Those Who Came Before Us
Those Who Came Before Us is an immersive journey into African history, oral traditions, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of the Great Lakes. From Buganda and Bunyoro to the mysteries of the Bachwezi and the spirits of Lake Victoria, each episode blends history and myth to reveal the emotional and spiritual world of East Africa. Together, we hold a lantern to the darkness of the past. So that the stories, fears, and ambitions of those who came before us are never forgotten. New episodes explore African mythology, Buganda history, and the hidden worlds of pre-colonial East Africa.
Episodes
This is the story I didn’t say.
In the main episode, I focused on what the envoys meant to Buganda.
Here, I slow things down and follow their journey step by step from the Nile, through Sudan, into Egypt, and eventually to England.
This is a closer look at the places they passed through, the people they encountered, and the world they were trying to make sense of.
If you want to go deeper, I’ve put together a full...
By 1879, the kingdom of Buganda found itself caught in the expanding shadow of empire. To the north, Egyptian forces were pushing deeper into the Upper Nile, threatening to extend their authority toward the Great Lakes.
In this episode of Those Who Came Before Us, we explore how Kabaka Muteesa I responded to this growing danger. Facing the possibility of Egyptian domination, the Kabaka turned to an unlikely strategy:...
Lake Victoria has always been more than geography. For the people who lived along its shores in Buganda and across the Great Lakes region, it was a living domain capable of taking life without warning, yet sustaining entire communities.
In this episode, we explore Mukasa, the spirit of the lake whose power touched every layer of life: food, labor, kingship, fertility, and the sacred rules that held society toget...
The world’s second-largest freshwater lake is more than a body of water. It is a boundary. For those who lived along its shores in East Africa, Lake Victoria was shaped by unseen presence—spirits, serpents, and forces that governed life, death, and survival.
In this episode, we explore Lukwata and the serpent world beneath the waters. These were not just myths, but part of a spiritual system that shaped fear, re...
At Kagei the crucial port on the southern shore of Lake Victoria and the main gateway to Buganda by canoe, James Hannington finally steps free after his detention by King Romwa of Buzinza. But just as the last stretch of his journey comes into view, sickness overwhelms him. Too weak to continue , Hannington realizes his long-awaited mission is slipping away. Buganda lies just across the water from Kagei yet it has n...
After a brutal trek across the interior, James Hannington and two fellow missionaries finally reach the lands of Romwa of Buzinza, exhausted, sick, and desperate for canoes to cross Lake Victoria. But with empty hands and no tribute to offer, they quickly learn that Romwa is no simple chief. He is a wary monarch guarding his sovereignty in a world where strangers mean danger… and nothing comes for free.
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Frail and fevered, James Hannington reaches the caravan’s camp only to find them seized by dread. Beyond the horizon lies Mirambo’s domain, a land few dare to cross. His name moves through Central Africa like a storm: the warrior-king who defied the Arabs and reshaped the trade routes. When the caravan finally leaves Uyui without him, they are forced to turn back. And when they return, Hannington rejoins them on th...
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.
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Youtube video link: https://youtu.be/lKSKkwjdBJQ
Sources
- Ashe, Robert Pick...
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, declari...
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 fo...
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 tra...
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...
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 th...
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...
The 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...
Explore the history of the Busiki and Busambira states, two forgotten micro-kingdoms of pre-colonial Uganda. While most Busoga states were ruled by the AbaiseNgobi, these two nations were led by the lesser-known AbaiseIgaga clan.
In this episode of "Those Who Came Before Us," we trace their journey from their founder the legendary "Meat Giver" Nemwe, through their pre-colonial sovereignt...
Happy 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!!
Sources
Buganda
Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Hi...
In this installment of "Those Who Came Before Us," we explore the intertwined pre-colonial histories of Bulamogi and Bukono. These are not just neighbouring states; they are "sibling states" founded by the AbaiseNgobi—the royal clan whose lineage defined the sovereignty of Busoga.
Tracing their journey up to 1900, we dive into the unique bond between these two houses and how they maintai...
While other states sought only to survive, Bukooli sought to dominate. Located at the strategic crossroads of the East, the AbaiseWakooli clan didn't just rule a territory, they guarded a gateway. In this episode, we unpack the high-stakes history of a kingdom that refused to stay small. We trace the lineage back to Okali, the brother of Kakaire (Ep. 3), and examine the two clashing legends that define their fo...
Discover the hidden history of Bugweri, a powerful pre-colonial micro-kingdom within the modern-day Busoga region of Uganda. In this episode of "Those Who Came Before Us," we trace the rise of the AbaiseMenha clan and their legendary founder, Kakaire.
In the 18th century, Kakaire arrived from the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, carrying the divine authority of the Mukama. We explore the dramatic political shift whe...
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