Christianity in Buganda

1. Christianity in Buganda • 1860s- contact with Buganda by Arabs ,Egypt and Missionaries. • Swahili traders and Arabs brought guns to Buganda in exchange of ivory and slaves • Islam takes root in Buganda, First religion in Buganda. • Traditional religion also prevailed • People convert to Islam and take up their way of life e.g. eating &dressing habits

2. Egypt's Aggression • Threatens Buganda during the rein of Khedive Ismail • Expansionist policy of Egypt ,designed to take over • Sudan and Uganda to protect the Nile. • British in Egypt after Suez also wants Nile to be • protected. So they send Sir. Samuel Baker as governor of Equatorial Province in S. Sudan • . • Baker wants to extend South and comes into conflict • with Kingdom of Bunyoro and burns Kabaregas capital • These activities make Buganda to feel threatened

3. Charles Gordon-Chinese Gordon • Gordon a war hero in China replaces Baker .A seasoned soldier so he wants to annex Bunyoro. He tries to expand south • 1874-Chaille Long arrives in Buganda it treated well by Kabaka and claims that Buganda has agreed to be placed under Egypt. Was a lie there was no treaty • Arabs are alarmed at the European interest and the are afraid of losing trade so they warn Kabaka. • Mutesa is confused and sends two letters to Khedive and Gordon

4. Kabaka Mutesa • To Khedive he says he is a Muslim. • To Gordon he claims to be a Christian. • Gordon is suspicious and sends his troops down south to invade Buganda • But bankruptcy of Egypt halts the invasion and Gordon withdraws troops. • Now kabaka has known the Europeans intention so he invites Missionaries as a diplomatic move to save his kingdom

5. Missionaries • Stanley had a arrived in Buganda to finish Livingstone's work .Kabaka asks him for missionaries, Stanley writes a letter gives to de Bellefonds who was murdered but the letter found ,hence missionaries come to Buganda • 1876-CMS receive 5000 Ponds to come to Buganda,8 Missionaries attempt to reach interior only 3 managed ,some died others went back • 1878 Bishop Alexander Mackayarrives in Buganda a Scottish CMS. • 1879 Catholic White Fathers arrive from England • Led to division and confusion among the African convernts

6. Competition • Missionaries started to compete for converts and also to be close to kabaka. • Suspicion existed they did not speak same language .Both wanted to convert kabaka Mutesa, • Muslims are also threatened and want to convert kabaka. • Hatred led to formation of religious factions in Buganda-Wa- • Ingeleza –Protestants & Wa Faransa –Catholics. • Kabaka did not accept Protestants since they wanted him to stop • smoking tobacco, stop drinking and be monogamous. • Catholics only wanted him to be monogamous • Muslims wanted him to stop smoking and drinking. • Kabaka decided to be close to Catholics

7. People in Buganda • Buganda people embraced Islam, some were Protestants others Catholic. • Missionaries started to build schools and many people converted to • Christianity, As the missionaries competed to get followers • Christianity spread • 1884 Mutesa dies and is succeeded by Mwanga –comes to powe • when the kingdom id divided on religious lines • Secondly his authority is challenged by young Christians .Mwanga • was a traditionalist and very unreliable character bad bisexual • So he starts persecution of christians .Forced them to denouce their faith and those who refused were burnt alive at Namirembe

8. 200 converts killed • The 200 killed led to much expansion of religion among the dead were Kizito and Caroli Lwanga. Mwanga is now hated • 1886 Mwanga stops persecution and appoints religious chiefseg catholic Henry Nyonyitono –katikiro& Appolo Kagwa- Arms-protestant. • Muslims became unhappy since they are left out of power. • But Christians had not forgotten the persecution and are cautious. • Mwanga feels threatened and tries to trap Christians in an island and kill them ,but the plot is discoverd

9. Battle of Mengo • 1st BATTLE- Muslims& christians join forces and fight Mwanga, Kagwa gives out guns and they win the war and kabaka flees to Tanganyika, • His brother Kiwewa is made kabaka and Nyonyitono remains the katikiro • Bugandan history has be unmade the subjects have overthrown a king for the first time. To be a chief you had to be a Muslim or Christian so traditional hereditary chiefs are removed from power. • Kiwewa was not happy because he had no say

10. 2ND civil war • Muslim and Christians fight to try and win the kabaka • Muslims win and throw the Christians out of • office, drive missionaries out to Rwanda and • removed Kiwewa and replaced him with a • Muslim kabaka kalema • Christians reunite and try to fight back and take • power but failed and Nyonyitono was killed and • Appolo kagwa now left as leader of the christians