Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Mwanga II of Buganda
1868 – 1903
Resisted the British and died in exile; executed the Uganda Martyrs
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Uganda Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
Kabaka of Buganda from 1884, he resisted the imposition of British rule and the missionary encroachment that came with it, rebelled in 1897, and died exiled in the Seychelles. He also ordered the killings that created the Uganda Martyrs.
Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II was Kabaka of Buganda from 1884, succeeding his father Mutesa I at a moment when British, French, Protestant, Catholic and Muslim interests were all pressing on the kingdom.
He resisted the extension of British colonial control and the authority of the missionaries, understanding both as a direct threat to the sovereignty of Buganda — a judgement history vindicated. He rebelled against the British in 1897, was deposed, and was captured in 1899 alongside his ally Kabalega of Bunyoro. He was exiled to the Seychelles, where he died in 1903. His remains were later returned to Kasubi.
He resisted the extension of British colonial control and the authority of the missionaries, understanding both as a direct threat to the sovereignty of Buganda — a judgement history vindicated. He rebelled against the British in 1897, was deposed, and was captured in 1899 alongside his ally Kabalega of Bunyoro. He was exiled to the Seychelles, where he died in 1903. His remains were later returned to Kasubi.
- Wikipedia — Mwanga II of Buganda
- Britannica — Mwanga
- The EastAfrican — Religion, resistance and the politics of betrayal in the fall of Mwanga
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