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Date: Sunday September 05, 2010 |
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Thursday, 17 July 2008 16:54 |
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OLUBIRI/ PALACE
Olubiri is the official residence for the ruling King in Buganda. In Buganda, it was customary for a new king to choose a hill where he would build a new palace. This palace would become the new capital of the Kingdom and the King was free to rename the place as he so wishes. However, the site chosen always had the following elements;
- It was always a very big land to accommodate many houses and a large number of people.
- The place chosen by the King always had command on all the major roads to all parts of the Kingdom.
- The Kings also preferred to be near the Lake Victoria for easy escape in case there is any invasion or rebellion.
For security reasons, there was a court-house which was always built facing the main gate to the palace. In other wards, the court-house and the palace faced in the same direction. This was done in order to accommodate the belief that the spirits walk in a straight line and that there is no obstacle in the King’s spirits’ way. In Buganda, there is one official palace situated at Mengo called Mengo palace and it’s considered to be the capital of the Kingdom. All the official functions in the Kingdom are performed from Mengo palace. However, the ruling King has a right to own his private palace apart from the official palace at Mengo. Some of the private palaces include Bamunanika palace in Bulemeezi, Nkoni palace in Buddu which were built by King Sir Edward Muteesa II, Salama palace and Kikeera palace which were built by Sir Daudi Chwa, Banda and Kireka and these were built by Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. As we earlier mentioned, Mengo palace is the official palace for the Kingdom and it is hereditary. It is the official residence for all the Kings of Buganda. In this palace, we find the Kabaka’s official house called Twekobe. Mengo palace covers a very wide area and it’s covered with an extensive fence around it. It was constructed by Ssekabaka Mwanga11 in 1885. When he took over the throne in 1884 at the age of 18, he first put his palace at Masaja. While at Masaja, Mwanga thought of shifting his palace to another palace. He had always admired Nkaawo hill on which members of the Nvubu clan kept their grinding stones (Emmengo). These grinding stones were used by members of the Nvubu clan to grind herbal medicine. Mwanga decided to construct his palace at Nkaawo hill before the grinding stones were shifted. However, when the palace was completed, it immediately started facing a lot of problems. Mwanga was advised to collaborate with members of the Nvubu clan to transfer the grinding stones to Mbazi in Kyaggwe. It’s from these grinding stones (Emmengo) that the name Mengo was adopted. The palace became Mengo Palace and the hill became Mengo hill. When the palace was complete, it caught fire which destroyed all the important documents for the Kingdom. This scared the King so much that he ran away from the Lubiri and took hostage with the Roman Catholic Missionaries at Nalukolongo. He later left the Missionaries and went to live with Mukasa who was Katikiiro to his father Ssekabaka Muteesa. While at Mukasa’s place, lightening struck and destroyed everything at Mukasa’s home towards February 1886. The Kabaka ran away from Mukasa’s home and went to Munyonyo where he put up another palace at Mulungu hill near Lake Victoria.
In the Lubiri, there are outstanding features which include;
There are four large entrances leading into the Lubiri namely Wankaakii which is the main gate, Kalaala, Ssaabagabo/Wansaanso and Nalongo. There are also four small gates called “Obuzigo” which are used when taking a dead person out of the Lubiri. These do not have specific names.
At the main entrance is a fire place called Kyoto Ggombolola. It’s the outstanding symbol in Buganda which notifies the baganda that their king is alive and ruling.
Apart from Twekobe which is the official residential house for the Kabaka, there are other houses for the women (bazaana) who perform different duties for the Kabaka. Before, the houses in Lubiri were for women only, men came to carryout certain duties done by there clans and when the duties would be completed, they would leave the palace and go back to there homes.
There are also other people called “Abasiige” both men and women. These people are always taken to do things exemplary.
We also find different musical instruments which include drums and these drums have different names like “Entenga” this is associated with taking local brew, “Mujaguzo” which is always in the Lubiri during day time. It is sounded during cerebrations and happier times when the king appears before his subjects. Other drums include Nankasa, Muwogola, Enanga and other musical instruments.
The Lubiri also contain large banana plantations which are the official gardens for the queen of Buganda. There schools in the Lubiri to help educate Buganda’s children.
The Lubiri is guarded by people who differ from other subjects of the Kabaka. They are always at the gates of the Lubiri dressed in traditional attires and are referred to as “Abagazi”
Lubiri is divided into the core area (Olubiri olwo munda) which is the actual place where the Kabaka stays and carries out his duties and the Outer area (Olubiri lw’ebweru) which is the outside area surrounding the core area. This area is occupied by other people who stay and perform other duties in the Lubiri.
There different Kabaka’s servants found in the Lubiri and they all perform different duties. Some of these include the following
Ssaabakakii: His duty is to introduce to the Kabaka all the guests who come to see him.
Kalinda: He is responsible for preparing Kabaka’s drinking water.
Kabu: He is responsible for preparing Kabaka’s brew. It can be local brew or beer.
Ssebalijja: His duties are to look after the welfare of Kabaka’s cattle in the Lubiri.
Kawuka: This one handles and looks after Kabaka’s goats.
Kawuuta: He is responsible for preparing Kabaka’s food. “Obutuuso bwa Kabaka”
Abambowa: These are the Kabaka’s body guards.
Abatuuza: These are responsible for preparing and looking after the Kabaka’s furniture. I.e. Ebiwu ne Namulondo.
Abakongozi: During ancient times, the Kabaka was always carried on the shoulders and these are the people who where responsible for it. However, with time, cars came to Buganda and the Kabaka began to be driven. The name bakongozi also shifted to those who drive the Kabaka and this job is done by those who belong to the Mbogo clan.
Abagalagala: These are Kabaka’s servants who stay in Twekobe.
Namusu: He is responsible for the general cleanliness of the Kabaka and it is done by people from the Musu clan.
Kawuula: He is responsible for all the musical instruments in the palace and he is also responsible for sounding Mujaguzo.
Abazaana: These are ladies who perform different duties for the Kabaka in the Lubiri and some of these include;
Mubiinge: She helps to prepare the Kabaka’s food.
Nasaza: She looks after the Kabaka’s general hygiene i.e. she cuts off his nails and shaves his forehead.
Nakku: She is traditionally the official wife of the Kabaka in the Kiganda culture.
KYOTO GGOMBOLOLA
It is a fire place on the main gate where fire is kept burning all the time. Although some times there are no flames, it is always burning. The continuous burning of fire is a symbol that the Kabaka is alive and ruling. When a king passes away, the fire is then blown out to symbolize that there is no king ruling in Buganda. Its full names are Kyoto Ggombolola Buganda Mirembe.
The idea of the fire place was adopted long time ago by Kitumba who is regarded to be the grand father of all those who belong to the Nakinsige Clan. One time, Kitumba decided to come and see Kabaka Kintu from his home base in Mirembe Kyaggwe. He came with his son Kafuuma Kuuku Kampujja and daughter Nanyonga. When they reached at the Kabaka’s palace, the Kabaka welcomed them and they sat and talked until it was dark at night. They could not see each other and it was from here that Kuuku gathered wood from Jirikiti and Mutete. He put them together with grass and rubbed until fire was lite. Nanyonga then went and looked for food and prepared it for them. Kafuuma prepared coffee beans which he gave to the Kabaka. The coffee tasted good for the Kabaka and he awarded the job of preparing his coffee beans from then.
The fire place is lite using three different wood types which include “Ekokowe”, “Omutuba” and “Omuzananda”. When the kingdom was invaded in 1966, the fire place (Kyoto) was blown out because there was no king at that time. There was no peace in Buganda and so the Kyoto would have lost its meaning. However, when the Kingdom was restored in 1993, the fire was not lite because there were some rituals that had to be fulfilled. These were fulfilled and the Kyoto was lite again in 2003.
The Kyoto is so useful to the Kingdom in that when any war breaks up in Buganda, it’s from this spot that the Kabaka appoints and anoints all commanders of war. The ashes are smeared on to the commanders in order for them to be identified from the common soldiers.
Ashes from the Kyoto are not just taken out of it any how. It is not done by any one but by specific people who are appointed by the Kabaka. It is not also splashed any where but in Nanyonga’s banana plantation and it is poured on a specific place called Kitavu and on a banana plant called Nakitembe.
It is considered a taboo for a pregnant woman to walk over the ashes from the Kyoto. It is also a taboo to turn back to the Kyoto. One only walks towards and backwards without turning away.
The Musoloza protects and collects firewood for the Kyoto and is assisted by Kampujja to see to it that the fire does not blow out. Nanyonga is the overall seer for the Kyoto.
KABAKA’S LAKE
It is a man made lake that was created in 1887 on the orders of Ssekabaka Mwanga. The King wanted a channel wide enough for him to travel to Munyonyo where he had created another palace at Mulungu hill near Lake Victoria using boats. The lake was to stretch from Mengo to Munyonyo and it was to cover areas of Ndeeba valley, the valley between Kibuye and Najjanankumbi, the valley between Luwafu Kyamula on one side and Masaja on the other side up to Munyonyo.
The Kabaka named Musoke as the foreman to do this job but Musoke failed to perform well and was replaced by Kaggwa Ndikumukulaga. Kabaka’s subjects were mobilized county by county from all parts of the Kingdom in order for the work to be complete.
However, after eleven (11) months of digging on the 2nd August 1888, religious wars broke out in the Kingdom and the work stopped before the lake could stretch to Munyonyo. The King ordered for the killing of all those people who had chosen to join any religious faction that included Muslims, Anglican and Roman Catholic martyrs. He ordered that they be transported to Nsazi Island where they were to starve to death. When the people discovered the plan to kill them, they disobeyed the Kabaka, refused to board the boats to Nsazi Island and decided to fight and over through him from the throne. King Mwanga was defeated and he ran to Lake Bukumbi in Tanganyika. From then, work on the Kabaka’s Lake stopped up to date covering only the valley between Lubaga and Mengo hills.
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