POLITICS OF INTRIGUE IN ANKOLE: Hon Byanyima Vs Hon Rwetsiba

Tales of Musa Rwamigoye 

 

Hope you are well my great people of Ankole. I request you to allow me continue with our story revealing the beginning of politics of intrigue in Ankole. Allow me to remind you that we ended the first episode with the mini biography of Hon Byanyima Boniface Muyongoma and Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba. These two individuals had contested for North East Ankole Constituency Parliamentary elections of 1961.

Both candidates were staunch Protestants, well educated and above all originating from Bahima culture. Hon Byanyima Boniface Muyongoma belonged to Abariisa a sub clan of the main Clan of Abagahe. On the other hand, Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba belonged to Ababyahima a sub clan of Abashambo.

 

Hon Byanyim Boniface Muyongoma subscribed to Democratic Party- DP whereas Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba subscribed to Uganda People’s Congress -UPC, a Party he had established with his friend Dr. Apollo Milton Obote in 1959. IIts on record that Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba was the first president of UPC from the day it was established until he was appointed Secretary of the Parliament of Uganda. 

 

However, all political parties; Democratic Party DP and Uganda People’s Congress UPC came to Ankole’s political arena using Christian denominational affiliation to attract and convert members. In Ankole, UPC was perceived as a political party for Protestants whereas DP was seen as a party for Catholics. In fact, DP was a descriptive name of Diini Ya Papa( Party of Pope) and whereas UPC was tagged with a name Uganda People’s of Canterbury. However, a section of elites in Ankole decided to join DP because of its motto “Truth and Justice”. A group of elites from Bahima culture joined DP because of its motto despite being tagged with Catholics interests .

Furthermore, it is said that a section of staunch Bahim got affiliated to DP because UPC had been joined by a big percentage of members from Kumanyana Movement, a forum that had hidden agenda of weakening Bahima superiority in Ankole. It became a challenging moment for UPC leaders like Rwetsiba and Ibingira who were pure Bahima seeing their fellow Bahima joining DP. Above all, politics disaster came to Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba and Ibingira after Omugabe Sir Charles Gasyonga decided to join DP. Furthermore, confession entangled them after Ankole stakeholders such as Lazaro Kamugungunu decided to be neutral. Remember, Lazaro Kamugungunu had strong attachment to the family of Hon Boniface Byanyima. It should be noted that Gertrude Kabwasingo Byanyima was one of the adopted Children of Former Ankole Kingdom Prime minister.

 

HON BYANYIMA's POLITICAL TACTICAL CARD IN 1961 ELECTIONS.

 

After knowing that his opponent subscribed to UP, a Party taken to be for Protestant, swiftly Byanyima reached out to Catholics of Nyamitanga for support. Byanyima’s camp had realized that their opponent was to use the influence and the legacy of his father Rev. Canon Yoweri Buningwire to persuade majority of Protestants to support him. At that time, Buningwire had a lot of influence Ankole especially Anglicans. He had built Ruharo Cathedral with Lazaro Kamugungunu amidst of all hindrances encountered. Therefore, his name in Ankole Anglicans was strong. However, Rev Canon Yoweri Buningwire had only one challenge of Rev Canon Eliakim Kamujanduzi, one of the founders of Kumanyana Movement. Buningwire and Kamujanduzi had always been at loggerheads. 

 

 

Hon Byanyima Boniface used his influence at Ruharo Hill to capture the ground. Many locals perceived him as the best choice of voiceless people. He was always at Ruharo Hill and many people saw him as a suitable candidate since many people had already associated with him. Byanyima had taught many people at Mbarara High hence making a lot connections within Ankole. 

 

Role played by Nyamitanga Hill in Byanyima’s victory.

Hon Byanyim was blessed to have a wise woman, Gertrude Kabwasingo, who had a lot of following in Ankole catholic church. Being the first Black woman teacher at St. Helen’s Nyamitanga,, catholic community in Ankole perceived her as their voice. Her and late Hildegard Korugyendo Ruhesi (Hilder Ruhesi) were among the first two women that joined DP in Ankole . These two women had a lot of influence iin Ankole catholic church. What ever they say or requested Catholics to do, had to be done. Therefore, when Byanyima Boniface contested for National Assembly election, he had it in mind that his wife was to help him to conquer the support of catholic votes. 

 

Note; Byanyima Boniface Muyongoma and Gertrude Kabwasingo formed a notable couple in Ankole's history. Byanyima was the first elite Muhima to marry a staunch Catholic woman. Surprisingly, Gertrude Kabwasingo was the first muhima woman to join catholic church and attain high level trust from the entire catholic church. Many Bairu men Catholics would see her as the agent of virgin Mary at Nyamitanga Hill because of her elegance and beauty. It is said that Roman Catholic White Nuns took her as their sister.  

On the other hand, Byanyima Boniface was one of the royal members at St James Ruharo Cathedral. But shock entangled his friends when he selected a catholic girl Gertrude to be his wife. It was seen as abomination at the since it was a distress for a Protestant muhima man to marry a catholic girl.

But God’s plans were revealed and fulfilled when Byanyima contested. First and foremost, his wife Gertrude and other catholic women from Nyamitanga had demonstrated at Omugabe and Inshengyero when they tried block the universal adult suffrage in 1957 during the LEGCO elections. Their demonstration made them popular in politics of Ankole. Remember, Byanyima’s Gertrude Kabwasingo had been appointed as the DP Women’s League Chairperson Ankole. His role was to mobilize and popularize DP in Ankole. 

In fact, the affiliation Byanyima and his wife Gertrude in DP influenced many Bahima elites to join DP. Byanyima and his wife would go around telling people that if they need good political party, they should join DP because Truth and Justice (Amazima hamwe n’Oburinganiza) . Whenever Gertrude Kabwasingo would be given a chance address a gathering, she would say Runyankore; “Kumurabe nimwenda obwebembezi bw’Amazima hamwe n’Oburinganiza, mureebe DP. Kumurabe nimwenda abebembezi bamazima mureebe DP”. 

 

Byanyima Boniface and his wife Gertrude kabwasingo de-campaign demeanor and conducts of Kumanyana Movement members. Byanyima used to say that any community to develop must be united and living a peaceful life. It’s the reason DP’s motto reads Truth and Justice. In fact, Byanyima defeated William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba UPC candidate after Bahima protestants DP members forming alliance with Bairu Catholic DP members. By all means there is no way Hon Rwetsiba would win this alliance.  

 

Research shows that Bahima Protestants who subscribed to DP never wanted to associate with people like Kesi Nganwa, Bananuka Nekemia, Zakeria C.K. Mungonya on grounds that they were always against Bahima superiority in Inshengyero. In fact politics of intrigues were extended to Inshengyero by a Catholic DP diehard Hon Basil Bataringaya and Gertrude Kabwasingo. When Bataringaya was appointed Minister of Local Government, his first reform was to give powers Council of Ishengyero to elect its Prime minister (Enganzi). In so doing, history was made in August 1961 as Ishengyero voted in John Kabaireho as the Catholic Enganzi. John Kabaire replaced Kesi Nganwa who had been brought in by the influence of Kumanyana movement under the guidance of hid predecessor Zakaria Mungonya and Rev. Canon Eliakim Kamujanduzi.

John Kabaireho’s victory as the first Catholic Enganzi signified Truth and Justice has been achieved. Catholics of Nyamitanga celebrated the victory of Kabaireho and went on to thank Gertrude Kabwasingo and Basil Bataringaya for being the incognito architects of the victory. From that day, Catholics started seeing the Byanyima and Gertrude as the key to power in Ishengyero.

 

In one of his stories, Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba used to say that he lost because of politics of intrigues based on religion and tribe. “ I lost because of the Catholic-Bahima alliance. Bahima could not vote me despite being the son of Canon Buningwire the first clergyman in Ankole. First of all, Omugabe had become a member of DP and so many Bahima looked up at him than people like us. Furthermore, my fellow Bahima could not vote for me because where I belonged(UPC) there were people like Nekemia Bananuka and Kesi Nganwa who were ever agitating for Bairu emancipation, yet many Bahima didn’t like”. 

It is said that Willia Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba's wife Joyce Rwetsiba was not a woman of politics. She concentrated on his profession. She would dedicate her time to her family and students since she was a teacher at Mbarara High School. In fact, she one of the teachers that taught Presented Museveni at Mbarara High School. She was not tactical like Gertrude Kabwasingo. 

 

Having attained leadership experience, Hon William Wycliffe Kananura Rwetsiba was appointed Under Secretary ministry of Education after losing the election. He was later promoted and appointed Permanent Secretary ministry of Animal Industry, Game and Fisheries .

 

The Author is The Senior Political Editor At Asante Times