Kimera of Buganda

Kimera Walusimbi was Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda between 1374 and 1404. He was the third king of Buganda.

Ssekabaka Kimera Walusimbi
Kabaka of Buganda
Reign1374 - 1404
PredecessorChwa I of Buganda
SuccessorTtembo of Buganda
Borncirca 1360
Bunyoro Kingdom Royal Court, Uganda
Died1404
Burial
Bumera, Busiro
Spouse1. Lady Nabukalu
2. Lady Nakku
3. Lady Namagembe
FatherPrince Kalemera of Buganda
MotherNamasole Wannyana

Claim to the throne

Kimera was the only son of Prince Kalemeera, the son of Kabaka Chwa I Nabakka. It has been pointed out by different books and writers showing Kimera as the Only son of Prince Kalemera. This is not true. Kimera was a twin and his twin brother was Kato Kibi Kaganda, who became a King himself. He conquered his own Kingdom in Kiziba, current day Tanzania. They could not rule Buganda together, thus he went to Sesse, came back to Buganda and went south. Their mother was Lady Wannyana, the supposed chief wife of King Winyi I of Bunyoro.[1]

Influence on Buganda Culture

Kimera made the journey to Buganda accompanied by his mother and the family of Katumba (Nkima clan), his adoptive father. On reaching Buganda, Katumba was appointed Mugema, hereditary head of the Nkima (monkey) clan. The Mugema plays a significant role in Buganda culture, notably performing the investiture of the new Kabaka until the reign of Mutebi I.[2]

From Bunyoro, he brought with him the royal drum Kibonabona, which is beaten by the new Kabaka during coronation. During this ceremony, the Kabaka is presented with a bracelet of beads, and there's a proclamation "You are Kimera."[3]

Kimera's mother chose not to live with her son in the capital, and a residence was built for her called Lusaka, which became the official title of the Queen Mother's residence.

The final years

Kabaka Kimera was killed in a hunting accident around 1404. He was clubbed on the head by his grandson Kabaka Ttembo Kiridde, who succeeded him. Some accounts narrate the event as a deliberate act, but the most convincing accounts say it was an accident. He was initially buried at the site of his death. In 1869, his remains were exhumed and re-buried at Lunnyo, near the city of Entebbe, close to where the present Uganda State House is located. Other credible accounts give his burial place as Bumera Busiro.[4]

Quotes

"Kimera, the third Kabaka, was the true founder of our dynasty."

"The real significance of the Kimera migration is that it introduced a new dynasty."

  • MM Semakula Kiwanuka, A History of Buganda, 1971[6]

Succession table
Preceded by
Chwa I		 King of Buganda
c.1374-c.1404		 Succeeded by
Ttembo

See also

References
  1. "The Early History of Kabaka Kimera". Buganda.com. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. J. Roscoe, The Baganda, 1911, pp.215.
  3. Kabaka Sir Edward Mutesa, Desecration of My Kingdom, 1967, pp.82.
  4. "Ssekabaka Kimera Is Buried At Bumera, Busiro". Buganda.com. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  5. Kabaka Edward Mutesa II, ibid.
  6. Kiwanuka, MM Semakula, A History of Buganda: From the foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.
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