Brief profile of King Kabalega
King Cwa 11 Kabalega born on 18 June 1953 ruled Bunyoro-Kitara from 1869 to 1899. King Kabalega had great dreams and visions for his Kingdom. He expanded the Kingdom using his well trained army of “Abarusuura” (soldiers). He mounted a bloody resistance against the powers of colonialization led by British for five years from 1 January 1869 until 9th April 1899 when he was short and captured by the British. He was exiled on the Seychelles Islands until he was granted permission to return to his kingdom in 1923. He however died in Jinja on 6 April 1923 shortly before he reached his kingdom. With King Kabalega gone, the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom was greatly weakened military, socially and economically and colonial persecution of the kingdom continued unabated.
Mparo Palace
King Kabalega palace was at Mparo located 4km on Hoima-Masindi Road. This is the place where he first met Sir Emin Pasha in 1871. King Kabalega was laid to rest at Mparo when he died in 1923.King Sir Tito Winyi who succeeded King Kabalega was also laid to rest in this palace. Mparo has also become a burial place of close members of the royal family.
Kabalega’sTomb.
Kabalega’s Tomb is covered with a large cow-hide pegged down with nine pieces of traditional hoes. Lion and leopard skins are covering the floor around the Tomb. The Tomb is inside in a grass thatched traditional Hut.
Government Support
The Government of Uganda constructed a perimeter wall around the burial place and also renovated the traditional huts and Tombs inside the site as part Uganda’s appreciation of the great contribution to Uganda by King Kabalega.
Onaments in Mparo
There is a collection of a number of implements, regalia and important instruments inside the huts which were used by Kings Kabalega and Sir Tito Winyi. The collection include smoking pipes, clay pots, milk and water containers, baskets, wooden bowls sticks, spears, drums, shields, wooden stools, coffee berries and other royal items.