Prime Minister Dr David Livingstone Ruhakana Rugunda greets Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom officials during Empango celebrations at Karuzika Palace in Hoima in 2019 as Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister, Matia Kasaija looks on.
(Photo credit: John Kibego)
The scrapping of Bunyoro-Kitara History from the national curriculum has sparked off a series of compelling reactions from around the country.
It began when the Ministry of Education and Sports implemented the new secondary schools curriculum amid parliamentary directive to halt it for scrutiny.
This prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga to summon the Minister of Education and Sports who is also the First Lady Ms Janet Kataha Museveni, to appear before parliament and explain why the new curriculum was implemented against the parliamentary order.
People from different divides have had their eye brows raised and taken to their Facebook accounts condemning the Ministry of Education for deleting the History of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom from the new secondary school curriculum.
Mr Jackson Mark Isingoma, a Facebook account user from Bunyoro asserts that “the ministry [of education] should know that Bunyoro is the source of all local history in the Great Lakes Region. So, leaving it out is like sauce without salt.”
Mr Nelson Mulumba from eastern Uganda, condemns the move of scrapping Bunyoro’s history saying a lot is being destroyed since the kingdom is a mother to many kingdoms in east and central Africa.
“I respect Bunyoro because even Busoga which is the home of my tribe has roots from Bunyoro. So, no one can change the history of the Great Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. Anybody doing it……”
Mzee Kamba Bhamusangala says removing such a history from the curriculum pinches many people in Uganda since most of them have an attachment to the once great Bunyoro-Kitara Empire.
“What a blunder! Bunyoro spread from being a mere kingdom to an empire. The vast part of Kyoga region including eastern Uganda especially Bukedi is occupied by migrants from Bunyoro,” he informs.
Mr Richard Lukwago tells curriculum developers that history and culture are a great pride to any society and deleting it from the curriculum is destructive.
“We Ugandans are proud of our culture and norms. You cannot talk about history and forget Bunyoro and Kabalega. We Baganda came from Bunyoro. Please, don’t tamper with our culture.”
Mr Richard Lukwago
Following this, Ugandans say relevant government officials should be mindful of what they do in their line duties so they can preserve the country’s treasured history.
Mr Henry Ssemugooma regards Bunyoro as having a rich history than any other parts in Uganda.
“I think Bunyoro has a fertile history than Ankole. There is no way you can remove Bunyoro history and that of Buganda from Uganda’s curriculum and you say you have Uganda’s history. Don’t mess up things”, he says; as Mr Medi Sentamu calls for the inclusion of the history of all regions in the country for people to know their past events.
Renowned Economics and Mathematics teacher in Bunyoro sub-region, Mr Geoffrey Beeraheru, says Bunyoro should be assertive in putting herself on the context of truth. He notes that cowardice and selfishness with intimidation has made Banyoro look weak.
The educationist also blames the current leaders of Bunyoro for the muddle, thus, calling for action to stop such scenarios from happening again.
“The current records about Bunyoro are full of errors. Bunyoro is a great State not a tribe. The current leaders of Bunyoro messed by allowing Bunyoro to be put in the constitution of Uganda as a tribe. Bunyoro is a full State in need of better control of her issues including the history and economics.”
Mr Beeraheru said Bunyoro has many tribes that make it a State which should not be understated. He cited the Bagahya, Bacope, Baruli, Bagungu, Banyabuyaga, Bagangaizi, Banyamwenge, Banyakibiro and Bakobya as among the tribes in Bunyoro.
He also wonders that a section of ethnicity from Kenya that lives in Bunyoro is soon to be recognised as a tribe as the aforesaid look on.
“We cannot plead with Uganda [government] rather order them on issues of Bunyoro State. If this approach is not adopted, then we shall keep lamenting as they [government stakeholders] continue to ignore our major and minor issues. Imagine the Maragoli of Kiryandongo will soon be considered as a tribe in the constitution of Uganda while the mistake of Bunyoro as a tribe yet it is a State, not yet rectified,” he says.
