Old Buganda Kingdom meets the new one
History reveals that Buganda’s naval presence extended across the region’s lakes and rivers, giving rise to a thriving culture of wartime canoes.
Given the food, being a melting pot of cultures and having a vibrant night life makes Kampala City is a tourist attraction in itself. (Photos by Titus Kakembo)
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
Spotting a bushy goatee during the third Uganda-Kenya Coast Expo at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Prof. Jon Earle, a research fellow for Buganda Kingdom, leapt from his seat, eager to connect the audience to the experience of former US President Theodore Roosevelt, the father of the African safari, and his exploration of the kingdom in 1909.
“Roosevelt’s entourage included five naturalists and a team of African porters guiding him,” Earle explained.
“Unlike what he saw elsewhere, he was captivated by Buganda’s culture of political procession, royal decorum, and military ceremony. Upon his arrival in December, he witnessed Mengo bustling with chiefs and royals—dressed in locally crafted bark cloth and imported robes from across the Indian Ocean world—moving in and out of the capital, negotiating labour, power, and state resources.”
Earle further emphasised the advanced infrastructure of the time, noting the wide roads that connected government posts, katales (markets), pubs, banana plantations, animal farms, mines, smelting sites in Katwe, and estates.
“Roosevelt also met Buganda’s military leaders, who commanded a powerful navy and army. By that time, Buganda had an army of 10,000 warriors who had expanded the kingdom’s reach throughout the 19th century. The size and strength of this army were crucial in ensuring that the British Empire did not conquer Buganda directly, but rather, Uganda as we know it today.”
History reveals that Buganda’s naval presence extended across the region’s lakes and rivers, giving rise to a thriving culture of wartime canoes. In the 1890s alone, over 30,000 trees were harvested to build 10,000 vessels.
While the canoes varied in size, the largest were more than 25 feet long and 5 feet wide, capable of carrying over half a ton of cargo.
You could love your food and be a guide for adventurous diners.
Roosevelt, who at just 31 years old became the youngest Assistant Secretary of the US Navy, was amazed by the scale and sophistication of the kingdom’s maritime capabilities.
“It was during this journey that Roosevelt returned to the USA with over 11,000 items, including 5,000 animal skins and around 5,000 plant specimens that were going to grace a library built in his honour,” said Earle.
“Unlike conventional libraries, Roosevelt’s, which was due to open in 2026, will feature animal details that are threatened by extinction.”
Roosevelt got to Uganda through Sir Harry Johnstone, who had interacted with the Kabaka and Katikkiro Apollo Kaggwa, who spoke and wrote fluent English and Luganda.
“It was through Premier Kaggwa’s writings that colonial administrators and missionaries learned about the culture, customs, and beliefs in Buganda.”
People have their say
Domestic investor and former chairman of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Daudi Migereko, always hailed Central Uganda for championing the selling of culture and history as a tourism product.
He noted how the Buganda Kingdom had transformed so much given the interaction and intermarriages with Arabs, Europeans, and Asians.
“But the community has retained its culture and narrative of history. The Kasubi Tombs are a World Heritage Site that puts all of Uganda in the limelight. The architecture is sophisticated, with rings on the roof symbolising the number of clans in the kingdom. And each has a duty it prestigiously volunteers to do in the palace. There are those responsible for thatching, marine services, fencing, keeping the log fire burning, and lots more,” said Migereko.
“At its heart is the Buganda Kingdom; the central pillars of the community are in Mengo and Bulange. The roads along the Royal Mile are now tarmacked, adorned with artistic representations of the 56 impressions of the totems, which include mammals, birds, and plants,” he added.
Buganda Kingdom PRO, Albert Kasozi, quoted the ancestral phrase of wisdom, “Old customs die hard,” he began.
“Long before science was introduced as a subject in schools, people from the same clan were and still are forbidden from marrying to prevent internal bleeding, which can lead to genetic disorders.
The traditional marriage proposal ceremony, Okwanjula, is still highly respected, even though weddings are now often held in churches, courts, or mosques. The groom must present gifts to the bride’s brothers, uncles, and aunts or risk their displeasure, much like the story of Walumbe.”
Kasozi highlighted that local dishes, such as Oluwombo (steamed chicken, beef, or vegetables) and Enyama Enkalilire (smoked beef in groundnut stew), competed well with international cuisine in five-star hotels. At cocktail parties, guests were served roasted groundnuts, nsenene (grasshoppers), and gonja (roasted banana).
Traditional dress, such as the tunic and gomesi, remained popular at ceremonial events. Roasted coffee beans were chewed as a symbol of obuntu (brotherhood) and unity. Traditional dances and wrestling matches continued to captivate audiences.
During the reign of Kabaka Mutebi, many Baganda still adhered to cultural practices such as paying dowry and kneeling to greet elders. Some men even prostrated, as an optional sign of respect and allegiance.
The Kasubi Tombs were thriving, and while there were more boda bodas than nsenene on the roads, the rich cultural heritage of Buganda endured.
During the occasion, participants shared different attractions that thrilled them in Kampala city. The youth loved the vibrant nightlife in Kabalagala, Acacia Avenue, and Ndere Centre.
“The Uganda Waragi competes with Johnny Walker and VAT 69,” said John Kamau from Nairobi. “There is a way Ugandan chefs prepare their Nyama Choma (meat roast) that excites the tongue.”
Esther Akoth Kokeyo, the honorary Uganda tourism ambassador in Mombasa, was excited by the faith tourism, where Muslim, Christian, Indian Temples and Bahá’í ones had something to interest one.
“It was the relationship counsellors at Ewaffe in Nagalama who left our eyebrows raised in surprise about intimacy. If Roosevelt had a chance, he would have had his heart stolen by a Muganda woman. Those kid gloves preached would make any Casanova faithful,” said Kokeyo.
“If everyone had Ssenga lessons, the divorce numbers would drop.”
Judith Mirembe, a seasoned female birder, said if Roosevelt were an avian lover, he would have been elated by the kingfishers, cattle egrets, grey African parrots, the crested crane, and the iconic shoebill.
“Today, we have a total of 1,100 different species logged, but the number keeps growing. Birds from India, the EU, and South Africa have been seen seeking refuge in Lutembe Beach, Queen Elizabeth, and Kidepo Valley National Parks,” said Mirembe. “They fly here without refuelling or any GPS guiding.”
Food lovers had numerous culinary delights to choose from. Seafood lovers had it at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel and Speke Resort Munyonyo. Street food lovers had their fill of Rolex, molokony, oxtail, and gonja.
Those who visited Culturally Buganda came from the phrase Omuganda (a bunch), which is believed to have been started by Kintu and his wife Nambi. The cave where the two are thought to have lived is still in place, and belief has it that when one of their grandchildren dies, it is Walumbe, the disgruntled brother of the first wife in Buganda, who has taken them.
The director of Semagulu Museum, John Sempebwa, says, “The story of Buganda is not very different from the Biblical act of Adam and Eve.”
Adding that storytelling was not brought to Buganda by the missionaries or explorers, as their forefathers used to sit by the fireside and narrate hunting expeditions, war exploits in Bunyoro, or love stories.
“Animals like witty Wakayima and birds feature in some fiction stories. The narratives are spiced with songs. Some have dramatic twists, humour, and suspense,” relates Sempebwa.