Kakungulu & the Creation of Uganda: 1868-1928

This is a history of the early days of Uganda. The account has an African focus because it shows the British takeover through the experiences of an extraordinary leader.

\u201cAt this spot in the year 1901 the British flag was first hoisted by Semei Kakanguru, emissary and loyal servant of His Majesty the King. He built here a boma which was for a short time the headquarters of the district. From this beginning came the establishment of peace and the development of orderly progress in this part of Uganda.\u201d

Michael Twaddle was shown this plaque in 1963 by a local government official who said \u201cThat man created the Uganda we Ugandans are fighting for today.\u201d And yet the local people had had the plaque removed to a bicycle shed.

How do people regard an African who had an active role in the creation of the imperial state? Was this man \u201ca hero,\u201d \u201ca collaborator,\u201d \u201ca warlord\u201d? The reaction of colonial officials was mixed. One considered him \u201c…in point of general intelligence, progressive ideas and charm of manner…far above all other natives in the Protectorate…\u201d Another dismissed him, along with his companions, as \u201cno better than Masai or Nandi cattle lifters.\u201d And yet another viewed him as \u201cundoubtedly…a partial religious maniac.\u201d

The story of this man is an example of the dilemma for a whole generation of East Africans at the turn of the last century. This book has been compared in its importance to Shepperson’s and Price’s Independent African.