Bunyoro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Habwa Ruhanga Neihanga Lyaitu "For God and My Country"
Anthem: Uganda National Anthem Royal anthem: Bunyoro Kitara Anthem
Location of  Bunyoro  (red) in Uganda  (pink)
Capital and largest city	Hoima
Official languages	Runyoro
Ethnic groups	Banyoro, Bagungu
Demonym(s)	Bunyoro / Banyoro
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• Omukama	Solomon Iguru I
• Prime Minister	Rt.hon.Andrew Kirungi Byakutaga Ateenyi
Consolidation  16th century
Area
17th century	80,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)
now	16,114.6 km2 (6,221.9 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	1.4 million
Currency	Ugandan Shilling (UGX)
Time zone	UTC+3
Calling code	256

Bunyoro is an old kingdom in Western Uganda. It was once one of the strongest kingdoms in Central and East Africa. This was from the 13th century all the way to the 19th century. The kingdom is led by a King, called the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. The current King is Solomon Iguru I, who is the 27th Omukama.

The people of Bunyoro are known as Nyoro or Banyoro. Banyoro means "people of Bunyoro". They speak a language called Runyoro. In the past, people in Bunyoro hunted large animals like elephants and lions. Today, the Banyoro are mostly farmers. They grow crops like bananas, millet, cassava, yams, cotton, tobacco, coffee, and rice. Most people in Bunyoro are Christian.

Discovering Bunyoro's Past

How the Kingdom Started

The Bunyoro kingdom began in the early 14th century. It was founded by Rukidi-Mpuga. This happened after the Chwezi Empire broke apart. The people who started Bunyoro were called the Babiito. They followed after the Bachwezi people.

The Rise of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom

After the Chwezi Empire fell, many new kingdoms grew in the Great Lakes area. These included Ankole, Mpororo, Buganda, Toro, Busoga, Bagisu, Rwanda, Burundi, and Bunyoro itself. Bunyoro became very powerful. It controlled important religious sites. It also controlled the valuable Kibiro saltworks near Lake Mwitanzige. Bunyoro was known for its high-quality metalwork. This made it a strong economic and military power in the region.

The King of Bunyoro is the most important leader. The kingship is passed down through the male family line. This tradition comes from a special story the Nyoro people tell. Long ago, the Mukama (King) had three sons. He wanted to choose who would be the next king. He asked God for help. The boys had to do a series of tasks. One task was to hold a pot of milk all night. Milk is very important for special events. The son who still had all his milk in the pot by morning would be king.

The youngest son spilled some milk and asked his older brothers for help. They shared some of their milk with him. When morning came, the oldest son had spilled most of his milk. The middle son had also spilled some. But the youngest son had the most milk left. The Mukama and God saw this. The oldest son was named after peasants because he had no milk left. The middle son was named after cattle herders. The youngest son was named Oukama, and later Mukama (King), because he had the most milk. This story shows how the Nyoro people connect their religion with their kingship.

Bunyoro's Challenges and Changes

Bunyoro started to become less powerful in the late 1700s. This was because of problems within the kingdom. Another kingdom, Buganda, took over some of Bunyoro's land. In the 1830s, a large area called Toro broke away. This meant Bunyoro lost control of many valuable salt works. To the south, Rwanda and Ankole were also growing. They took over smaller kingdoms that used to be under Bunyoro's control.

By the mid-1800s, Bunyoro was a much smaller kingdom. However, it was still rich. This was because it controlled important trade routes over Lake Victoria. These routes connected to the Indian Ocean coast. Bunyoro especially made money from trading ivory. The ivory trade was risky, and fights started between the Baganda and the Banyoro. Because of these fights, the capital city was moved from Masindi to Mparo. This new location was safer. After King Omakuma Kyebambe III died, there was a time of political trouble. Two kings ruled during this period.

In 1890, an agreement was made. The area north of Lake Victoria was given to Great Britain. In 1894, Great Britain made the region a protectorate. King Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro and his allies from Buganda fought against Great Britain. They did not want the British to take control. But in 1899, Omukama Kabalega was captured. He was sent away to the Seychelles. Bunyoro then became part of the British Empire. Because Bunyoro had fought against the British, some of its land was given to Buganda and Toro.

British administrators from Buganda were put in charge of Bunyoro. The Banyoro people rebelled in 1907, but the rebellion was stopped. Relations slowly got better. Bunyoro stayed loyal to Great Britain during World War I. After the war, a new agreement was made in 1933. This gave Bunyoro more freedom to govern itself. Today, Bunyoro is one of the five kingdoms that make up Uganda. The others are Buganda, Busoga, Rwenzururu, and Tooro.

Bunyoro Today

In 1964, Bunyoro got back two areas called Buyaga and Bugangaizi. But in 1967, the kingdom was forced to stop existing. It remained banned during the time of dictator Idi Amin (1971–1979) and later until 1993.

In 1993, the Bunyoro Kingdom was brought back. In 1995, Uganda's new constitution recognized the kingdoms. Today, the kingdom covers several districts. These include Buliisa District, Hoima district, Kibaale District, Kakumiro District, Kagadi District, Kiryandongo District, and Masindi District.

In 1997, it was estimated that about 800,000 to 1.4 million people lived in the Bunyoro Kingdom. Most people (96%) live in rural areas. Only a small number (1%) use electricity for lights and cooking. Many people in Bunyoro face poverty. About half of the population cannot read or write.

Bunyoro's Culture and Traditions

Ebikoikyo – Fun Riddles

Riddles are a fun part of Bunyoro-Kitara culture! Here's how they work: The person telling the riddle says Koikoi. The listener replies Rukwebe. Then the narrator says the first part of the riddle, and the listener tries to guess the answer.

Kings of Bunyoro-Kitara

Here is a list of the Kings, or Abakama, who have ruled Bunyoro-Kitara. The dates for the earlier kings are estimates.

• The earlier dates are estimates based on events like the Biharwe full moon eclipse in 1520 AD.*

• Here are some meanings of the Kings' names:*
• Rukidi or kidi - means a stone
• Ocaki - Let's Start
• Oyo - Rat
• Winyi - Listen
• Olimi - Visit you
• Kyebambe - usurper
• Chwa - cutter

The Story of Kingship in Bunyoro

The story of how kingship began in Bunyoro is very important. It starts with a man named Kintu, his wife Kati, and their cattle, including a white cow named Kitara. Kintu and Kati had three sons: Kairu, Kahuma, and Kakama.

When Kintu grew old, he needed to choose who would rule next. He decided to test his sons to find the best leader. One day, he gathered them and said, "Children, I am old. I want you to do something for me. The one who does it best will be my successor. He will sit on my royal throne and rule over his brothers."

For the first test, Kintu placed items along a path. These items were potatoes, millet, a leather strap, and an ox's head. As the sons walked, they found the items. The oldest son, Kairu, picked up the potatoes and millet. The second son, Kahuma, picked up the leather strap. The youngest son, Kakama, picked up the ox's head.

In the second test, the boys had to hold bowls of milk on their laps all night until morning. Kintu milked the cows and filled three bowls. He told his sons, "If all your bowls of milk are full by morning, I will divide my kingdom among you three. But if only one of you passes this test, he will be my successor and rule over you." Then, Kintu went to sleep.

The sons stayed in the sitting room, each with his milk bowl. After a while, Kakama, the youngest, fell asleep and spilled some milk. He cried and begged his older brothers for some of their milk to refill his bowl. His brothers felt sorry for him and gave him some. They loved him because he was the youngest. Now, all three brothers had the same amount of milk.

At dawn, Kairu, the oldest, also fell asleep and spilled almost all his milk. But he was brave and shared the little milk he had left with his brothers. Later, Kahuma, the second son, fell asleep and spilled a lot of his milk. In the morning, their father came to check. Kairu was the first to say he failed. His father was not angry but joked about his strength. Kahuma also explained his struggle.

Then, Kakama proudly showed his full bowl. His father was surprised and said, "The ruler is always born last." But his older brothers protested. They said Kakama had spilled his milk first, and they had helped him. Their father replied, "Since you agreed to give him your milk, you should also agree to be ruled by him." Hearing this, the two brothers accepted their younger brother as their future king. They were also a bit jealous of each other.

Kairu, the oldest, was named "little peasant." This was because he didn't seem to value cattle or milk. He had spilled all his milk and chose potatoes and millet. He and his family would always be farmers and servants.

Kahuma, the second son, was named "little herdsman." He chose the leather strap, used for tying cattle, and only half of his milk was gone.

The youngest son, Kakama, had all his milk and chose the ox's head. Ruhanga (God) named him Kakama, meaning "little mukama" (ruler).

Kintu then advised his sons. To Kairu, he said, "Never leave your young brother. Serve him well." To Kahuma, "Never leave your young brother either. Help him with the cattle and obey him." To Kakama, the new king, "You are now the eldest. Love your brothers and treat them well. Give them what they ask. Now that you are king, rule the kingdom wisely." Soon after, Kintu disappeared. People searched everywhere, but he was gone. It was believed he went to the underworld.

Other kings followed, like Omukama Nyamuhanga, who was loved by his people. He had a son named Nkya, meaning "Lucky." Nkya I also ruled well and was succeeded by Nkya II. Kings like Kudidi and Ntonzi, who was known for putting down rebellions, also ruled. Mukonko had a very long reign. His son, Rutahinduka, became king when he was already old. He was called "Ngonzaki Rutahinduka" because he would say "What do I need!" when teased about his father's long life. He was very rich and didn't care much about being king.

Rutahinduka's son, Isaza Waraga Rugambanabato, became king when he was very young. He preferred playing with his young friends and disliked old men. He even harmed some of them. The old men feared him. He was nicknamed "Rugambanabato," meaning "he who talks only with young people." This became his official title.

Family Life and Customs

Family Structure

Families in Bunyoro had specific customs around marriage and family leaders. The oldest man in a family was called Nyineka. He was the head of the household. Each village was led by a special elder. This elder was chosen by all the other elders in the village. He was known as a mukuru w’omugongo.

Welcoming a New Baby

A few months after a baby was born, it would be given a name. A close relative usually chose the name, but the father always had the final say. Children received two names: a personal name and a traditional Empaako name. Names often described something special about the child. They could also relate to the circumstances of the birth or honor a family member. Many names are real words from the Nyoro language. Some come from the Luo language.

The Empaako or Mpako names are titles of honor. They include Okaali (only for Kings); Apuuli, Acaali, Araali, and Bbala (only for males). Other names like Adyeeri, Abooki, Abwooli, Amooti, Ateenyi, Atwooki, and Akiiki can be used for both males and females.

Understanding Death and Funerals

In Bunyoro, people often believed that death was caused by evil magic or ghosts. Gossiping was also thought to bring harm. Death was seen as a real being. When someone died, the oldest woman in the house would clean the body. She would cut the hair and beard and close the eyes. The body would be left for people to see. Women and children were allowed to cry, but men were not.

If the head of the family died, a special mixture of grain called ensigosigo was placed in his hand. His children would take a small part of this grain and eat it. This was believed to pass on his special powers to them.

After a day or two, the body was wrapped in cloth. Then, special rituals took place. These rituals were only for family heads:

• The nephew would take down the main pole of the hut. He would throw it into the middle of the compound.
• The nephew would also throw the bow and eating-bowl of the person who died with the pole.
• The fire in the hut's fireplace would be put out.
• A banana plant from the family farm and a pot of water were also added to the pile.
• The house where the person lived would not be used again.

Burials were not done in the middle of the day. It was thought to be dangerous for the sun to shine directly into the grave. As the body was carried to the grave, women were asked to cry less. Crying at the grave was not allowed. Pregnant women were also not allowed at funerals. It was believed that the strong magical forces related to burial could harm the unborn child. After the burial, family members would cut some of their hair and place it on the grave. Everyone who attended the burial would wash themselves thoroughly. This was to remove any negative magical forces that might harm crops.

A Bunyoro Year: Seasons and Months

The Bunyoro-Kitara calendar, called Obusumi, is similar to the European calendar. But it follows the moon and other sky movements. For example, one month is from the appearance of a new moon to the next, which is about thirty days.

The twelve-month obusumi year is divided into two main parts: Isambya and Irumbi.

• The Isambya lasts from Igesa (January) to Rwenkonzi (June). These are like summer months.
• The Irumbi lasts from Isenyamaro (July) to Nyamiganuro-Kyanda (December). This is like autumn.

The Irumbi is also divided:

• Kyanda is a dry season from December to January.
• Itumba is a rainy season between September and November. During this time, there is enough rain for weeds, crops, and grass to grow.

The Isambya is also divided:

• The Kasambura is a dry season between June and August. This is when harvesting happens.
• The Itoigo is a rainy season between March and May. This is when planting happens.

Each of the twelve months has its own name. The names are based on what farming activities happen during that time. For example:

• Igesa means the time for harvesting millet and beans.
• Ijubyamiyonga-Bwanswa (March) is when rains begin after harvesting.
• Machanda (April) is when simsim (sesame) is planted.
• Isiga (September) is when crops like millet are planted. The word Isiga means sowing.
• Ijuba or Kacungiramweru (October) is the weeding month.
• Rwensenene is the month when grasshoppers are harvested.
• Nyamiganura is a time for harvesting.
• Rwenkonzi comes from enkonzikonzi, a type of grass used for brooms. Rwenkonzi is a place full of these grass plants.
• Nyamujuna literally means savior. This month is when crops start to grow before harvesting, meaning people feel saved.
• Kayaga is the windy month.
• Kukokooba means to prepare the garden by removing grass, often by burning it.

The Bunyoro-Kitara Calendar

See also

In Spanish: Bunyoro para niños