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Muteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira (1837–9 October 1884) was the 30th
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 an ...
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 ...
, from 1856 until 1884.


Biography

He was born at the Batandabezaala Palace, at Mulago, in 1837. He was the son of Kabaka Ssuuna II Kalema Kasinjo, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned between 1832 and 1856. His mother was ''Nabakyala'' Muganzirwazza, the ''Namasole'', one of the 148 recorded wives of his father. He
ascend ASCEND is an open source, mathematical modelling chemical process modelling system developed at Carnegie Mellon University since late 1978. ASCEND is an acronym which stands for Advanced System for Computations in Engineering Design. Its main uses ...
ed the throne upon the death of his father in October 1856. According to historian MSM Kiwanuka, Muteesa was "an insignificant obscure prince", compared to his brothers Prince Kajumba and Prince Kiyimba. Kajumba was his father's preferred heir, as Suuna frequently pointed out to his chiefs the heroic qualities of the prince. However, the chiefs, led by the Katikkiro Kayiira felt that Kajumba would be difficult to control. Muteesa, an unpopular choice, was chosen ahead of his brothers. He was crowned at Nabulagala. He established his
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
, first on Banda Hill. Later he abandoned that palace and established capitals at Nakatema, Nabbingo, Kabojja, and finally at
Kasubi Kasubi is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. Location Kasubi is bordered by Kawaala to the north, Makerere to the east, Naakulabye to the southeast, Lusaze to the southwest, Lubya to the west, and Namungoona to the northwe ...
, Nabulagala. The capital at Kabojja got its name due to the numerous executions carried out while the king was resident there, as the name echoes something as deadly as a snake bite. Following his ascension to the throne, Muteesa, with the help of Kayiira, had his rival princes imprisoned on Kisimi Island. Some notable chiefs hatched a plot to overthrow the new king and replace him with Prince Kiyimba. However, the plot was foiled and the conspirators, along with Prince Kiyimba and Prince Kajumba, were executed.


Reign

Like his forefathers, Muteesa fought several wars of conquest to expand Buganda's territory, to protect its trade routes and to defend it against external foes like Bunyoro Kitara, the
Khedivate of Egypt The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ota, خدیویت مصر ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which br ...
, slave traders and Buvuma. These trade routes enabled Buganda to trade its Ivory, Barkcloth, Bananas, fish, and slaves for firearms, salt, cloth
Textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, different #Fabric, fabric types, etc. At f ...
, copper wire,
Iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
axes, hoes and knives from the coast and neighboring Kingdoms. Like his father Ssuuna II, Muteesa expanded Buganda's naval fleet to gain more influence and control over parts of Lake Nnalubaale especially
Ssese Islands The Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands in the northwestern part of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The islands are coterminous with the Kalangala District in southern Central Uganda, which does not have any territory on mainland Uga ...
and Buvuma which would later become an important trade route for Buganda's Ivory.
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Swahili and
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
traders from
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...
were increasingly established in
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 mi ...
since the 1840s to trade firearms, gunpowder, salt, and cloth in exchange for ivory and
slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. During Kabaka Muteesa I's reign, these contacts continued and he converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
. Muteesa intervened in Bunyoro's succession civil war after the death of the Omukama Kamurasi in order to gain influence over Bunyoro Kitara. At the same time, contact was made with European visitors for the first time in 1862 when John Hanning Speke and James Augustus Grant arrived. Their positive accounts attracted more visitors and
Henry Morton Stanley Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa and his sear ...
arrived in 1875.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, General Charles George Gordon Pasha governor of Equatoria province, the Khedivate of Egypt, sent several envoys to Buganda. One envoy
Charles Chaill%C3%A9-Long Charles Chaillé-Long (1842–1917) was an American soldier, lawyer, explorer, diplomat, and author from Princess Anne, Maryland. He was commissioned by the United States Army and the Egyptian Army. He explored Central Africa and Korea (Corea). He ...
in 1874 and another in 1875, called Colonel M. Ernest Linant de Bellefonds ey son of the renowned French engineer
Louis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds Louis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha (Lorient, France, 23 November 1799 – Cairo 9 July 1883) was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, an influential engineer of ...
. Gordon wanted Muteesa I to stop selling Buganda's ivory to the Sultanate of Zanzibar and instead sell it to the Khedivate of Egypt. Sending the ivory to Gondokoro, Sudan would help solve the financial problems of Gordon's administration. In order to protect his kingdom, Muteesa I needed modern arms, ammunition and alliances with a more powerful entity like the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. Muteesa had
Henry Morton Stanley Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa and his sear ...
write a letter on his behalf to
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
. This letter was handed to Colonel Linant de Bellefonds who Stanley met at Muteesa's court in 1875. Unfortunately, Linant was killed before he could deliver the letter but it still found its way to the
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 ...
and was published in the ''
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'' in November 1875. As a result of the letter, the first set of Protestant missionaries, from the Church Missionary Society (CMS,
Church Mission Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
), arrived in Buganda in 1877.
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
missionaries arrived in 1879, in the persons of Fr Simon Lourdel Monpel, M.Afr., and Brother Amans, M.Afr. All three visitor groups were made to believe that Kabaka Muteesa I preferred their religion over the others. They thus wrote favorable reviews back home to their respective governments, encouraging trade and friendly relations. As a result,
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 mi ...
, and
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 ...
were not colonized but were offered status of a
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...
. Muteesa's relationship with the Catholic Church was strong, such that much of his court converted and also many of his people. This would later cause controversy, however, when his
son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some curren ...
succeeded him and was far less friendly to the missionares' cause (going so far as to
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
Christians on multiple occasions).


Death

He died at Kasubi Nabulagala on 9 October 1884 at the age of 47, and was buried on 18 October 1884 at Kasubi, the first Kabaka to be buried there. In 2007, Muteesa I Royal University was opened in his name, in recognition of his contribution to the education of the people 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 mi ...
and
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 ...
. The first
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the university was Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the current reigning Buganda
monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
. In June 2016,
Julia Sebutinde Julia Sebutinde is a Ugandan judge serving her second term on the International Court of Justice following her re-election on November 12, 2020. She also is the current chancellor of Muteesa I Royal University a university owned by Buganda k ...
was installed as chancellor of the University, replacing Kabaka Mutebi II, who installed her and then became The Visitor of the University. Kabaka Mutebi being Chancellor was making it hard for Regulatory Authorities of the Ugandan Universities system to hold the institution accountable on some issues since being King of the largest ethnic group in the country makes him some one who is sacred.


Marriages and issue

Muteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira is reported to have married 87 wives. He is reported to have fathered 98 children, including: * Kabaka Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned from 1884 until 1888 and from 1889 until 1897, whose mother was Naabakyaala Abisaagi Baagal'ayaze. * Kabaka Kiweewa Nnyonyintono, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned between 11 September 1888 and 21 October 1888, whose mother was Kiribakka. * Kabaka Kalema I Muguluma, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned from 21 October 1888 until 5 October 1889, whose mother was Ndibuwakanyi.


Legacy

In Ugandan historiography, Muteesa left a mixed legacy, with some regarding him as the most important of the kings 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 mi ...
because of his vision and diplomatic skills, while others are more critical and believe he welcomed foreign influence that ultimately undermined Buganda's sovereignty. The Catholic Church, alleged by Ugandan officials to have been somewhat reluctant to honor him in the years following his death, began to more fully recognize his religious contributions in the 21st century, after canonizing the Christian martyrs who died under the reign of his son. A Catholic museum in Muteesa's honor was under construction as of 2019.
"Under his rule Buganda was never seriously threatened, either with civil war or conquest. He became more powerful and more civilised. He allowed the missionaries to teach that it was possible to owe a higher allegiance than to their King, and while he lived their lives were safe. He had the strengths and subtlety to balance the Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and pagans, so that he controlled them all, just as he kept in touch with the rest of the world, but managed not to be swamped by it. If he turned inward at the end it was but a mild taste of what was to come." —Kabaka Mutesa II, ''Desecration of My Kingdom (1967)''


Succession table


See also

* Banda Hill * Kabaka of Buganda * Muteesa I Royal University * Mapeera House


References


Further reading

*Kaggwa, Sir Apollo K,
Basekabaka be’Buganda
' ranslated by MM Semakula Kiwanuka Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1971. *Kiwanuka, MM Semakula,
Muteesa of Uganda
'. Kampala: East African Literature Bureau, 1967. *Kiwanuka, MM Semakula,
A History of Buganda: From the foundation of the Kingdom to 1900
'. London: Longman, 1971.


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Muteesa I Of Buganda 1884 deaths 1837 births Kabakas of Buganda 19th-century monarchs in Africa