Semei Kakungulu in Uganda

Semei Kakungulu is an example of a collaborator who showed good and co-operation to the British. He acted as a colonial agent hence speeded up British colonisation of eastern and parts of Northern Uganda.

He was born at Koki in Masaka. He joined Buganda royal army in his early age. He was an active and brilliant Ganda General. In 1893, Kakungulu assisted the British officer, McDonald to defeat Ganda Moslems and the Sudanese. The Moslems were defeated at the battle of Rubaga and retreated to Toro. Even here, they were still defeated.

Therefore, it was during the Christian Moslem civil wars of 1888-1890s that Kakungulu emerged as the most able Protestant General. He is remembered for capturing Mengo capital from the Moslems.

In 1892, he defeated Busoga for the IBEACO. He then introduced Buganda mode of administration.

In 1893, Kakungulu played a significant role in the Ganda. British campaign against Bunyoro. Omukama Kabalega had become a problem to both Buganda and Toro. In these wars, Kakungulu led the Baganda away to assist the British.

In 1895, Kakungulu led 900 Ganda mercenaries to join the British forces, 50 Sudanese mercenaries, 200 Masai and Wanga army against the Bukusu. These forces were heavily armed and destroyed the Bukusu resistance against the British in Western Kenya.

Between 1899-1902, Kakungulu helped the British to conquer the hands of the Adhola in Tororo, Bagisu of Mbale, Kumam and Teso. These societies lacked centralised political administration hence they failed to organise effective armed resistance.

He divided eastern Uganda into five administrative counties. He appointed Ganda agents as county chiefs. He later created sub-counties and parishes for easy administration.

Semei Kakungulu also established administrative headquarters, which were later taken over by the British colonial government. Nabumali in Mbale was the main centre before this was transferred to Budaka.

He started a programme of building Murram roads for easy communication and administration of the region. These roads linked all-important centres to each other. He also planted Mvule trees along the roads. This later eased British control of eastern Uganda.

Finally in 1899, Kakungulu assisted the British with some Langi chiefs to capture Kabalega and Mwanga. They were both deported to Seychelles islands.

In spite of the above positive contributions by Kakungulu, the local population in eastern Uganda complained and accused his chief of grabbing their better lands, cattle and sheep. This caused him problems with the colonial administration.

Hence after he had done all the administrative groundwork for the British, Kakungulu was demoted from a title of "Kabaka of Bukedi" and transferred to Busoga as president of the Lukiiko in 1901.

From Busoga, Kakungulu was further demoted back to Bukedi where he just became a Saza chief. He was so frustrated that he even joined a religious society of the Almighty. ("Abamalaki").

In 1929, Kakungulu died a very disappointed man and was buried in Mbale on Gangama hill. Therefore his end of administration was a painful one like that of many other collaborators. They were used and eventually dropped by their Bazungu masters