Political organisation of Buganda

1Why this matters

Before colonial rule, Buganda was governed by a highly centralised system in which almost every office holder owed his post to the king. A centralised state is one where power flows from a single centre, here the Kabaka, down through appointed officials to every village. Understanding how this system worked explains both why Buganda was strong and why the British later chose to rule through it rather than destroy it.

2The Kabaka

The Kabaka was the head of state. He was the supreme ruler, the final judge, the commander of the army and, in principle, the owner of all land, which he granted to chiefs and could take back. He appointed and dismissed the senior chiefs. There was no rule that the eldest son must succeed: the new Kabaka was chosen from among the princes (abalangira) by senior chiefs, which sometimes led to succession struggles.

Royal power was shared, in a limited way, with two powerful women: the Namasole (queen mother) and the Lubuga (queen sister). Each had her own estates, courts and officials.

3The great officials

• Katikkiro: the chief minister. He ran the day-to-day government and heard cases on the king's behalf.
• Kimbugwe: a senior official who guarded the king's sacred umbilical cord, a symbol of kingship, and ranked close to the Katikkiro.
• Gabunga: head of the navy of war canoes, traditionally from the Mamba (lungfish) clan.

4The Lukiiko

The Lukiiko was the council of chiefs that met at the capital. Before 1900 it advised the Kabaka and acted as a high court, but it did not limit his power. The 1900 Agreement with Britain later turned it into a much stronger body (see the lesson on decline).

5Three kinds of chief

Over the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Kabakas moved power away from the hereditary bataka towards the appointed bakungu and batongole. This is the single most important change in Buganda's politics: appointed chiefs could be removed, so they stayed loyal.

6Territorial units

The kingdom was divided into counties, amasaza (singular saza), each under a county chief with a traditional title. Counties were divided into smaller units down to the village (ekyalo). Orders passed down this chain, and tribute and soldiers passed up it.

7Army and communication

Buganda had no large permanent army at first. When war was declared, each chief raised men from his area. Men were rewarded for bravery with cattle, land or promotion. A navy of large war canoes controlled Lake Victoria. Roads ran straight from the capital to every county, and runners and drums carried the Kabaka's orders quickly.

Worked example: turning structure into argument

Question: How did Buganda's political system help it to stay united?

First, the Kabaka appointed most chiefs and could dismiss them, so chiefs had every reason to obey him rather than build independent power. Second, royal children belonged to their mothers' clans, so the throne did not belong to one clan and all clans backed the monarchy. Third, a chain of command from the county to the village carried royal orders everywhere, supported by good roads and messengers. Together these features made the Kabaka's authority felt across the whole kingdom.

Practice

Solution. Any two of: head of state; final judge in disputes; commander of the army; controller of land, which he granted to chiefs; appointing and dismissing chiefs.

Solution. The bataka were hereditary clan heads whose authority came from their clans. The bakungu were administrative chiefs appointed by the Kabaka, who governed territories and could be removed by him.

Solution. There was no fixed rule such as "the eldest son succeeds", so several princes could claim the throne. Rival chiefs backed rival princes, and disputed successions could lead to conflict. This weakness became serious in the 1880s.

Solution. It was a council of chiefs that advised the Kabaka and served as a high court. It did not have power to override him.