The "Wafaransa" and "Wangeleza" wars in Uganda

These were Christian religious wars in Buganda during the reign of Kabaka Mwanga between the Protestant missionaries popularly known as Wangeleza and catholic missionaries known as Wafaranza.

Protestant missionaries arrived in Buganda in 1877, followed by catholic missionaries in 1879 and eventually they started competing for political influence in Buganda kingdom.

This was now the confusion Mwanga found after succeeding his father Mutesa I who died in 1884.

The Arabs and Moslem converts managed to convince and won the Kabaka that Christian missionaries wanted to take over his kingdom.

Kabaka responded by ordering the arrest and murder of bishop Hannington in 1885. Hannington was coming from Eastern Uganda (Busoga) when information reached Mwanga that trouble to wipe out Buganda was to come from the east.

He later on in 1886 sent the killing of 30 Christians who were burnt at Namugongo when they refused to renounce their Christian faith.

Mwanga realised the intentions of Moslems that they were the same to those of Christians and therefore decided to chase all of them from his kingdom.

The religious groups combined and overthrew Kabaka Mwanga and installed Kiweewa but Kiweewa was killed for his refusal to take circumcision. They instead installed Kalema, another Moslem king. Moslems now started persecuting Christians at Kabula in Ankole.

Christians united in support of Mwanga who came back and deposed Kalema with his fellow Moslems.

In 1890, Captain FD Lugard used Protestants to influence treaty signing with Mwanga. Lugard armed Christians and followed Moslems to Bunyoro where had fled to solicit support from king Kabalega.

Lugard continued to Ankole and Toro and when he returned to Buganda, he found the Catholics and protestant factions in conflict for influence at the Kabaka's court. Mwanga supported Catholics but Lugard armed Protestants and fought a serious battle at Mengo and Protestants defeated the Catholics

Effects of the religious wars in Uganda up to 1962

The religious wars in Buganda created a lot of negative attitude towards one another until today and these can be outlined as follows;

Firstly the religious conflicts that were created in Buganda and other parts of Uganda, planted imaginary differences within the people to believe that they are different even if they were members of the same family. The matter was worsened when Christian missionaries started to influence education. Since they controlled schools and continued to emphasise differences and rivalry between them.

Religious wars created and promoted disunity which even increased much more when indirect rule was used.

The catholic and protestant rivalry which started in 1880s have persisted up to date hence hindering national unity.

After the wars the Protestants dominated the politics of Uganda and the Catholics remained disgruntled and became very difficult to cultivate national unity.

The period for formation of political parties for independence between 1952 to 1962 had parties organised on religious lines.

Benedicto Kiwanuka, founder of DP

Uganda National Congress and Progressive Party for Protestants and then DP as a catholic party was formed to oppose the Protestants. Kabaka Yeka party was for Protestants in Buganda monarchy.

Islam growth in Uganda was checked and sidelined. After Buganda Agreement, there were few counties of chiefs in Buganda, most peoples were Protestants.

The discrimination in civil service was effected. Protestants took up to manage the top positions and the politics of Buganda and Uganda. This started after the signing of the treaty with Mwanga and the British.

Buganda was divided between the Protestants, Catholics and Moslems while the traditionalists lost. Kyaddondo, Kyaggwe, Busiro and Mawokota were for Protestants. Butambala and Gomba for Moslems while Buddu were for Catholics.

There were also to be two Katikiros on the protestant and catholic lines but this ended within the 1900 Buganda agreement that gave and confirmed the Katikiro to be Protestants.

Politically the wars weakened the Buganda's political position and made rulers puppets who could only sit in office with support of religious groups.

The wars also negatively affected the spread Christianity in Buganda, which had been peaceful for a long time. Most of the Baganda converts spread colonial rule in the rest of the region, People started doubting the intentions of Christianity as the Christians started fighting one another. As a result some people impressed Islam. These wars gave an impetus to Islam which had for a long time made very little impact in the interior.

Many other people started believing in the traditional healers and herbalists when they realised that missionaries were enemies to one another.

The wars reduced the dictatorship of traditional Baganda rulers.

There was destruction of property and famine occurred immediately.

There was also disruption and retardation of economic development in the region.

Role of Missionaries in colonization