Wednesday, February 28, 2024, Nyati Motion Pictures will premiere the “Ankole” segment at the National Theatre starting at 5 pm.
To book your ticket Call 0778787660 or pay Via Merchant Codes: MTN:584156 and Airtel:6522403. Tickets for the premieres go for Shs50,000. Come #LetsTalkHistory.
