Buganda Kingdom, The Origin, History, Strength and Weakness

Buganda Kingdom is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in Uganda. It grew rapidly during the 18th & 19th centuries. Located along the shores of Lake Victoria.

Buganda is one of the numerous kingdoms that sprung up after the collapse of the chwezi empire, hence its believed that it also originated from the large chwezi empire.
The kingdom got established in the north west part of lake Victoria and east of Bunyoro.
The earliest inhabitant are believed to have been the Bantu that migrated from the Congo basin, who live in the present day Busiro, Kyadondo and Mawokota.
The origin of this great kingdom are not clear to historians however a number of theories  have been put up.

Other traditions believed that Buganda originated from the Bantu clans that lived in the areas way back and others came from eastern Uganda .
Other clans of Buganda are said to have come from ssese islands.
Buganda started as a small nucleus state comprising of only Busiro, Mawokota,and Kyadondo around the 15th century.
The Uganda who inhabit this Ares belong to wider group of interlacustrine Bantu and form the largest Bantu grouping in Uganda.
By the 17 the century Buganda had expanded to cover Singo, Gomba,Butambala and it was Kabaka Katerega who captured these counties from Bunyoro.
Under kabaka Jjunju,Buganda expanded to include Buddu and Kooki which were annexed from Bunyoro.
By the half of 19th century  Kabaka Mawanda captured the counties of Bulemeezi,Kyaggwe and Bugerere. Making Buganda the largest kingdom in the interlacustrine region by then.
With the help of the British Kabaka Muteesa brought in the lost counties of Buyaga and Bugangaizi and Buluri which were annexed from Bunyoro.

Another theory says that Buganda Kingdom was founded by Kato Kimera, a twin brother of Isingoma Rukidi Mpuuga who founded the Bito dynasty. About five to six clans are said to have come from Bunyoro.
Yet Buganda is one of the states that broke away after the collapse of Bunyoro Kitara Empire under the Bachwezi.
Buganda Kingdom started as a small state made up of Busiro, Mawokota and Kyadondo counties and later expanded to include former parts of Bunyoro and Ssese Islands.
The expansion began around 17th century during the reign of Kateregga who expanded the boundary of Buganda to Ssingo, Kyagwe, Gomba and Butambala.
Around the 18th century Buganda waged wars of expansion against the Banyoro in which she captured Buddu which had iron. Between 1814-1831, Sekamanya annexed Bwera, Buwekula, and Koki to Buganda.
Around 19th century, the areas of Bugerere, Bulemezi were annexed to Buganda from Bunyoro when the British gave guns to Buganda who defeated all neighbors.

Why You Should Visit Buganda Kingdom