Location
Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom headquarter was located in the areas around Hoima and Masindi in the western part of Uganda. It was among the most powerful kingdoms in East Africa between 16th to 19th centuries. The kingdom has enjoyed a rich history spanning over 1000 years.
Establishment
The founders of Kingdom were the Abatembuzi people, followed by the Abachwezi who were in turn succeeded by the current dynasty of the Babiito. Modern day historians place the beginning of the Babiito Dynasty at around the time when Bunyoro was invaded by the Luo from northern Uganda .The first Mubiito King was Isingoma Mpuga Rukidi 1 his reign is placed around the 14th century and there has been a total of 27 Babiito kings since then. The current Omukama (King) Solomon Iguru1 is the 27th King in the Babiito dynasty.
The Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom at one time covered some areas of western Kenya, northern Tanzania and eastern Congo.
The kingdom was abolished by 1967 constitution and re-established in 1995 when the new constitution was made. The current kingdom covers only 3 districts Kibaale, Masindi and Hoima covering 21,376sq kms one third of which is covered by water mass.
Decline
The Kingdom declined to the present state of both under population and under development because of the many years of orchestrated, intentional, malicious marginalisation by the colonial administrators and their supporters. The mighty King Chwa2 Kabalega with his Abarusuura (soldiers) fought for over 5 years a war launched against the kingdom by the colonial administrators and their supporters.
On 9th April 1899 Kabalega was captured by the colonial forces and immediately exiled on the Seychelles Islands. Without King Kabalega, the kingdom declined socially, politically, economically and militarily from which state it has never fully recovered. Efforts to dominate the Kingdom in order to bring it to a non entity level continued unabated for long time after the capture of King Kabalega.
As part of the celebrations of the end of the war against the kingdom, the colonial administrators awarded part of the territory of the kingdom to those who had assisted them in fighting the king and his barusuura (army).
The kingdom has a variety of historical sites which include the following:
• The Royal Tombs at Mparo
• Katasiha Fort
• Karuziika Palace