Kabaka Anjagala - A journey through the riveting tales of Buganda Kingdom
Once upon a time, 800 years ago within the heart of the yet to be discovered Pearl of Africa, came into existence a Kingdom that would soon evolve into one of the greatest most powerful territories in the East African region. Buganda was forged in the 12th century with its first King being the legendary Kato Kintu who is also mythically believed to have been the first man on earth among the Baganda people. Since then, Buganda has had a total of 36 kings to date. Furthermore, being the most central kingdom in the region, the country Uganda earned its name from the kingdom name “Buganda!” If you are finding the story fascinating already, then brace yourself dear reader for there is much more in store!
Bulange Mengo (Parliament of Buganda) constructed in 1955
Presently situated amidst the buzzing streets of Kampala city, on top of the renowned hill, Mengo, lies the cornerstone of Buganda Kingdom’s heritage and history. The busy hill is home to both the Kabaka’s palace (Lubiri Mengo) and the parliament of Buganda (Bulange Mengo). The two are conveniently connected by a perfectly unswerving one mile stretch famously known as, "the Royal mile." The road which is also known as, “Kabaka Anjagala,” by the locals in the area is perfectly tarmacked with streetlights lined up on both sides in addition to the neatly aligned grass quadrangles that add to the beauty and stately feel of the road. It is narrated that the name “Kabaka Anjagala,” which translates to, “Kabaka loves me,” came about during the reign of Kabaka Muteesa II. A much beloved king among his subjects, scores of people would literally line up along the road to cheer him on whenever he was riding by on his bicycle. The Kabaka would then wave back at them in reciprocation, a gesture that was taken to mean that indeed, the Kabaka loved his people.
An interesting fact about Kabaka Anjagala road is that the style was borrowed from the royal mile model in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. This particular royal mile which also happens to be the backbone of Edinburgh’s old town has the Edinburgh castle at its head and the palace of Holyrood house at its foot. Just as the Edinburgh route is bordered by churches, cafes and even cathedral, Kabaka Anjagala is also outlined by a great deal of activity i.e., shops restaurants, schools etc. A point to note is that the name, “The Royal mile,” originates from its tradition as a processional route for kings and queens for possibly the last 500 years. While on his travels, King Fredrick Muteesa II, admired the idea and went ahead to bring it home to Buganda.
Still on the style, you will by all means notice the major round about which is locally known as, “ntawetwa,” in the middle of the road. It is designed in a way that it has two towering halves of a wooden long drum also known as, “engalabi,” between which two enclosing gates are in place. By way of tradition, these two gates are opened only for the Kabaka to drive through while on his royal mile from the palace to the parliament and vice versa. It is from this design that the Kabaka earns the title, “Nantaweta,” which means, “he who does not turn.” This title also serves as metaphor that translates into a belief that the king is always straightforward in his ways. Meanwhile, if you aren’t familiar with the engalabi, you ought to know that it is one of the drums accorded the most importance in Buganda. This is due to its role in controlling the rhythm from other drums during the making of music. This is similar to the importance and respect accorded to the Kabaka as a cultural leader. The drum tops are each equipped with a flagpole from which two Buganda flags are meant to be flown. The two drum sides are also joined by a relatively narrow horizontal structure near the top that bears Buganda’s badge i.e., the shield and the two crossed spears. The two are said to be symbolic for unity and protection which are strong pillars within Buganda Kingdom. The roundabout is beautifully finished off with trimmed leavy green hedges that form a semicircle on either side of the long drum. The thought of having such a roundabout along his royal mile was an idea the Kabaka adopted from Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie who is said to have been a great friend of the king!
View of Kabaka Anjagala road from Bulange Mengo, on the right, one of the clan sculptures (mutima) and candle nut tree in the background
Kabaka Anjagala road is accompanied by over 50 large cement sculptures on either side. Buganda being based on the system of clanship, “Ebika.” the sculptures represent totems of some of the major clans in Buganda Kingdom i.e., monkey (nkima), elephant (njovu), leopard (Ngo), nte (cow), grasshopper (nseenene), lion (mpologoma) and may more! An interesting fact about the clan system is that each clan has a specific role they play in the kingdom. For instance, The Pangolin clan (Lugave) is solely responsible for carrying the Kabaka’s throne before and after any session as a security protocal. The people of the mushroom clan (butiko), are responsible for entertaining the king and they do this by performing a special dance known as, “amagunjju.” The people that belong to the buffalo clan (mbogo) are the designated transporters of the Kabaka and it is said that back in the day before cars were introduced, the people of this clan would carry the king on their shoulders whenever and wherever he needed to go. Today, all the people in charge of driving the Kabaka around must be from this clan!
Last but not least, the stretch is accompanied by 72 Candle Nut trees also known as Kabaka Anjagala. It is alleged that Kabaka Muteesa II watered these trees devotedly hence the people concluded that if the trees could speak, they would surely attest to the Kabaka’s love for them.
Just when you think you have seen it all, you are soon to arrive at the gates of Bulange Mengo which stands majestically on one end of Kabaka Anjagala road. On entering the premises, you are immediately confronted with grandeur owing to the extremely spacious lush green compound and the Parliamentary building which stands tall with white walls and high windows. This administration capital was built in 1955 during the reign of Kabaka Muteesa II. The name Bulange is derived from the phrase. “obusubi obulange,” which translates to “the twisted grass.” It is said that when Kabaka Kintu’s government first put together Buganda’s constitution, a lot of critical thinking was involved. Just like one would scratch their head or bite on their nails while thinking, the members of the first lukiiko so much contemplated on Buganda’s now present heritage, to the point of twisting the grass in the area till there was nothing left where they were seated! Entering Bulange from the main front entrance, it is clear that Buganda lives up to its reputation. In the centre, you are warmly welcomed a statue of the current Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The monument stands in acknowledgement of the king who strived for the restoration of kingdoms and more so Buganda in 1993.
On the opposite end of the Royal mile lies Kabaka’s palace, Lubiri Mengo. Also known as Buganda’s first modern palace, the Lubiri was built by Kabaka Mwanga who was also historically the first king to travel to the European countries in the 1880’s. It is said that this trip inspired the architectural design of what became the official residence of Mwanga and the two Kabakas that came after him. The palace sits on a whooping 250 acres of land.
Being a muganda who has lived in central region all my life but has never actually visited these amazing landmarks in Buganda, I must say, walking the royal mile has opened my eyes to the vast potential of tourism within Kampala city alone! I have since developed a renewed sense of pride for my culture and I hope dear reader, that you feel inspired too!
Coutinho. K. Gloria
Arts and Culture writer
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