Ankole Kingdom
Location: Western Uganda
Distance from Kampala: 269km /167 miles /
Top Attractions: Nsongezi stone age site, Nkokonjeru tombs, Ankole long horn cattle, game drives at Lake Mburo National Park
Ankole, also referred to as Nkore, is one of the oldest traditional dynasties in Uganda. The Ankole kingdom is said to have been created way back in 1500 century, by the Bacwezi. The Ankole society was divided into two stratified castes -the Bahima (nobility & pastoralists) and the Bairu (agriculturalists/peasants), who lived together and depended on each other.
The Ankole kingdom had a centralized administration system headed by the omugabe,(king) who came from the nobility Bahima clan, assisted by abakuru b’ebyanga (local chiefs) and an overall appointed enganzi (prime minister).
The people of Ankole Kingdom are called the Banyankole and they speak a Bantu language called Runyankole. The Banyankole are inhabits of the present-day districts of Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Ibanda and Isingiro in situated in western Uganda.
Just like other kingdoms in Uganda (Buganda, Tooro and Bunyoro kingdom), the Ankole Kingdom was abolished in 1967 by President Apollo Militon Obote government and later on restoration of kingdoms in Uganda by Museveni government in 1993, the Banyankole refused to restore their Kingdom. This was attributed due to the rigid traditional structure of Ankole Kingdom.
For further reading on Ankole Kingdom please see:
- Ankole & Mbarara and the Ankole monarchy today by Bradt Uganda travel guides
- History of Ankole Kingdom
Must See:
- Nkokonjeru tombs, the tombs of the last king of Ankole, Omugabe Edward Solomon Kahaya II (died in 1944) and Omugabe Sir Charles Godfrey Rutaha Gasyonga. The tombs are situated 3km from Mbarara town, on Ntare Road.
- Nsongezi Rock Shelter – one of the most important Stone-Age Sites in Uganda with pottery excavation said to date from AD1000 into the 19Century. The site lies 75km from Mbarara town centre, along the Tanzania border.
- Ankole cattle said to be the source of pride to the Banyankole even up to date. The long horned Ankole cattle are found in most parts of Mbarara and neighbouring districts
Getting There:
From Kampala, buses are available both in the Baganda Bus park situated next to the Nakivubo channel and the New bus terminal situated next to Nakivubo stadium. They operate daily and charge Ush15,000 to Ush20,000 one way fare.