Mwanga II of Buganda

Ssekabaka Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa
Kabaka of Buganda
Reign	1884 - 1888 & 1889 - 1897
Born	1868
Birthplace	Nakawa
Died	1903
Place of death	Victoria, Seychelles
Buried	Kasubi Nabulagala
Predecessor	1st Time: Muteesa I of Buganda 2nd Time: Kalema of Buganda
Successor	1st Time: Kiweewa of Buganda 2nd Time: Daudi Chwa II
Consort	1. Lady Damali Bayita Nanjobe 2. Naabakyaala Dolosi Mwaan,omu, Bakazikubawa 3. Lady Esiteri Nabunnya 4. Naabakyaala Evelini Kulabako 5. Naabakyaala Loyiroosa Nakibuuka Kaddulubaale 6. Naabakyaala Samali Namuwanga Sabaddu 7. Lady Nabweeteme 8. Lady Nakijoba Nabulya 9. Beeza Batwegombya 10. Naabakyaala Ntongo Kabejja 11. Naabakyaala Nabisubi Omuwanga 12. Lady Namirembe Lady Laakeeri Mbekeka 14. Lady Nalwooga, Omuyigiriza 15. Lady Elizaabeti Buteba 16. Lady Nattimba Binti Juma
Father	Muteesa I of Buganda
Mother	Namasole Abisaagi Baagal'ayaze

Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa was Kabaka from 1884 until 1888 and from 1889 until 1897. He was the thirty-first (31st) Kabaka of Buganda.

Claim to the throne

He was born at Nakawa in 1868. His father was Kabaka Mukaabya Walugembe Muteesa I Kayiira, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned between 1856 and 1884. His mother was Naabakyaala Abisaagi Baagal'ayaze, the tenth wife of his father's eighty five wives. He ascended to the throne on October 18, 1884, after the death of his father. He established his capital on Mengo Hill.

Reign

Mwanga saw the greatest threat to his rule coming from the Christian missionaries who had gradually penetrated Buganda. His father had played-off the three religions; Catholics, Protestants and Muslims against each other and thus balanced the influence of the colonial powers that were backing each group. Mwanga II took a much more aggressive approach, expelling missionaries and insisting that Christian converts abandon their faith or face death.

On October 29, 1885, he had the incoming archbishop James Hannington murdered on the eastern border of his kingdom. Then between 1885 and 1887, over forty-five of the king's pages were put to death on the orders of Mwanga. The crime was failure to renounce their newly-found Christian beliefs and their refusal of the king's sexual demands.^[1][2][3] Twenty-two of the men, who had converted to Catholicism, were burned alive at Namugongo in 1886 and later became known as the Uganda Martyrs. Among those executed were two Christians who held the court position of Master of the Pages, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe and Charles Lwanga.

These murders and Mwanga's continued resistance alarmed the British, who backed a rebellion by Christian and Muslim groups who supported Mwanga's half brother and defeated Mwanga at Mengo in 1888. Mwanga's brother, Kiweewa Nnyonyintono was elevated to the throne. He lasted exactly one month and was replaced on the throne by another brother, Kabaka Kalema Muguluma. However, Mwanga escaped and negotiated with the British. In exchange for handing over some of his sovereignty to the British East Africa Company, the British changed their backing to Mwanga, who swiftly removed Kalema from the throne in 1889.

Final years

On December 26, 1890, Mwanga signed a treaty with Lord Lugard, granting certain powers over revenue, trade and the administration of justice to the Imperial British East Africa Company. These powers were transferred to the crown on April 1, 1893.

On August 27, 1894, Mwanga accepted for Buganda to become a Protectorate. However, on July 6, 1897, he declared War on the British and launched an attack, but was defeated on July 20, 1897, in Buddu (today's Masaka District). He fled into German East Africa (today it is the Republic of Tanzania), where he was arrested and interned at Bukoba.

He was deposed in absentia, on August 9, 1897. Tenacious as he was, he escaped and returned to Buganda with a rebel army, but was again defeated on January 15, 1898. He was captured and in April 1899 was exiled to the Seychelles. While in exile, he was received into the Anglican Church, was baptized with the name of Danieri (Daniel). He spent the rest of his life in exile. He died in 1903, aged 35 years. In 1910 his remains were repatriated and buried at Kasubi.^[4]

Married Life

He is on record as having married sixteen wives:^[5]

1. Damali Bayita Nanjobe
2. Naabakyaala Dolosi Mwaan'omu Bakazikubawa
3. Esiteri Nabunnya
4. Naabakyaala Eveliini Kulabako, Omubikka
5. Naabakyaala Loyiroosa Nakibuuka, Kaddulubaale
6. Naabakyaala Samali Namuwanga, Sabaddu
7. Nabweteme
8. Nakijoba Nabulya
9. Bezza Batwegombya
10. Naabakyaala Ntongo, Kabejja
11. Naabakyaala Nabisubi, Omuwanga
12. Namirembe
13. Lakeeri Mbekeka
14. Nalwooga, Omuyigiriza
15. Elizaabeeti Buteba
16. Nattimba Binti Juma

Offspring

Kabaka Mwanga II fathered seven (7) sons and three (3) daughters including Kabaka Daudi Chwa II, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned between 1897 and 1939. ^[6]

1. Prince (Omulangira) Kagolo, whose mother was Damali Bayita Nanjobe. He was killed by his uncle, Kalema, in 1889.
2. Prince (Omulangira) Mulindwa, whose mother was Nabweteme
3. Prince (Omulangira) Nganda, whose mother was Lakeeri Mbekeka
4. His Highness Sir Daudi Chwa II, Kabaka of Buganda, who reigned from 1897 until 1939. His mother was Eveliini Kulabako
5. Prince (Omulangira) Yusuufu Suuna Kiweewa, whose mother was Esiteri Nabunnya. He was born at Mengo, Uganda on 16 February 1898. Educated at Mengo High School and King's College Budo. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on October 1914. He served served in the Great War from 1915 until 1919. Promoted to Lieutenant in the 7th Territorial Battalion on the 25th May 1939. He served in the Second World War in Eastern Africa and in North Africa, from 1939 until 1940. Retired on the 18th March 1940. He was implicated in the Buganda riots of 1949 and exiled to the Ssese Islands, where he died in 1949.
6. Prince (Omulangira) Tobi, whose mother was Nabisubi
7. Prince (Omulangira) Nayime?, whose mother was Loyiroosa Nakibuuka
8. Princess (Omumbejja) Najjuma Katebe, whose mother is not mentioned
9. Princess (Omumbejja) Anna Nambi Nassolo, whose mother was Samali Namuwanga
10. Princess (Omumbejja) Mboni Maliamu Kajja-Obunaku, whose mother was Nattimba. She was educated at Saint Monica's School in Zanzibar

Succession table: First time

Preceded by Muteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe

King of Buganda 1884 - 1888

Succeeded by Kiweewa Nnyonyintono

Succession table: Second time

Preceded by Kalema Muguluma

King of Buganda 1889 - 1897

Succeeded by Daudi Chwa II

External links

• List of Kings of Buganda
• Genealogy of the Kabakas of Buganda

Photos

• Photo of Portrait of Mwanga II on Flickr.com

See also

• Kabaka of Buganda
• Uganda Martyrs

References

1. ^ Philip Jenkins, "The Next Christendom", 44.
2. ^ Kabaka Mwanga Ordered the Killings of the Uganda Martyrs
3. ^ http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1570&C=1471
4. ^ The History and Life of Kabaka Mwanga II
5. ^ The Wives of Kabaka Mwanga II
6. ^ The offspring of Kabaka Mwanga II

Persondata
Name	Mwanga II of Buganda
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1868
Place of birth	Nakawa
Date of death	1903
Place of death	Victoria, Seychelles