Location
The Bwamba Kingdom is located in the Bundibugyo District in western Uganda, North-West of Tooro Kingdom. The ruler is King Omudhingiya I since 30 October 2012. They have an anthem Bhesu_bhakpa ndi bha ko Bwamba to music which was composed in 1954.
Historical Background of Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba
Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba cultural institution is comprised of three major ethnic communities namely Bamba, Vanoma and Babwiisi. The Babwiisi are Bantu speaking people like the Banyoro, Batooro, Bakonzo, and Baganda among others. The Bamba and Vanoma are more or less Nilotic speaking people. The Bamba, Vanoma and Babwisi have lived together since time immemorial in the land comprised of western slopes of Mount Ruwenzori and Semuliki valley in the present day Bundibugyo District in Uganda, and extend to Beni District in Democratic Republic of Congo. They are believed to have migrated to this area during the time of mass movement of people between the 12th -16th century.
The Bamba, Vanoma and Babwiisi intermarried and have since nearly diffused. In effect, they have a strong blood relationship which is largely inseparable in as far as culture and livelihoods are concerned. They live in social groups of extended families, tied together by blood, kinship, marriage, consanguinity, propinquity, and surname identification. Currently they are mostly agriculturalists and business people although some were traditionally hunters and collectors. They all practice and profess male circumcision. In the past, their marriages were potentially polygamous and many still are, at least in de facto terms. A man is with all intent regarded the head of family. A group of families form a ridge (Kitubbi). A given number of ridges form a sub clan while a set of sub clans form a clan. All the three levels have leadership, usually of the most revered male elder. Since time memorial, the indigenous people who form Bwamba have been governed through this clan system. This explains why both slavery and Kabalega’s intrusion in the bid to expand Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom after the break away of Tooro Kingdom in this area was resisted with considerable success.
In the 1890’s, the stronger intrusion force of the European colonialists shattered this resistance and divided the indigenous people in this area into two; the western side fell under Belgian colonialists where the Babwiisi were referred to as Batalinga and the Bamba called Bhahumu. The second front was the eastern side that fell under the British Protectorate where the Bamba, Vanoma and Babwiisi in this area were annexed to Tooro Kingdom and the area named Bwamba County. In effect, this split created Bwamba as a geopolitical area on the Ugandan side and Butalinga County in Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo.
The social, political and economic repression and marginalisation characterised by unfair representation in the then Tooro Kingdom lead to the popular Rwenzururu Movement in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s.The immeasurable level of discrimination, oppression and marginalization by Tooro, an extension of the infamous indirect rule combined with monarchism, prompted the Bamba, Babwiisi and Bakonzo to present a petition demanding for equality in Toro kingdom in 1954. However, the irresponsiveness to the demands of the Babwisi, Bamba and Bakonjo on the part of Toro kingdom led to historical walk out of the Bamba, Bakonzo, Basongora, Banyabindi and Batuku councillors from the Toro Rukurato (kingdom parliament) on the 13th March 1962. The represenatives demanded a separate district which the condominium could not allow.
On 13th April 1962, the three leaders of the walk out namely Mr. Kawamara Yeremiya (RIP), Mr. Mukirani Isaaya (RIP), and Mr. Mupaliya K Peter (still alive) were arrested, detained, and convicted for defamation against the Omukama of Tooro. They were charged under the Customary Law and sentenced to eight (8) months imprisonment with hard labour in the Omukama’s prison, Muhoti, in Fort portal Town. Before the sentence and while on bail, the late Mukirani Isaaya (father of Omusinga Mumbere) managed to escape on 17th September 1962 and fled to the Rwenzori mountain ranges where he lived as a fugitive and leader of an armed group until he died of natural causes.
In a word, the Rwenzururu Movement was formed to unite the Bamba-Babwiisi and Bakonzo people in the then Toro Kingdom to address the massive abuse of human rights being committed by the then Tooro government authorities. It was also intended as a struggle for succession from Tooro Kingdom for the people in Bwamba and Rwenzori counties to gain autonomy as a separate District within Uganda. This struggle continued until 1974 when the Districts of Kasese (Rwenzori) and Bundibugyo (Semuliki) were created.
While the Bamba-Babwiisi thought the reasons for their struggle were fully settled, the Bakonzo continued in a protracted struggle to form a kingdom, presently called Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu. In this quest, they also sought to include the Bamba-Babwisi, since the later had been partners in the Rwenzururu movement. This attempt was largely resisted by the later given their distaste for kingdoms imposed on them in the past. On 26th December 2002, the anti-Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu kingdom group was formed to counter the deliberate inclusion of Bamba-Babwisi in the then struggling Obusinga Kingdom. This anti-Obusinga group later translated itself into BBEDA (Bamba –Babwiisi Elders Development Association) under the chairmanship of Mr. Fulgensio Bamwiterebye, deputized by Mr. Mupalya. The purpose of BBEDA was to protect, preserve and promote Bamba-Babwiisi cultural identity and space and in effect guard against the expansionist tendencies of Obusinga Bwa Rwezururu Kingdom.
With the threat of possible cultural and economic annihilation becoming more pronounced by the day, overt tribal tensions turned into near skirmishes between the tribal nationalities in Bundibugyo, especially during 2012. The continued need to independently develop the culture and social milieu of the people, and stem provocative tendencies of marauding cultural institutions culminated into a two-days Traditional Leaders and Youth conference of close to 1,000 people among whom were members of BBEDA, Mpaghi (youth group), political and opinion leaders, civic and religious leaders at Bundibugyo Teachers Collage on the 9th and 10th August 2012. This Conference unanimously resolved to establish a unifying cultural institution titled Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba to be spearheaded by Omudhingiya (The cultural leader). The first cultural leader was unanimously declared as Omudhingiya Martin Ayongi Kamya. An interim arrangement for the full establishment of Obudhingiya was immediately instituted spearheaded by Esimudhingiya (head of elders) Mr. Fulgensio Bamwitirebye to set the framework fully and prepare for the coronation of Omudhingiya I.
Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba Cultural institution is legally derived from the mandate of the people in accordance with Article 246 of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. The Bundibugyo District Council also sat on the 30th October, 2012, and unanimously passed a resolution for the establishment and recognition of Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba as a Cultural Institution in Bundibugyo District. Its geographical jurisdictions include the current Bundibugyo as its centre of gravity while its membership extends to wherever the three major ethnic people live. The Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba is built on core values of equality, equity, respect, courtesy, oneness and transparency.
The cultural heritage of Bwamba includes artistic and cultural expressions. Among these are; language and literary arts, performing arts, visual arts and handicrafts, indigenous knowledge, cultural beliefs, traditions and values, cultural sites, monuments and antiquities, and others.