Bunyoro Kingdom – Located in the western part of Uganda, Bunyoro was one of the most puissant kingdoms in East and Central Africa from 13th century to the 19th century. It was an extensive and prestigious kingdom with vigorous rulers whose word was highly venerated by his subjects.
According to history, the kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara was commenced after the collapse of the Imperium of Kitara in the 16th century by the Abatembuzi who were prospered by the Bachwezi (Chwezi). Areas of Lake Victoria, Lake Edward and Lake Albert were all under the control of Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom.
Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom occupied areas of Hoima, Masindi, Kabarole, Kibaale and Kasese districts and some components of Eastern Congo, Northern Tanzania and Western Kenya. The kingdom was not only sizably voluminous but very potent and organised as well. All this is now history as it now covers a minuscule part of western Uganda due to intentional, orchestrated and maleficent marginalization that transpired during the days of colonialism. Under the vigorous influence of King Cwa II Kabalega, Bunyoro kingdom is one of the kingdoms that fiercely resisted colonialism in the region. Cwa II Kabalega is one of the most vigorous kings in the history of Uganda, east Africa and Africa at immensely colossal. Together with his army that was kenned as “Abarusuura” meaning soldiers, they staged a bloody resistance against colonialists. Kabalega assailed colonial forces and was captured and sent to expatriate on the Seychelles Islands. This could not leave the kingdom identically tantamount to the economic, convivial and military organizations were all affected and never go back their precedent organization and vigor. The kingdom faced more quandaries including a systematic genocide, incursions which led to death of many people, astronomically immense abbreviation of pabulum engenderment, diseases and many more horrific things that brought the kingdom to total minimization.
The book “Breaking the Chains of Poverty” by Hon. Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba who is the private secretary to the Omukama of Bunyoro exhaustively explicates all the dreadful things that were done by colonialist and other peregrine invaders. It additionally includes many other historical events and actions that made the Bunyoro “a kingdom bonded in chains of poverty”.
The ruler of Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom is kenned as “Omukama of Bunyoro” meaning “King of Bunyoro” and the current king (Omukama) is the Omukama Rukirabasaija Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I who is the 27th king of this kingdom. The designation of the wife to the king is “Omugo” meaning “queen”. The wife to Omukama Solomon Iguru I is Omugo Margaret Karunga. The Omukama of Bunyoro is paramount and has great influence in the politics of the country more so in his territory and his people of Bunyoro. Bunyoro palace which is kenned as Karuziika Palace is located in Hoima district.
The people of Bunyoro are called Banyoro or Nyoro (and Munyoro for singular). Their language is kenned as Nyoro or Runyoro. The main traditional economy of the people of Bunyoro was sizably voluminous game hunting for lions, leopards, crocodiles and elephants among others which was later on superseded by agriculture. They now grow crops including cassava, millet, bananas, rice, coffee, tobacco and cotton among others.
Politically, Omukama (the king) has an assistant, the Principal Private Secretary, a cabinet of 21 ministers and a parliament kenned as “Orukurato”.
