Bassekalowooleza ne Bannakalowooleza ba Buganda abedda

IALI NGO has been authorized by "Terminologist" Charles Muwanga to submit to Luganda Wikipedia articles from his various writings for free public consumption. The article bellow tries to clear the misconception outside Africa and among many contemporary black Africans that black Africa did not have a community of philosophers and great thinkers.

In Buganda , our departed great thinkers are simply dubbed "Balubaale",(giver spirits). Many Baganda still think that when a genius or a thinker dies, his spirit remains capable of doing the great things of wisdom he or she performed  during his or her life time.

 According to Charles Muwanga , this is impossible but for posterity's sake, we should remember our departed geniuses and emulate them for their ingenuity and great thinking skills exhibited during their lifetime and not to venerate or worship them as gods. He insinuates that European thinkers of antiquity like Pluto, Socrates, or Aristotle,  according to the ganda social  disposition , would be referred to as Lubaale Pluto, Lubaale Socrates, or Lubaale Aristotle. The Europeans however don't venerate them as we do but they have documented their works of wisdom for posterity to learn from.

We know his writings  are  going to make many conservative Baganda  to think negatively of Charles Muwanga but IALI as an NGO spearheading intellectualization of African languages and culture has nothing to fear , for this is the time for "Blafrican" renaissance , the rebirth of African thinkers. We are the vanguard of Balck African renaissance !

It will not sound well with some people who cant bear the words Balubaale baali bantu abaafa abatakyalina kye bayinza kutuyamba .Kyetulina okukola kwe kubajjukira n’okubayigirako ebintu eby’amagezi bye baakola mu biseera byabwe eby’obulamu.

That statement is in Luganda and it’s English translation is “the great departed ancestors were people who died long time ago. They can do nothing to help us  solve the problems we are faced with today. We should remember them and emulate them for their ingenuity during the time when they lived”. Yes that is the truths , the whole truth and nothing but the truth ,which is dubbing Charles Muwanga  a controversial writer. 

He is  an intellectual  revolutionary and Luganda writer . He doesn't  write that which the readership want to read but only that which they need to read for the purpose of triggering a critical thinking mindset among our black people.

Hills were the preferred  centers of Research for the Wise persons of ancient Buganda

As you will note, wise men and researchers like being in seclusion, places of privacy where they concentrate on their works of wisdom, without disturbance or obstruction. This is the reason you will find many of the activities of the wise men of Buganda were centered on hills that were away from the public. Such hills where the wise men and women spent time thinking and doing research in various fields of life included:

(i)	Research centers(hills) in Bulemeezi:

•	Bbowa hill, 

•	Ssempa hill, 

•	Walusi hill, 

•	Kigozi hill, and 

•	Busowa hill, all in Bulemezi Luwero, Nakaseke districts. 

(ii)	Research Centers (hills) in Ssingo.

Other hills of seclusion for the great thinkers of ancient Buganda used by the Ganda geniuses are:

•	Kateeranduulu, 

•	Mubende, 

•	Magala, 

•	Kagaba 

•	 Buloda 

•	Bwanja Forests in Ssingo, Mubende district. 

(iii)	Research centers (hills and forests) in Mawokota.
In Mawokota were:

•	Sabwe and

•	 Kungu hills  Kisitu as well as 

•	 Mpanga forests. 

(iv)	Research centers(hills) in Gomba:

In Gomba there was:

•	Sogesi  hill and 

•	Kisozi hill. 

People who had different social problems, sicknesses, and hard questions in life would go to such places to consult the wise men in their life time but continued doing so even after the death of these wise men out of superstition.

There were also taboos relating to cultural norms and practices put in place to preserve nature in 

•	selected trees like one at Kiwambya in Bulemeezi and

•	 animals like a crocodile called Kitinda at Ddamba Island in Ssese 

•	as well as rivers like Mayanja with its shrine at Sseguku in Kyaddondo, Kampala 

•	and Sezibwa river in Kyaggwe 

These were venerated to emphasize the importance of nature to man not because of existence of spirits in them.  

The ancient Ganda also formed and named clans and totems after a variety of wild animals and plants that nature provided. Each Muganda had to belong to one of the clans named after a particular animal or plant, which he was forbidden from eating as a way of reducing depletion of wild life and nature. There are actually 52 clans and 52 totems among the Baganda, aimed at not only identifying blood relatives but also preserving nature. 

Ebiggwa bya Balubaale were actually the departed wise persons places of research. Those hills, islands , and forests which were places of seclusion for the ancient great thinkers into Institutions of Modern Scientific Research, Medical Centers or Leadership Centers named after the great thinkers who used them as their places of research work. 

Muwanga is advocating and recommending for a merger of culture with modern science, something that catapulted the east Asian societies into advanced industrial societies within a short time. We should for instance be able to talk of:

(i)	Nakayima, Nagadya, Kitinda, or Nabuzaana Medical Research Centers. 

(ii)	Bbowa institute of motorcycle and bicycle technology research.

(iii)	Kungu Leadership institute. 

(iv)	 Mpaga or Mabira forestry research institute. 

Such hills where the wise men and women spent time thinking and doing research in various fields of life included Bbowa hill, Ssempa hill, Walusi hill, Kigozi hill, and Busowa hill, all in Bulemezi Luwero and Nakaseke districts should be turned into places of scientific research for promotion of various areas of modern scientific research and technology but named after the ancient researchers who used them for rudimentary research  

Other hills of seclusion for the great thinkers of ancient Buganda used by the Ganda geniuses are Kateeranduulu, Mubende, Magala, Kagaba and Buloda and Bwanja Forests in Ssingo. 

In Mawokota were Sabwe and Kungu hills as well as Kisitu and Mpanga forests. In Gomba there were Sogesi and Kisozi hills. People who had different social problems, sicknesses, and hard questions in life would go to such places to consult the wise men in their life time but continued doing so even after the death of these wise men out of superstitution.

There were also taboos relating to cultural norms and practices put in place to preserve nature, selected trees like one at Kiwambya in Bulemeezi and animals like a crocodile called Kitinda at Ddamba Island in Ssese as well as rivers like Mayanja with its shrine at Sseguku in Kyaddondo, Kampala and Sezibwa river in Kyaggwe were venerated to emphasize the importance of nature to man not because of existence of spirits in them. 

The ancient Ganda also formed and named clans and totems after a variety of wild animals and plants that nature provided. Each Muganda had to belong to one of the clans named after a particular animal or plant, which he was forbidden from eating as a way of reducing depletion of wild life and nature. There are actually 52 clans and 52 totems among the Baganda, aimed at not only identifying blood relatives but also preserving nature.  Each clan seat (ekiggwa) should have schools and vocational institutions and farm institutes.

The reason IALI NGO have opted to present this first part  in English is to demystify our blafrican past and market it to the outside world as a past that was based on a socio-cultural philosophy and a pseudo scientific community of researchers and philosophers called "Balubaale" in Luganda. Those who demean the mental endowments of our deceased geniuses refer to them merely as “diviners”. This is a misrepresentation of facts about “Blafrican past” that Charles Muwanga has sought  to correct in his writings.

Mu Buganda ey’edda okufaana  n’eya buli mulembe oguddawo , mwalimu abantu abaalina ebitone ebyesigamye ku kukozesa “omulengera”(the mind) okunoonyereza, okuyiiya n’okuvumbula ebintu ebyayambanga enju, ebika n’abantu ba Buganda ey’emirembe egizze gibaawo nga nga okuvumbula okuweeeasa ebikozesebwa, eddagala erijanjaba endwadde, oba okulagula embeera y’obudde n’okuwabula abafuzi mu byobufuzi nga bakozesa obwogi obw’omulengera  bwe baalina obwali busukkuluma ku bw’abalala.

Olw’okuba tewaaliwo kumanya kuwandiika , okulaba nga abantu abo abaalina ebitone eby’omugaso bajjukirwa , abanganda kye baavanga babayita balubaale, ekitegeeza omuntu ow’ekitone aba avudde mu bulamu bw’ensi eno. Lubaale kiggwayo “Lumbe balujuliza alemeddwa”.Omuntu akoze eby’amagezi mu bulamu tafa era ne bwafa atwalibwa okuba ng’akyaliwo kuba byakoze biba bisigaddewo nga biyamba abakyali abalamu.

Ekigambo kino kya "kigewukano" (it is ironical), anti amakulu gakyo agokungulu gaawukana n’agoziba. Mu Buganda ebintu byonna ebyamagezi ebikolebwa abantu ab’enjawulo biba bikoleddwa ku lwa kabaka , mu njogera endala tugamba nti biba bikoleddwa Kabaka. Eno y’ensonga lwaki Kabaka ne bwafa tebakyatuukiriza nti afudde wabula bagamba nti “abuze”.Omuntu afa nga talina kya magezi ky’akoze eri eggwanga lye y’aba azaaye kubanga aleka talina ky’akoze nga keyokulabirako  eri abalala eky’okumujjulirako.

Jjukira nti mu Buganda eyedda omuntu afa nga talina ky’akoze ekiyamba eggwanga lye omwoyo gwe nga baguyita muzimu (ordinary spirit, ghost) nay omuntu bw’afa ng’akozesezza omulengera gwe okukola ebintu ebiyamaba enju ye, ekika kye oba eggwanga lye nga omwo gwe guyitibwa “lubaale”(hero spirit, genius spirt).

N’olwekyo ku guno omulembe omutebi balubaale baffe ebedda tubajjukire olw’ebyo bye baaakolera enju , ebika , oba eggwanga lyabwe nga balumu mu kifo ky’okubatwala nti bamalayika abayinza okutyamba mu bizibu byaffe nga  tetwekembye kukozesa bwongo bwaffe kwetusaako byetaago byaffe ebya bulijjo.

Okukulaakulanya Bassekalwoooleza  ne Bannakalowooleza ba Buganda abedda ng’ekyobulambuzi kijja kutwetaagisa okufuula ebiggwa byabwe we baakoleranga okunoonyereza n’emrimu gyabwe mu biseera byabwe eby’obulamu, ebifo eby’ okuyiga n’obulambuzi.

According to Charles Muwanga , Balubaale  were socio-cultural philosophers and thinkers, the authors of “philosophy based superstitions" that in the absence of any written body of scientific knowledge ,  scared away the common folk from destroying the environment on which life depends. 

In the past, all over Africa, sustainable use of natural resources was a scientific fact which demanded use of nature sustain-ably. Without laws and police for their enforcement, this was thus ensured by “superstitions” put in place by these ancient socio-cultural philosophers, embedded in our cultural norms.  In parts of  precolonial Uganda like Buganda region:

i)	Key forests, hills, wetlands and water springs were considered sacred and cutting any trees from these forests and hills as well as misuse of wetlands and water streams/springs was said to offend the fictitious family, clan, or national spirits which would appear to the offenders in the form of wild animal spirits called “amageege” or human spirits called “emisambwa” to unleash their anger.

ii)	Sustainable use of water resources was ensured by superstition that caused fear of   spirits said to be in charge of the various water bodies such as Mukasa, the human spirit that superintended over Lake Nalubaale (Victoria) and Wamala the spirit of Lake Wamala. The name Nalubaale is itself a reference to its guardian ancestor spirits called “balubaale. We have Lubigi , the scare spirit that looks after Lubigi swamp  around lake Victoria .River Mayanja is said to have been born by a human being under the influence of the punisher spirits.

iii)	Wild life was protected from extinction by scare animal spirits called amageege, which allegedly inhabited gazetted natural environs like forests, hills, wetlands or livers. They would say “ekibira ekyo kirimu engo, ttimba or goonya yaamu” meaning that, “that forest or hill is inhabited by a punisher leopard, python or crocodile spirit. 

iv)	We also had clans named after the abundant provision of nature, plants and wild life and if one belonged to a particular clan, he or she would not eat that animal or plant. This helped to prevent depletion of species. So nature was protected from human abuse in that way. 
With the coming of monolithic Abrahamic religions like Christianity, people stopped fearing the world of punisher spirits, resulting in encroachment and misuse of the forests and hills that had, for generations, been protected through cultural norms and superstitions leading to economic practices that were destructive to the environment. These economic practices included plantation agriculture, cutting trees for charcoal or firewood, cultivating and building in the wetlands, over fishing, to mention but a few.

To further stress that our Blafrican ancestors had made progress in human resource development at the advent of colonialism, we had traditional methods of sustainable use of land, the traditional agriculture practices which the majority of our youths of today are not aware of. 

Most of the Blafrican youths in contemporary Africa are neither dependent on superstitions nor scientific knowledge in their search for a living in agriculture and forestry. Forests are cut down with impunity for firewood, charcoal burning and timber and wetlands, hills and water bodies are not spared misuse in the search for the short-term economic survival.

This is what is driving me to open discourse on science centered culture orientation. This will make it possible for many effective technology innovations to be generated locally, combining traditional knowledge and expertise in our indigenous local communities with modern science, scientific research and technology. 

For example, traditional agricultural technologies and knowledge can be successfully merged with modern scientific knowledge built into several areas of agriculture, like the domestication of wild trees, in plant breeding, and in soil and water management. 

With science centered culture development, indigenous Scientists will be able to work more closely with local communities and traditional practices should have a higher profile in science education. 

. Some of The Great thinkers of ancient Buganda
                (Bassekalowooleza ba Buganda abedda)

The philosophical basis of pre-colonial Buganda society is an interplay of the ideas and findings of the great thinkers I am going to highlight below. In ancient Buganda, a deceased person who was skillful or a great thinker (Ssekalowooleza) during his life time was referred to as Lubaale (deceased genius). This was the presumed spirit of a dead thinker. The spirit of a deceased ordinary person was called omuzimu. 

 “Lubaale” therefore denotes deceased people    who in their life time exhibited extra ordinary talents and skills in various fields. These are the “great thinkers” or artisans in ancient Buganda known as “Nnakalowooleza (female creative thinkers) or Ssekalowooleza (male creative thinkers). So Lubaale refers to a departed thinker or genius .It refers to the spirit of a deceased genius, artisan, researcher, or Philosopher. 

Of the 73 known creative thinkers in ancient Buganda, Nakayima, Nalwoga and Nagadya were female medical researchers (herbalists). Most of the so called definers were actually researchers on herbal medicine ,political philosophers or meteorologists.

 Balubaale are therefore departed family, clan, or national heroes who contributed greatly to the well being of their families, clans, and societies during the time of their life. They were great thinkers who made use of observation and the power of reasoning to achieve their lifetime contributions to society.

For one reason or another they have often been venerated and worshiped as gods. In the absence of sufficient scientific knowledge, they were used as punisher or scare spirits to protect the environment from destruction; they were misconceived to be able to protect people from problems and various challenges.

In the contemporary times of scientific advancement, we need not venerate them but remember them for their ingenuity and the good things done by them for the good of their families, clans and society in general during their life time. We should emulate them in using the power of reasoning and exercising their mental faculties for the good of society. In Buganda, they included:

(1)Ssekalowooleza Kintu (Buganda's ancient King Kintu,  the Great). 

He is the Greatest Political Philosopher of ancient Buganda. His political philosophy was pragmatic and he was the first ruler of ancient Buganda to create central control over his territory. He traveled to all parts of Buganda in order to consolidate centralised control and created the local administration system of Masaza-Gombolola-Miruka-up to village level as we know it today.

The Ssekabaka Kintu was King of Buganda and a Political philosopher at the same time. He is credited for having founded the two tier Ganda administrative system, the clan and political hierarchical system of administration. 

(2)Sekalowooleza Muwanga .

He is an ancient  a Ganda Political Philosopher. He is an ancient Buganda military strategist.

(3)Ssekalowooleza Mukasa.

He  was a researcher on aquatic lifer and the movement of winds on Lake Victoria. Mukasa’s research made sailing on Lake Nalubaale safer, as he had discovered that during certain periods in the year, the lake was unstable owing to the strong winds that blew form a specific   direction. 

When he died he was deemed a great “living dead” whose existence continued as a spirit and was therefore venerated as Lubaale or god of the Lake Victoria.

Lake Victoria local name in Buganda is “Nalubaale” a derivation from the word “Lubaale” a possible reference to the many Ganda wise men that traversed its islands from and to the mainland during their research escapades.

(4)Sekalowooleza Kyobe Kibuuka Omumbaale. An ancient military strategist and war commander

(5)Ssekalowooleza Wamala:  a researcher on aquatic life the movement of winds on Lake. Wamala 

(6)Other Great Thinkers of Ancient Buganda .

According to Charles Muwanga ,"ebiggwa should be modernised and transformed into places of scientific research , leaadership and engineering"

Ekiggwa is the former working or research center of the great thinker during his lifetime. When he or she died it was turned into a place or shrine of veneration of the deceased thinker by his or her heirs. 

Charles Muwanga therefore suggests that every Kiggwa (former work place of a deceased thinker)should be turned into a modern institute of reaesrch named after the great thinker who made his research from that place during his life time. This includes all the Hills which were places of seclusion  for research by the various  ancient  thinkers ehich should be turned into Institutions of Modern Scientific Research, Medical Centers or Leadership Centers named after the great thinkers who used them as their places of research and work. 

In the end, we are merging culture with modern science, something that catapulted the Japanese Chinese and other formerly very cultural socities into advanced industrial societies. We should for instance be able to talk of:

(i)	Nakayima, Nagadya, Kitinda, or Nabuzaana Medical Research Centers. 
(ii)	Bbowa institute of motorcycle and bicycle technology research.
(iii)	Kungu Leadership institute. 
(iv)	 Mpaga or Mabira forestry research institute. 

Such hills where the wise men and women spent time thinking and doing research in various fields of life included Bbowa hill, Ssempa hill, Walusi hill, Kigozi hill, and Busowa hill, all in Bulemezi Luwero and Nakaseke districts should be turned into places of scientific research for promotion of various areas of modern scientific research and technology but named after the ancient researchers who used them for rudimentary research  

Other hills of seclusion for the great thinkers of ancient Buganda used by the Ganda geniuses are Kateeranduulu, Mubende, Magala, Kagaba and Buloda and Bwanja Forests in Ssingo. 

" Classification of the Ancient Ganda Geniuses"

a)	Family Wise men.

These were wise men that were identified to be especially talented and ingenious from particular families and used to guide particular families in matters that need special answers or handling within the family. When they died they were dubbed Lubaale w’enju (wise spirits of a household).

b)	Clan Wise men.

Every clan also had its wise men that dealt with various challenges that faced their respective clans. The deceased wise men at clan levels are venerated as “Lubaale w’ekika”. One ancient clan Wiseman was Kisolo Ssebyato Muwanga .

c)	National Wise Men

These were great thinkers from among the geniuses selected from the clans and put in the service of the Kabaka. One ancient clan wiseman was Muwanga the national thinker who came from Ssese Island in Kalangala District. This wise man is said to have been of the Ngonge (Otter) clan who later became the Katikkiro of Kabaka Kintu. These were philosophers who sought answers to questions on various matters within their clans. Muwanga , the national thinker should not be confused with 
Kisolo Ssebyato Muwanga , a clan wisemanwho . 

  Muwanga came from Ssese Island in Kalangala District. This wise man is said to have been of the Ngonge (Otter) clan who later became the Katikkiro of Kabaka Kintu. These were philosophers who sought answers to questions on various matters within their clans.

The historical practice of grooming talented wise men in Buganda

Just like Julius Caesar groomed Brutus in ancient Rome, the Ganda wise men would die after grooming other ingenious men and women. Bukulu, a great thinker from Ssese groomed two other geniuses, Wanga and Musisi. Wanga nurtured a genius called Muwanga while Musisi groomed Wamala, Kitinda and Wannema, the wise persons.

The latter groomed two wise men, Mukasa and Kyobe Kibuuka. Mukasa groomed other wise men like Nende, Mirimu, Musoke, and Kirabire. The National Philosophers or wise men were the Kabaka’s thinkers that helped him with answers to difficult questions on matters of:

 War
 Seasonal  changes and National epidemics and catastrophes like drought etc
 Difficult dreams as diviners.

National philosophers and artisans were under the immediate control of the Kabaka and when they died the Kabaka venerated them by instructing his chiefs to build ebiggwa (shrines) for each of them. The Kabaka even offered his fallen philosophers and artisans sacrifices because, like his subjects, he believed that when they died their spirits would remain ingenious, as they had been when they were alive.

These ingenious men were especially utilized during times of national crisis during which the Kabaka would turn to them to answer challenging situations in his rule. Kabaka Nakibinge utilized them in his wars with Bunyoro Kingdom. These were the Ganda intellectual heroes. They were therefore venerated as objects of worship thereby making personality cults of them.