KING KATUREGYE, the KING OF BAKIGA

Most people would claim that there was no King in Bakiga but sources that Omukama Katuregye tried to rule greater Kigezi during partion of Africa. He waged a war against colonialists in areas of Ndorwa and Bufumbira actually is among Bakiga heroes who should be remembered.
Omukama Katuregya Rucumitana Akasimba Ka Musigi as he was known in later life, was an important leader of the Bakongwe in Kigezi at the turn of the 20th century. KHis clan's ancestor was Kakongwe who was apparently son of Karengye, founder of the Barengye clans.
The main line is Kakongwe, Muhondwora, Rutwa I, Biko, Kyobire, Ruta II, Musekure and Rwamushwa. Kakongwe moved from Burengye and settled in Nyakatare, near Lake Bunyoni, from where the family multiplied into many lineages and expanded their territories at the expense of Basigi, Bahesi, Bainika, Basakuru and Bunguru clans who migrated elsewhere.
Kashasha then became the centre of their kingdom. The introduction of Nyabingi into the clan begins with Musekure and Ngoroye who were initiated in Mpimbi though Musekure was killed by some Bahunde there. When Ngoroye returned the voice spoke to Rwamushwa and he became a powerful Nyabingi (otherwise known as Nyinabuhoro and Nyinomuremure) priest.
However this proved to be a double edged gift as he then became impotent and was followed by the prediction that he would die of smallpox.
Chandungusi (Barahebuuza) was a Musigi who fled from Rwanda escaping famine; she was daughter of Ndungusi, son of Kibizi, son of Sentembwe, son of Munaaba.
She first married Ngoyore who passed her on to his brother Rwamushwa. Their children were Manyengye, Bahemuka, Basimiki and Ntwawiha; when he became impotent she took Rwebishaka as a lover and they had Katuregye, Kiribata, Nyangoma and Taburyeraho; however Rwamushwa was always the legal father and he initiated Chandungusi and their son Manyengye.
Nyabingi was central to their spiritual beliefs and they had strong links with the Ruhara Nyabingi families. Four of Katureya's sisters married into that lineage. Basimiki married Ruhara, son of Kanzarina, and was the mother of Manyimwe and Karangye.

Taburyeraho married Mafene (who was murdered by the Germans in 1912) and they had Rwatangabo. Nyangoma and Ntawiha also married into that lineage, though their husbands are not listed.

Katuregye (Katuleggi and variants in colonial literature) was born at Kashasha around 1870 in privileged circumstances but spent most of his time with Batwa children who taught him the arts of hunting that were to provide the skills later as a soldier.

He was little regarded when a youngster due to his small size and he compensated by being ferocious and a skilled bowman when he accompanied the elders on expeditions.

He was advised by Nyabingi who promised that he would never be defeated; she also made Kiribata a skilled bowman who was renowned as warrior.

His first military encounter was during a conflict with the Bainika over an elephant that the latter had killed when it strayed into their territory from Echuya in search of food.

The Bakongwe claimed it but the Bainika refused to hand it over; he showed his courage and skills in the resulting battle that left many Bainika dead and he became a hero overnight.

The Bainika then made the mistake of stealing one of his cows called Nyabwangu. He called Batwa and Bakongwe warriors to war and they inflicted a major defeat on the Bainika who fled to Bukinda and their territory was assimilated.

He thus became a powerful military leader leading combined forces of Batwa from Echuya and the Virunga mountains and Bakongwe warriors.

They then defeated the Baheesi of Kigata and Bumbu and the Bayundo of Mugyera and Kitigata, the latter fled to the islands of Lake Bunyonyi where some still live.

This was followed by an invasion of Bunguru lands and while they resisted, there were battles at Kishanje and Rwabahundame, they were no match and fled to Kabale and further north; they returned around 1921 when the English took over.

By this time his intentions were clear, he wanted to become king of the Bakiga through military conquest. Over the next few years he defeated most clans to the south and took over their lands. He then turned his attentions to the Basigi of Kagaya, who had killed his brother Butuma, and the Basekuru of Iremera.

They were defeated; the former migrated to Nyarushanje, the latter appeared to have stayed and he married Nyinakitare, reputed to have been the most beautiful lady he saw on his many campaigns.

During this period, c.1895, there was a severe famine called Mushorongo, after the lines of corpses on the sides of paths that were caused by a three year drought that came directly after the rider pest epidemic that arrived c. 1890.

This was very disruptive of Kigezi society as harvests completely failed for three years in a row. Families fell apart due to extreme hunger as people sold themselves and their children for food and even cannibalism was reported as the final extreme.
This led to weakened clans that were easy to conquer and plunder and it is said that the Bakongwe never experienced want.

However he was careful never to alienate the Rwandan kingdom that were his nominal overlords, he respected Rwabugiri but never feared Musinga; in fact two Bakongwe chiefs, Murusya of Bufundi and Basaaza of Kyante and Rurujo, often visited Nyanza to pay homage.

This neutrality gave him the freedom of action he needed. The situation changed with the advent of the first colonial adventurers, the Germans, who took over Rwanda in 1896.
They were a threat in that they had superior military weaponry and were as warlike; their conquest resulted in many Bakiga deaths.

In the beginning it did not affect his military campaigns as he fought against the Basigi of Kagarama who he defeated; they took refuge in Butobere, Bukinda and Mparo. He then defeated the Batimbo and Bahurwa clans of Kabale and Kikungyere.

Next were the Bahimba of Rubanda that was sight of a famous battle that took place over several days but with the same result; the Bahimba were defeated and Rubanda left desolate, while the survivors fled to Kashambya and Nyakishenyi.

The English then arrived and offered the dual threat of military might and Christianity; their agenda was pacification through the elimination of clan warfare and the conversion of the Bakiga to Christianity. This was a major threat to his power and spiritual beliefs.

The first diminution of his power came when the English and Germans agreed a common frontier between Uganda and Rwanda in 1910 that split his territories and he thus lost complete control of the southern section of his conquests to the Germans.

In 1912 the English then divided Kigezi into counties and sub-counties, sazas and gombololas, and they made him a chief of the gombolola of Bufundi that included Rubaya and Muko. a mere 50 square km (it had been at least double) under Nyindo, chief of Bufumbira. A Bugandan agent, Stephen Musoke, was imposed as administrator. Bufundi was then in Bufumbira; it was transferred to Ndorwa when it was founded, c. 1929.
Chandungusi was very vocal in her criticism and resistance to Christianity and given the association between Nyabingi and colonial resistance she was arrested in 1914 when a military detachment surrounded her village adjacent to Echuya forest after a night march from Kabale, her supporters attempted to defend her by shooting arrows from the surrounding bush but were dispersed with gunfire.

The English never gave any reason for her arrest; she was around 65 years old, except that it was part of their general round up of Nyabingi bagirwa. She was interred for one year in Mbarara and died on her way home in 1915.

Katuregye swore revenge. First he captured all the boats on Lake Bunyonyi and sank those he did not need and based himself on a large island, probably Bwama.

He then allied with Nyindo who had also become a pro-German rebel. They attacked military convoys between Kabale and Kisoro and raided pro-English clans.

The English mounted a military expedition on Lake Bunyoni by first transporting a large canoe from Lake Chahafi via the Kanaba Pass and then through a specially cut pass through Echuya to the lake.

They then searched the lake and found 13 canoes but that Katuregye and his forces had fled to Rwanda. In the meantime military police scoured the western shores burning Batwa villages and confiscating their cattle; another force went on the eastern shores to round up any rebels.

He then returned and set up his headquarters in Echuya forest having been forced to abandon Kashaasha and Mutuungu, but then made the mistake of attacking a fellow clansman Mahiirane's sons in Rutojo and plundered their cattle. They sought the help of the English and told them where he was camped.

The English with a mixed force of Europeans, Arab askaris, Baganda agents, and Bakiga askaris and porters, whose weapons included a maxim machine gun, surrounded him secretly and attacked.

Their superior firepower soon put the rebels to flight notwithstanding the heroic resistance by the Batwa.

Katuregye was shot in the thigh by Mwebesa (a Mukiga) and he was hurriedly evacuated to a dense part of Echuya. As his wound worsened he was transferred to Kyevu where local doctors tried in vain to heal him.

Hundreds of loyal supporters visited him to pay their last respects and so he died in the early months of 1915 and was accorded a heroes funeral. As an adult he grew a long beard to symbolise his power and wealth.

He was restless with inactivity and was only happy on campaign. His bow was called Rugote and he had many servants who carried a plentiful supply of arrows on campaign.

He is described as a lively man, with a sense of humour and full of kindness. He had a middle-sized girth, tall with an imposing beard that covered his chest.

His eyes were red as burning fire and full of power, dignity, bravery and fierceness.

He was not a despotic ruler; after conquest he built homes on the new lands and married a woman of the defeated clan and thus ended up with c. 40 Wives who included Boosha, Nyabweza, Nyimahanda, Nyangire, Nyinamafwa, Buherero, Bakumi, Mpongano, Nyingaruka, Nyiramwaka and Nyinakitare.

His known sons are Daudi Rutobo, Ndaatira, Buyongwe, Mahenda, Mitweyingabo, Sulmani Kamananga and Bijogoorwa.

His legacy is mixed Many Bakiga have very negative opinions. Others have a more positive opinion as they see him as a powerful military leader who attempted to unite the Bakiga into one kingdom, whether they wanted to or not. Furthermore his activities in resisting colonial conquest and imposition of imperialist rule are highly commended and many see him as an early freedom fighter seeking to maintain their independence, culture and religion.For the support call +256774613601 support our history by advertising with us or any other support to this media platform is welcome.