Kyabazinga Henry Wako Muloki OBE (February 18, 1921 – September 1, 2008) was a

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

Kyabazinga of Busoga The Kyabazinga of Busoga is the ruler of the Kingdom of Busoga in Uganda. ''Isebantu'' means "father of the people." This name was a symbol of unity derived from the expression and recognition by the people of Busoga that their leader was the "fat ...

, the title given to the ruler of the

Kingdom of Busoga Busoga ( Lusoga: Obwakyabazinga bwa Busoga) is a kingdom and one of four constitutional monarchies in present-day Uganda. The kingdom is a cultural institution which promotes popular participation and unity among the people of the region throu ...

, a traditional

kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

within

. Muloki first became Kyabazinga of Busoga in 1955, a position he held until then Ugandan Prime Minister

Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from British colonial rule in 1962. Following the nation's independence, he served as prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to ...

abolished all traditional institutions and kingdoms within the country in 1966. Muloki regained the title of Kyabazinga on February 11, 1995, after the Ugandan government restored the traditional kingdoms. Muloki was the oldest surviving traditional ruler in Uganda at the time of his death in 2008 at the age of 87. He was the first recorded sitting Kyabazinga to die in office.

Biography

Henry Wako Muloki ascended to the throne of the

( Isebantu Kyabazinga) in 1955 when he was 34 years old. Muloki succeeded the late Sir William Wilberforce Nadiope as Kyabazinga. Muloki lost both his traditional title and kingdom in 1966 when the

Prime Minister of Uganda The prime minister of Uganda chairs the Cabinet of Uganda, although the president is the effective head of government. Robinah Nabbanja has been the prime minister since 21 June 2021. The post of Prime Minister was created for the first time in ...

, abolished all traditional titles and

institutions Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...

within Uganda. Obote's plan also disbanded the four traditional kingdoms within Uganda, including Muloki's own Kingdom of Busoga. Muloki regained his title and crown on February 11, 1995, following the restoration of traditional institutions and kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Busoga, by the Ugandan government. Usually, the Kyabazinga is elected from within five of the eleven Busoga royal traditional chiefs to be held for a specific period of time. However, when Muloki was elected Kyabazinga, the chiefs of the Busoga people decided that Muloki should rule for life in recognition of his leadership, life contributions and age. Muloki was diagnosed with

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

during the latter part of his reign. He underwent surgery for the disease in Italy in 2007. Muloki was further admitted to Kampala International Hospital in 2008. Shortly before his death, Muloki was hospitalized in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

for two weeks. He was so ill that he had to be flown back to Uganda in the country's

Gulfstream IV-SP The Gulfstream IV (or G-IV or GIV) and derivatives are a family of twinjet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. They were designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States, ...

Death

Henry Wako Muloki died at the Mulago Hospital Cancer Institute in

Kampala, Uganda Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, at 4 A.M. on September 1, 2008, at the age of 87. He was survived by his four sons and three daughters, including Princess Rebecca Muloki. His wife, Alice Muloki, the Inhebantu of Busoga, died in November 2005. Two of Muloki's children reside in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Muloki's body was taken to the

National Assembly of Uganda The parliament of Uganda is the country's legislative body. Unicameral, the most significant of the Ugandan parliament's functions is to pass laws that will provide good governance in the country. The government ministers are bound to answer t ...

(Parliament) in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

to lie in state. He was then taken to Nakabango palace for a night

vigil A vigil, from the Latin ''vigilia'' meaning ''wakefulness'' (Greek: ''pannychis'', or ''agrypnia'' ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word ''vigilia'' has become genera ...

. Following the Kampala commemorations, a public viewing then took place in

Bugembe Bugembe is a town in Jinja District in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the seat of the Kingdom of Busoga, one of the four constitutional in Uganda, which is coterminous with the Busoga sub-region. Location Bugembe is located approximately ...

, the seat of the Kingdom of Busoga. His body was then taken to Muloki's ancestral home in

Kaliro District Kaliro District is a Districts of Uganda, district in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda. It was created out of the eastern part of Kamuli District in 2006. Kaliro is the site of the district headquarters. Location Kaliro Di ...

for burial. Under Busoga law, the sitting Busoga Prime Minister, Wilson Muwereza, who had served as Muloki's prime minister for over six years, and "the heads of the eleven royal chiefs who head clan lines" will run the Kingdom of Busoga following Muloki's death. The Prime Minister and eleven Busoga royal chiefs will jointly choose a successor and elect a new Kyabazinga within 60 to 90 days of Muloki's death.

References

External links

The New Vision: Life and times of Wako Muloki

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muloki, Henry Wako 1921 births 2008 deaths Ugandan traditional rulers and monarchs Busoga Officers of the Order of the British Empire Deaths from esophageal cancer Deaths from cancer in Uganda