Julia Kibubura was the first woman to take up a political leadership position as Gombolola (County) chief in
Western Uganda
The Western Region of Uganda is one of four regions in the country of Uganda. As of Uganda's 2014 census, the Western region's population was .
Districts
As of 2010, the Western Region contained 26 districts:
Geography
The Western Region ...
.
The locals addressed her as Omwami which is translated as Sir in English.
She was appointed as a Gombolola chief by Harry St. George Galt who was a sub commissioner in charge of the western region in 1905. In honor of her memory, Kibubura Girls' Secondary school was named after her because she was an advocate for mass education, especially for girls.
She was a former diviner of the King of Ankole.
Early life
The root word for the name Kibubura in
Runyakitara
Runyakitara is a standardized language based on four closely related languages of western Uganda:
* Nyoro or ''Runyoro''
* Kiga (Chiga) or ''Rukiga''
* Nkore or ''Runyankole''
* Tooro or ''Rutooro''
Jouni Filip Maho's 2009 New Updated Guthrie ...
is ‘okububura’ loosely translated as ‘the roaring of a lion’.
Kibubura was born in
Ibanda to the witch doctor of then Omugabe Mutabuka. She was forced into exile when her father, an influential
fortune teller and
medicine man sided with Mukwenda who was locked up in a power struggle with Ntare-V. Mukwenda lost this fight and thus had to flee.
Kibubura, her sister Kishokye and her brothers fled to Bunyoro, which was, then under Omukama Kabalega. They later returned to Ankole thanks to their spiritual intercession (Okubandwa). As intermediaries between the worlds of spirits and humans, they were welcomed like heroes and given freedom in Ankole. In exchange, they used their ''emandwa'', Nyakashambi to protect Ankole from any danger. When the Christian missionaries came Kibubura ditched emandwa and was baptized.
Julia Kibubura was baptized in 1903 after she and other 25 readers travelled by foot to
Mbarara
Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda and the second largest city in Uganda after Kampala. The city is divided into 6 boroughs of Kakoba Division, Kamukuzi Division, Nyamitanga Division, Biharwe Division, Kakiika Division, Nyakay ...
for baptism. She went back in Ibanda and she was instrumental in the construction of the first church made of mud and wattle. The church was later in 1970s replaced with the current St. Paul church of Uganda Ibanda on which Late Archbishop Luwum laid a foundation stone in 1976
Kibubura's known grandson is Michael Kibeeherere
Controversies
There is still a rumour in Ibanda that Kibubura had a secret love affair with Harry St George Galt and that it is the reason why he appointed her as a Gombolola chief in Western Uganda. Kibubura's astounded natives of Ibanda because at that time, women leaders were usually frowned upon., However, Michael Kibeeherere, a grandson of Julia Kibubura, disputed the claim of the secret love affair by saying that "Kiburura was an honourable person, virtuous and dignified, totally incapable of an extramarital affair," in 2016.
See also
#
Janet Museveni
#
Janani Luwum
Janani Jakaliya Luwum (c. 1922 – 17 February 1977) was the archbishop of the Church of Uganda from 1974 to 1977 and one of the most influential leaders of the modern church in Africa. He was arrested in February 1977 and died shortly after. Al ...
#
Galt Memorial
# Kibubura Girls' Secondary School
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kibubura, Julia
Ugandan women
Ugandan politicians
Ugandan chiefs
Ibanda District
1950 deaths