The Kabaka crisis was a political and constitutional crisis in the
Uganda Protectorate
The Protectorate of Uganda was a protectorate of the British Empire from 1894 to 1962. In 1893 the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the Brit ...
between 1953 and 1955 wherein the
Kabaka
the kabaka Palace in kireka
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and ...
Mutesa II
Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II (modern spelling: Muteesa) (19 November 1924 – 21 November 1969) was Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda from 22 November 1939 until his death. He was the thirty- ...
pressed for Bugandan secession from the
Uganda Protectorate
The Protectorate of Uganda was a protectorate of the British Empire from 1894 to 1962. In 1893 the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the Brit ...
and was subsequently deposed and exiled by the British governor
Andrew Cohen. Widespread discontent with this action forced the British government to backtrack, resulting in the restoration of Mutesa as specified in the
Buganda Agreement of 1955, which ultimately shaped the nature of Ugandan independence.
Background
In 1893 the
Imperial British East Africa Company
The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) was a commercial association founded to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British Empire. The company was incorporated in London on 18 April 1888 and granted a royal charter by Q ...
(IBEAC) transferred its administration rights over its territories in modern-day Uganda to the British Government. At that time, the IBEAC's territory consisted mainly of the
Kingdom of Buganda
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 m ...
, which had been acquired in 1892. In 1894 the
Uganda Protectorate
The Protectorate of Uganda was a protectorate of the British Empire from 1894 to 1962. In 1893 the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the Brit ...
was established, and, with Bugandan assistance the territory was rapidly extended beyond the borders of Buganda to an area that roughly corresponds to that of present-day
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 ...
. The
Buganda Agreement of 1900 Signed in March 1900, this agreement formed the basis of British relations with Buganda, the Kabaka (King) was recognised as ruler of Buganda as long he remained faithful to her Majesty, the Lukiko (council of chiefs) given statutory recognition. T ...
formalised Buganda's place as a constitutional monarchy (headed by the
Kabaka
the kabaka Palace in kireka
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and ...
) within the broader British-led Protectorate. Following the creation of the
Crown Colony of Kenya and
Trust Territory of Tanganyika the British grew increasingly interested in the idea of the provision of 'common services' to the three territories. This resulted, among other things, in the creation of the
East Africa High Commission and
Central Legislative Assembly
The Central Legislative Assembly was the lower house of the Imperial Legislative Council, the legislature of British India. It was created by the Government of India Act 1919, implementing the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. It was also sometime ...
in 1948, with competence in certain areas (such as integration of the various railway networks). From 1952 further constitutional reforms were proposed by the new Governor of Uganda, Sir
Andrew Cohen. Cohen proposed devolving greater functions from the Protectorate to Buganda, but conditional on Buganda formally accepting its status as a "component part" of the wider Protectorate. Kabaka
Mutesa II
Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II (modern spelling: Muteesa) (19 November 1924 – 21 November 1969) was Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda from 22 November 1939 until his death. He was the thirty- ...
agreed to this offer, and a joint memorandum was duly published in March 1953.
Crisis
On 30 June 1953,
Oliver Lyttelton
Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos, (15 March 1893 – 21 January 1972) was a British businessman from the Lyttelton family who was brought into government during the Second World War, holding a number of ministerial posts.
Background, ed ...
, the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, British Cabinet government minister, minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various British Empire, colonial dependencies.
Histor ...
, gave a speech in London in which he made a "passing reference" to the possibility "...of still larger measures of unification and possibly still larger measures of federation of the whole East Africa territories". Lyttelton's remarks were reported by the
''East African Standard'' on 2 and 3 July, prompting the Ministers of the Bugandan Government (headed by
Paulo Kavuma) to write to Cohen on 6 July to stress their opposition to such a plan. The Baganda people, who always valued their autonomy and independence, were alarmed by the idea of a broader federation on the model of the
Central African Federation
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
. They felt that such a move would result in the integration of different cultures which would ultimately destroy and engulf their own culture and way of life.
Cohen responded by assuring the Baganda that there was no reason for concern, and that no decision pertaining to the formation of an East African federation would be made without first consulting them. There was a residual feeling in Buganda, however, that Lyttelton had let the cat out of the bag. The incident served to crystallise animosity and apparent slights dating back to the 1900 Agreement, and prompted widespread calls among the Baganda for Bugandan independence as the only protection against British overreach. A reply from the Secretary of State attempting to reassure Mutesa and his Ministers that "the inclusion of the Uganda Protectorate in any such federation is outside the realm of practical politics at the present time" served only to fan the flames. The Bakamas of Bunyoro and Toro, and the Omugabe of Ankole, also wrote to Cohen to express their own fears.
In order to resolve the spiralling crisis, Cohen took a direct approach, choosing to meet Mutesa in person, but a series of six private meetings at Government House did not result in a resolution on the issue of Bugandan independence and the political unrest continued. Frustrated, Cohen told Mutesa that continuing to agitate against the British vision of a single Ugandan state constituted a breach of the 1900 Agreement, as well as a repudiation of the joint declaration of March 1953, and that he had five weeks to reconsider.
Despite the apparent ultimatum, Mutesa, supported by the
Bugandan Lukiiko (Parliament) and other neighbouring Kingdoms, continued to push for Buganda secession. This intransigence prompted Cohen to hand him a letter at a final meeting on 30 November 1953 confirming that, under the provisions of Article 6 of the 1900 Agreement, the British Government was withdrawing its recognition of him as the legitimate ruler of Buganda.
Cohen was fearful that this action would incite violent protest by the Baganda and declared a state of emergency. Mutesa was arrested and rapidly exiled to London, much to the shock of the Baganda. He would be permitted to live freely, anywhere in the world, but not to return to Uganda. While his supporters lobbied strongly on his behalf, Mutesa himself behaved "as if on vacation", staying primarily at the
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...
.
Cohen's preference was for a new Kabaka to be installed immediately, but this proved impossible. Exiling the Kabaka, far from resolving the situation, fuelled it. Resistance in Buganda itself was nevertheless mostly peaceful, including public displays of "weeping, mourning and collapsing in grief... Ganda, and especially Ganda women, declared loyalty to the king and denounced Britain's betrayal of its alliance with Buganda". This emotional response, rooted in the centrality of the Kabaka to Bugandan life rather than the personal popularity of Mutesa, took Cohen by surprise and the British struggled to find a way to counter-act it.
Resolution
Following a well-received Bugandan delegation to London, new negotiations took place in June to September 1954 at
Namirembe
Namirembe is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. It is also a common name given to girls in several Baganda clans. Namirembe comes from the Luganda word "mirembe" meaning ''peace''. Namirembe loosely translates into ''Full of ...
between Cohen and a constitutional committee selected by the Lukiiko, with
Keith Hancock, then Director of the
Institute of Commonwealth Studies
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies, founded in 1949, is the sole postgraduate academic institution in the United Kingdom devoted to the study of the Commonwealth. It is also home to the longest-running interdisciplinary and practice-oriented ...
in London, acting as the mediator. Although an attempt to get the Kabaka's deportation declared ''
ultra vires
('beyond the powers') is a Latin phrase used in law to describe an act which requires legal authority but is done without it. Its opposite, an act done under proper authority, is ('within the powers'). Acts that are may equivalently be termed ...
'' was unsuccessful, the High Court in Kampala suggested that the use of Article 6 was improper. The British subsequently accepted the return of Mutesa, in exchange for a commitment that he and future Kabakas would make a "solemn engagement" to be bound the 1900 Agreement. A number of constitutional changes within the Government of Buganda and to the national
Legislative Council were agreed at the same time, progressing Cohen's reformist goals. Following further negotiations, held in London, the Namirembe conference recommendations were adopted as the
Buganda Agreement of 1955 and Mutesa returned triumphant to Buganda.
Notes
References
Primary sources
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* "Kabaka Mutesa II to Sir Andrew Cohen, 6 August 1953" in
Secondary sources
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*
*
*
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* {{Cite journal, last=Summers, first=Carol, date=2017, title=All the Kabaka's Wives: Marital Claims in Buganda's 1953–5 Kabaka Crisis, url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/div-classtitleall-the-kabakaandaposs-wives-marital-claims-in-bugandaandaposs-19535-kabaka-crisisa-hreffns01-ref-typefnadiv/400DA094C9549BAA25A4CD36D7A2FFF7, journal=The Journal of African History, language=en, volume=58, issue=1, pages=107–127, doi=10.1017/S0021853716000645, issn=0021-8537
External links
Memorandum on Constitutional Development and Reform in Buganda, 17 March 1953Correspondence between Mutesa II and Sir Andrew Cohen (1953)
Buganda
Constitutional crises
History of Uganda
Uganda and the Commonwealth of Nations
Ugandan monarchies