By Ebenezer T. Bifubyeka (Ten)Biafra, Mbarara, Western Uganda.
PERHAPS you have heard about Kabaka’s Lake in Ndeeba town, Rubaga Division, Buganda Kingdom in Eastern Uganda. ‘Kabaka’ is a Luganda title for the king of Buganda. And Kabaka’s Lake translates to ‘the King’s Lake.
There is a similar lake at Kiyanja in Kamukuzi division, about two miles from Mbarara town, along Mbarara-Bushenyi highway. It’s called Enyanja y’Omugabe. In Runyankore-Rukiga, Enyanja y’Omugabe translates to ‘the King’s Lake. Omugabe is a title for the king of Ankole Kingdom.
Besides tourists, many dwellers of Mbarara do not know the controversial but interesting history of Enyanja y’Omugabe!
Enyanja y’Omugabe, which the Mbarara district environment officer, Jeconious Musingwire estimates to be two-acre wide and 10-feet deep, borders with the front compound of Lake View Resort Hotel at Kiyanja.
The difference between Enyanja y’Omugabe and Kabaka’s Lake is that Enyanja y’Omugabe was naturally formed in 1960 where as the 2sq.km Kabaka’s lake was dug on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga between 1885 and 1888 – as an escape corridor to Lake Victoria (but dissenters ousted Kabaka Mwanga before he realised that dream).
Legend has it that immediately after the death of king of Ankole kingdom, Sir Charles Godfrey Rubambansi Gasyonga II, Enyanja y’Omugabe shifted from the opposite side of the road (close to the shops at Kiyanja trading centre)!
On contrary, the Retired Canon, Fenehasi Butukeine says he witnessed Enyanja y’Omugabe develop from a swamp in 1950s. ‘I came to Ankole in 1956. The area occupied by Enyanja y’Omugabe was only a swamp’ Butukeine recollects.
Butukeine, an elder in Ankole, says, late 1950s, the swamp in opposite side (of Kiyanja shops) was covered by stagnant water.
By then, Omugabe Gasyonga was residing with whites at Isingiro Palace in Isingiro district. The whites told Gasyonga that they like staying close to water bodies. Granting the whites’ wish, Gasyonga shifted the palace from Isingiro to Kamukuzi Palace.
While at Kamukuzi, the whites saw stagnant water in a swamp down Kamukuzi hill, alongside Kiyanja shops. The whites blocked the swamp water, forming a dam for them to bathe, Butukeine says.
Towards the end of 1960, Butukeine narrates, it rained heavily and floods washed away the dam to the depression on the opposite side, where Lake View Resort Hotel is. The depression that initially had little stagnant water filled up, forming a lake.
Due to the fact that the Omugabe shifted his palace in search of the lake, residents of Kamukuzi called the newly formed lake, Enyanja y’Omugabe. Some residents nicknamed it, Ekiyanja (lake).
According to late Johasam Kamoomo, the head of emigyenzo (rituals) during the coronation of Ankole kings, Enyanja y’Omugabe developed from a swamp in 1950s.
To him, there was a swamp in a valley on the opposite where Kiyanja shops stand. Then heavy rain created a small stream that flowed beneath the road to the natural depression and formed Enyanja y’Omugabe.
The area around Enyanja y’Omugabe was a wetland stretching from Biafra (behind Kiyanja shops) up to Lake View Resort Hotel. Water oozes from the swamp of Biafra, crosses beneath Mbarara-Bushenyi highway, joins Enyanja y’Omugabe; its excess water flows to River Rwizi (which pours into River Kagera, Lake Victoria’s tributary).
Unfortunately, despite being in a valley, Enyanja y’Omugabe may dry up because, besides climate change, developers are encroaching on its water catchment (the surrounding swamp) on the side of the hotel and more severely across the road!
However, a ray of hope ensues as the western regional public awareness and education officer for national environmental management authority (NEMA), Jeconious Musingwire intervenes:
‘No one is supposed to develop that area around Enyanja y’Omugabe. The ministry of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries has stopped any development around that lake. The co-existence of people with such a resource in a public place is more important than individual ownership,’ Musingwire asserts.
Twenty metres around the lake is a buffer zone to mitigate the lake, he adds, this area was being scared off by the washing bay before the Rotary Club took over its management! ‘NEMA also ordered the management of Total petrol station to redirect their spill off to the opposite side of the lake – to preclude polluting the lake,’ Musingwire discloses.
Musingwire says they won’t allow any intent developer around the stream running from Enyanja y’Omugabe to River Rwizi on the south-eastern side of the lake.
Ends.
Word count: 716.
There is a similar lake at Kiyanja in Kamukuzi division, about two miles from Mbarara town, along Mbarara-Bushenyi highway. It’s called Enyanja y’Omugabe. In Runyankore-Rukiga, Enyanja y’Omugabe translates to ‘the King’s Lake. Omugabe is a title for the king of Ankole Kingdom.
Besides tourists, many dwellers of Mbarara do not know the controversial but interesting history of Enyanja y’Omugabe!
Enyanja y’Omugabe, which the Mbarara district environment officer, Jeconious Musingwire estimates to be two-acre wide and 10-feet deep, borders with the front compound of Lake View Resort Hotel at Kiyanja.
The difference between Enyanja y’Omugabe and Kabaka’s Lake is that Enyanja y’Omugabe was naturally formed in 1960 where as the 2sq.km Kabaka’s lake was dug on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga between 1885 and 1888 – as an escape corridor to Lake Victoria (but dissenters ousted Kabaka Mwanga before he realised that dream).
Legend has it that immediately after the death of king of Ankole kingdom, Sir Charles Godfrey Rubambansi Gasyonga II, Enyanja y’Omugabe shifted from the opposite side of the road (close to the shops at Kiyanja trading centre)!
On contrary, the Retired Canon, Fenehasi Butukeine says he witnessed Enyanja y’Omugabe develop from a swamp in 1950s. ‘I came to Ankole in 1956. The area occupied by Enyanja y’Omugabe was only a swamp’ Butukeine recollects.
Butukeine, an elder in Ankole, says, late 1950s, the swamp in opposite side (of Kiyanja shops) was covered by stagnant water.
By then, Omugabe Gasyonga was residing with whites at Isingiro Palace in Isingiro district. The whites told Gasyonga that they like staying close to water bodies. Granting the whites’ wish, Gasyonga shifted the palace from Isingiro to Kamukuzi Palace.
While at Kamukuzi, the whites saw stagnant water in a swamp down Kamukuzi hill, alongside Kiyanja shops. The whites blocked the swamp water, forming a dam for them to bathe, Butukeine says.
Towards the end of 1960, Butukeine narrates, it rained heavily and floods washed away the dam to the depression on the opposite side, where Lake View Resort Hotel is. The depression that initially had little stagnant water filled up, forming a lake.
Due to the fact that the Omugabe shifted his palace in search of the lake, residents of Kamukuzi called the newly formed lake, Enyanja y’Omugabe. Some residents nicknamed it, Ekiyanja (lake).
According to late Johasam Kamoomo, the head of emigyenzo (rituals) during the coronation of Ankole kings, Enyanja y’Omugabe developed from a swamp in 1950s.
To him, there was a swamp in a valley on the opposite where Kiyanja shops stand. Then heavy rain created a small stream that flowed beneath the road to the natural depression and formed Enyanja y’Omugabe.
The area around Enyanja y’Omugabe was a wetland stretching from Biafra (behind Kiyanja shops) up to Lake View Resort Hotel. Water oozes from the swamp of Biafra, crosses beneath Mbarara-Bushenyi highway, joins Enyanja y’Omugabe; its excess water flows to River Rwizi (which pours into River Kagera, Lake Victoria’s tributary).
Unfortunately, despite being in a valley, Enyanja y’Omugabe may dry up because, besides climate change, developers are encroaching on its water catchment (the surrounding swamp) on the side of the hotel and more severely across the road!
However, a ray of hope ensues as the western regional public awareness and education officer for national environmental management authority (NEMA), Jeconious Musingwire intervenes:
‘No one is supposed to develop that area around Enyanja y’Omugabe. The ministry of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries has stopped any development around that lake. The co-existence of people with such a resource in a public place is more important than individual ownership,’ Musingwire asserts.
Twenty metres around the lake is a buffer zone to mitigate the lake, he adds, this area was being scared off by the washing bay before the Rotary Club took over its management! ‘NEMA also ordered the management of Total petrol station to redirect their spill off to the opposite side of the lake – to preclude polluting the lake,’ Musingwire discloses.
Musingwire says they won’t allow any intent developer around the stream running from Enyanja y’Omugabe to River Rwizi on the south-eastern side of the lake.
Ends.
Word count: 716.
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