Uganda is the home to the sub national kingdom known as Buganda that belongs to the Ganda people. It’s the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present- day Uganda and takes up the Central region of the county including the capital city Kampala. The kingdom has over 5.5 million people and make up the largest Ugandan ethnic group representing about 16.9% of the country’s population. The kingdom became one of the most powerful states in East Africa during the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Uganda was colonized by the British during the scramble for Africa. During this time the kingdom became the centre of the country’s protectorate in 1894. The country’s name is the Swahili term for Buganda and it was adopted by British officials. At the time many of the community members ‘Bagandas’ became administrators and the kingdom became a major producer of cotton. Cotton farming in the country attracts a lot of visitors and agricultural officials. The kingdom was abolished after the country acquired independence in 1962 by the then ruling Dictator Milton Obote.
Uganda has a long history of leaders like the famous Idi Amin who was very ruthless. During his tenor, the kingdom experienced a lot of internal divisions. Then came the ruling period of a party known as: National Resistance Movement, led by Yoweri Museveni, now the president of Uganda and the Buganda kingdom was restored. Today Buganda is a constitutional monarchy and commands a lot of autonomy from the Country’s state. The king of Buganda is known as Kabaka or Muwenda Mutebi II and has been at the throne since 1993. He is the 36th Kabaka of Uganda.
