Isebantu Ali Balunywa, on the throne?I have of late been picking bits and pieces of our history. Hopefully in the very near future, we shall document it fully, so that our grandchildren don’t have to go through the pain we are going through to establish our roots.
Our generation knows our grandparents quite well. However, beyond them is a bit hazy. Our uncles and aunts have failed to feel us in well. What we are aware of is that we originate from Bunya, the current Mayuge district in Busoga region. Personally, I have not been to that place, but some of my brothers have ever been there. The only time we were going there we were involved in a bad car accident and we never made it.
Ngoma Ngime, Abdallah Balunywa and myself used to be called the 3 musketeers in the family. We used to do many things together and we are around the same age. WE had actually even built a house together, but we abandoned the idea before completion. On that fateful day, we had decided to go and pay our respects to our departed relatives in bunya, but the gods did not allow it. We were involved in a serious car accident just before Lugazi along the Kampala Jinja road. The car was greatly damaged and it could not take us to our destination, so we cancelled the journey.
Back to the gist of the story, it is a well-known fact that Busoga has 11 chiefs that make cultural decisions including electing the rotating kingship (Kyabazinga) from amongst one of them. Our clan, the Baise Ngiya (www.ngiyaclan.ning.com) were the ruling chiefs in Bunya. One of our great, great grandparent who was later nicknamed Mutenderwa (means he shall be lied to), inherited the chiefdom from his father. He was a wise leader who was loved by all his subjects.
He however had one negative vice, and that was greed. He was a glutton who enjoyed eating all the time. One time as he was walking along the village paths of Bunya, he came across a mavongo (don’t know English translation) tree with all fruits yellow with ripeness. Despite being chief, he could not resist climbing the tree to satiate his desire. Before climbing the tree, he gave the mantle of power in form of a cloak and walking stick to his security officer called Nanyumba.
The chief ate, and ate the fruit until he started gasping for breath. He slid down the tree, but could not continue walking. He had to rest before continuing with the journey. Nanyumba the security chief decided to run off with the royal regalia whilst proclaiming himself chief. He announced to the astounded village that the chief had abdicated. When the villagers saw Nanyunba with the royal robes and walking stick, they believed him. Meanwhile, Mutenderwa was snoring off the effect of overeating.
In that joking manner, we lost out crown, but of course royal blood still flows within us. To date the family of Nanyumba still holds onto our chieftain that they grabbed from our ancestors.
Back to why I would be the Kyabazinga, well my father took on the clan leadership after the death of his father. On uncovering me after my birth, he named me after him…hence Ali Balunywa II. And you think I would lose the fight?
Eddie Kool, who would have been the personal slave of Isebantu Ali Balunywa II
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