Chwa II Kabalega (18 June 1853 – 6 April 1923), was the King or

Omukama ''Omukama'' (, 'king, lord', ) is a title used in Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Repu ...

Bunyoro Bunyoro, also called Bunyoro-Kitara, is a traditional Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 16th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of ...

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

from 1870 to 1899.

Biography

In 1869, Omukama Kamurasi Kyebambe IV died and two of the legitimate royal candidates — Kabalega and Kabigumire could not agree on who should be his successor. This led to a devastating

war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim to be the Order of succession, rightful successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are ...

in the Empire of Kitara. Normally, such wars to determine a legitimate successor were supposed to be brief and decisive until only one claimant to the throne was left alive. However, sometimes these conflicts dragged on for years, destabilising all of society and leading to famines, massacres and refugee crises. In this case, the clan leaders and the dead king's brother, Prince Nyaika, were so tired of Kabalega and Kabigumire's constant fighting that they ordered Kabalega, who had the upper hand, to respect Bunyoro's laws of succession and just-war conventions and end the war. When Kabalega was crowned king, he set out to develop his new empire via trade especially through the

Kibiro Saltworks Kibiro is a small fishing village in Uganda that lies on the south-eastern shore of Lake Albert (Africa), Lake Albert The residents of the village are unable to produce their own agricultural products, and must trade with other communities for most ...

., ''

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. So ...

'' On 1 January 1894, the British declared war on Bunyoro. At the height of the British offensive on his empire, Kabalega went into hiding in Acholi under the protection of Chief Awich Abok of Payira. It's from there that he consistently led the Nyangire rebellion that proved to be a thorn in the side of the British colonialists.

Legacy

In 1972, President

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...

renamed

Murchison Falls Murchison Falls, also known as Kabalega Falls, is a waterfall in Uganda, located at the apex of Lake Albert on the White Nile. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks, only wide, and tumbles , before fl ...

, located within

Murchison Falls National Park Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is a national park in Uganda managed by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. Located in north-western Uganda, it spreads inland from the shores of Lake Albert around the Victoria Nile up to the Karuma Falls. To ...

, Kabalega Falls after the Omukama. On 8 June 2009, Kabalega was declared a national hero of Uganda by President

Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and Officer (armed forces), military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-List of current state lead ...

. In 2010, the

Most Honourable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega Most or Möst may refer to: Places * Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria * Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic ** Most District, a district surrounding the city ** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city ** Autodrom Most, moto ...

was founded in honour of Kabalega by the

Bunyoro-Kitara Bunyoro, also called Bunyoro-Kitara, is a traditional Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 16th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of ...

Biography

Legacy

References

Bibliography

Further reading