ORGANIZATION OR COURSE OF POLITICAL RELIGIOUS WARS 1. In 1875, Henry Morton Stanley visited Buganda and had a meeting with Kabaka Mutesa I. 2. After Stanley’s advice, Mutesa I wrote a letter to England requesting for the missionaries to come to Buganda. 3. Following the invitation, between 1876 and 1877, the Church Missionary Society under the leadership of Reverend CT Wilson and Shergold Smith arrived in Buganda. 4. Later in 1879, the Catholic White Fathers from France arrived under the leadership of Father Lourdel and Brother Amans. 5. By 1888 there were four major religious groups in Buganda namely: the Protestants from England, The Catholics from France, The Islam from the Arab world and African traditional religion that was already in place. 6. Between 1888 and 1892, the four religious groups were in conflicts that resulted into wars. 7. The Protestants and Catholics were already in competition for political superiority within the Kabaka’s palace. 8. Kabaka Mwanga who took over leadership from his father Mutesa I, found this kind of situation. 9. The Muslims made the condition worse by telling Mwanga that the Christians had come to take over his Kingdom. 10. Mwanga ordered people who had converted to Christianity to denounce their faith in the new religions. Bishop Hannington was murdered under unclear circumstances in1885. 11. In 1886 those converts who refused to denounce their new religion were burnt alive in Namugongo. 17 | P a g e 12. Mwanga was determined to send away all the foreign religious groups from Buganda, the Christians and Muslims. 13. After the religious group discovered his plans, they made a combined effort against him. He was overthrown and replaced by Kiwewa. 14. Kiwewa was later overthrown by the Muslims who had enthroned him because he had refused to be circumcised. The Muslims had more power. 15. Kalema was installed after Kiwewa was deposed. The Muslims turned against the Catholics and Protestants and chased them away to Ankole under the leadership of Honerat and Apollo Kaggwa respectively. 16. The Christians re-organised themselves and overpowered the Muslims and re-instated Mwanga in 1890 with a lot of Catholic support. 17. However, in 1890 Captain Fredrick Lugard came to Uganda as a representative of the IBEACo and he tricked Mwanga into signing a treaty. 18. Lugard also armed the Protestants and the Catholics and the Muslims were defeated.
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