Chwa II Kabalega (18 June 1853 – 6 April 1923), was the ruler or

Omukama {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Omukama: often translated as "king of kings", (O)Mukama means in Bantu languages, Bantu (Banyoro-, Batoro- and other languages) something like "superior milkman/milkbringer". The title "Omukama" is used in the regi ...

Bunyoro Bunyoro or Bunyoro-Kitara is a Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 13th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of Bunyoro-Kitara. The cur ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

from 1870 to 1899.

Biography

In 1869, Kamurasi died, and two of the legitimate royal candidates, Kabalega and Kabigure, could not agree on who should be his successor. This led to a devastating

war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim the right of successor to a deceased or deposed monarch. The rivals are typically supported by factions within the royal court. Foreign pow ...

in the

Empire of Kitara The Kingdom of the Banyakitara, also known as Union of Kitara (Union of Chwezi) or Chwezi Union, and better known as the Kitara Empire, was an empire in East Africa. It existed in the region from around the early bronze age to about 500 C.E. ...

. Normally, such wars to determine a legitimate successor were supposed to be brief and decisive until only one claimant to the throne was left alive, but sometimes these conflicts dragged on for years, destabilised all of society and led to famines, massacres and refugee crises. In this case, the clan leaders and the dead king's brother Prince Nyaika were so tired of Kabalega and Kabigure's constant fighting that they ordered Kabalega, who had the upper hand, to respect Bunroyo's laws of succession and just-war conventions, and end the war. When Kabalega was crowned king, he set out to develop his new empire via trade and especially the

Kibiro Saltworks Kibiro is a small fishing village in Uganda that lies on the south-eastern shore of Lake Albert The residents of the village are unable to produce their own agricultural products, and must trade with other communities for most of their necessities. ...

. He defeated the British and the Ottomans who sought to colonise his empire., ''

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the '' Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. S ...

'' On 1 January 1894, the British declared war on Bunyoro. At the height of the British offensive on his empire, Kabalega went into hiding in Acholi under the protection of Chief Awich Abok of Payira. It's from there that he consistently led his rebellion dubbed Nyangire that proved a thorn on the colonial skin.

Legacy

In 1972, President

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

renamed

Murchison Falls Murchison Falls, also known as Kabalega Falls, is a waterfall at the apex of Lake Albert on the Victoria Nile in Uganda. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks, only wide, and tumbles , before flowing ...

, located within

Murchison Falls National Park Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is a national park in Uganda and managed by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. It is in north-western Uganda, spreading inland from the shores of Lake Albert, around the Victoria Nile, up to the Karuma Falls. ...

, Kabalega Falls after the Omukama. On 8 June 2009, Kabalega was declared a national hero of Uganda by President

Museveni Museveni is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Janet Museveni (born 1948), Ugandan politician *Muhoozi Kainerugaba Museveni (born 1974), Ugandan general *Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 19 ...

. In 2010, the

Most Honourable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega The Most Honourable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega (formally: ''The Most Honourable Order of Duty and Inflexibility of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega and Saint Thomas More'') is the third highest royal order of merit of the Kingdom of Bunyoro, and i ...

was founded in honour of Kabalega by the

Bunyoro-Kitara Bunyoro or Bunyoro-Kitara is a Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 13th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of Bunyoro-Kitara. The cur ...

About Titles of Ugandan Traditional Rulers, Royalty, Chiefs, Nobility and Chivalry
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Biography

Legacy

References

Bibliography

Further reading