Send us a text The missionary James Hannington crosses the harsh Ugogo Plains of Tanzania’s Dodoma region, home of the Wagogo people. Battling wind, dust, and disease, his faith is tested in one of the most unforgiving stretches of the 19th-century East African caravan routes. Sources Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894 Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1...

Send us a text Today marks 140 years since the death of Bishop James Hannington of the Church Missionary Society, killed on his way to the Buganda Kingdom on October 29, 1885. What many don’t realize is that this was actually his second attempt to reach Buganda. By then, the kingdom had become a prime destination for European explorers, missionaries, and Arab traders especially after H. M. Stanley’s famous letter to Europe, declaring that the Kabaka of Buganda had invited missionaries. In thi...

Send us a text Enkai is the creator god of the Maasai people. He reveals himself in three colors: white, red, and black. Among them, red and black speak the loudest. Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai, this episode follows a lone Maasai woman as she offers a series of prayers, pleas for life, for mercy, for a child. Her voice becomes a bridge between the earthly and the divine. The story is told in a poetic, haiku-like form..sparse, symbolic, and intimate. Inspired by the oral trad...

Send us a text The king may be gone but his wives remain. At the royal tombs of Kasubi, a small community of women continues to serve long after death. They are the royal widows of Buganda: chosen from different clans, bound to the king in life… and still present in his death. From sweeping the tombs to preparing rituals, they carry out their roles with quiet dignity. Not as relics of the past, but as part of a living royal tradition. Who are these women? What do they rememb...

Send us a text What if a king never truly dies? In Buganda, power doesn’t end with a funeral. It transforms. Today, the royal palace is modern, more European in design than ancestral. But at the Kasubi Tombs, the old world still breathes. This episode traces how the king’s presence moved from palace to tomb, how his body became spirit, and how his home became sacred ground. We step inside a world where the roof was measured to the size of his head, where each clan held a cosmic role, an...

Send us a text In this episode, I dive into the chilling legends of the cannibal night dancer said to feast on human flesh and embody the darkest fears of African folklore. But beyond the myths, how did accusations of cannibalism shape perceptions of morality, justice, and otherness? I explore the psychology behind these stories, the real-life consequences of being labeled a night dancer, and how law and society have dealt with those accused of such crimes. Is there truth behind the fear, or ...

Send us a text In this debut episode of the African Book of Monsters series, we unravel the haunting legend of the night dancer. What makes these figures so feared across communities? And what deeper truths do their stories reveal about the societies they haunt? Join me for a blend of history, mythology, and cultural insight as I explore the night dancer’s place in African folklore. Whether you’re here for a thrill or to learn more about the unseen side of African traditions, this episode has...

Send us a textThe Uganda Martyrs incident that resulted in the deaths of 45 christian converts in 1886 is widely known to christians worldwide.Unbeknownst to many, there is another martyrdom incident that occurred 10 or so years prior. In fact, there are 2 events that interestingly happened around the same time. These obscure episodes in Buganda and African history ironically feed into each other and are what I present today.This was a really fascinating story for me to learn about.Just...

Send us a textBusiki and Busambira are among the many small nations that came under the umbrella of the current Busoga kingdom. Unlike most of the well known busoga states ruled by the AbaiseNgobi clan, these 2 are headed by the lesser known AbaiseIgaga clan. Follow me as I talk about their pre-colonial history starting with their founder the meat giver Nemwe all the way to the end of the 1900s when they were incorporated into the Busoga Kingdom and largely the nation of Uganda.If you prefer ...

Send us a textHappy Mother's day to all mothers in the world. Queen - Mothers were vital to the power structures of the intralacustrine region. They were often the rallying points around which clans gathered to defend their candidate of choice. Here is a list of 5 pre-colonial Queen-Mothers of Uganda. Enjoy!!SourcesBugandaLaurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473 JM Gray, “Mutesa of B...

Send us a textToday, I cover the pre-colonial history of the Bulamogi and Bukono states of the AbaiseNgobi clan up to 1900. The AbaiseNgobi are the royal clan of Busoga that ruled various states that eventually came to be known collectively as Busoga.Bukooli was one of the many states that came to make up the modern traditional kingdom of Busoga in Uganda, East Africa.Words to Note.Zibondo - Title for King of Bulamogi KingdomKabaka - Title for King of Buganda KingdomNkono -...

Send us a textToday, I cover the pre-colonial history of the Bukooli state of the AbaiseWakooli clan up to 1900. Bukooli was one of the many states that came to make up the modern traditional kingdom of Busoga in Uganda, East Africa.I start with the origin of their founder Okali who travelled with and was brothers with Kakaire of the Abaisemenha clan from Episode 3. Bukooli grew into a state that attempted to dominate their neighbours.Their connection to the much larger kingdom of Buganda enh...

Send us a textBugweri is one of the chiefdoms that make up the current kingdom of Busoga.It is ruled by the AbaiseMenha clan. Imbued with the authority of Mukama from Bunyoro kingdom in the 18th century, their founder Kakaire established himself in the southern part of Bugweri where he took power from the AbaiseMusuubo clan. Their rulers are given the title of Menha.This is their pre-colonial history.Follow me on instagram @twcbupodYoutube, Tiktok and twitter @ThoseWhoCameBeforeUsSourcesDavid...

Send us a textThis is a morbid cautionary tale from Busoga in Uganda. It was told by Christopher Baseuse from the AbaiseKiranda clan. It was recorded by historian David Cohen at Baseuse's home on 7 October 1966.Follow me onInstagram at twcbupodTiktok at ThoseWhoCameBeforeUsTwitter at ThoseWhoCameBeforeUsWatch the Youtube version at the link below.https://youtu.be/TKlc2SDHiRw

Send us a textThe AbaiseNgobi are the clan from which the Kyabazinga(king) of Busoga will be picked.They are the royals of the kingdom. There were many states which were under their leadership.Today I discuss the pre-colonial history of the AbaiseNgobi of Kigulu chiefdom.FYI, I happen to be a prince from there. ;)Follow me on Instagram: TWCBUpodTiktok: Those Who Came Before UsYoutube: Those Who Came Before UsReferencesDavid William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu”...

Send us a textThis story is based on the folklore called "The famine" which was collected by Mrs George Baskerville. I think the name change is more fitting. lol.The name of the book it was published in is called "The Flame Tree and other folklore."Like and Subcribe.Check out my instagram page @twcbupod and Youtube channel for the video version.https://youtu.be/S64Z0Dfmj3II am working on the next historical podcast and video on busoga. It's coming. In the meantime, I'll be posting folklore.St...

Send us a textThe Busoga kingdom is located in Eastern Uganda. It's one of the 5 monarchies of Uganda.Today I talk about the pre-colonial beginnings of Busoga. Kintu and Mukama are two men mentioned as being the fathers of the people who founded the many states that comprised this kingdom. Enjoy. :)There is a youtube version of today's episode if you would like to check that out. There are slight variations in presentation between the two but the information is the same. Please fo...

Send us a textIn today’s episode, we talk about the military of the pre-colonial African kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara. For most of its history, Bunyoro did not have a standing army. Instead, they relied on the common man to take up arms when called upon by his chiefs. These armies were called Obwesengeze.That was until the 1870s when Kabaleega created the Abarusura army, a force dedicated to the protection of the state. The army was led by several commanders such as Rwabudongo, Ireeta, Kik...

Send us a textBefore the arrival of Christianity and Islam, the religion of Kubandwa was an East African spirit possession faith practiced by many groups in the great lakes region. It is still practiced today to a much smaller degree and has a terrible/unfair reputation of witchcraft like other indigenous african religions. In this episode, I discuss what the religion must’ve looked like in Pre-colonial Bunyoro. We will talk about what it actually is, what it meant to people and how followers...

Send us a textThis episode is an attempt to reconstruct the pre-colonial society of Bunyoro. I discuss their clans, livelihoods, marriage and justice etc. Please note that the information presented was collected during the colonial period in Uganda. Therefore it is impossible to say with absolute certainty that everything was exactly the same as in pre-colonial times. Enjoy.PS: Banyoro, please excuse my butchery of your language. :) &...