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THE KATASIHA FORT AND CAVES
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The Katasiha Fort and Caves are located in Hoima District about 3km on Hoima –Biiso-Butiaba/Kaiso-Tonya Road inside Miika Eco Resort Hotel presmises. The Fort and Caves were constructed by King Kabalega in 1894 as a hide out and defence line during the war with the British. The river before you reach the site provided the first line of defence for the King’s army. He extensively used the fort and caves to fight the war after he abandoned his palace at Mparo, Today the prestigious historical caves are maintained by Miika Eco Resort Hotel

The fierce Katasiha battle

Kabalega put up a fight at Katasiha, where he mobilized his soldiers to dig 8ft trenches, in protective enclaves - over 300 meters long and running in several directions. The fort was constructed within one month. Thereafter, Kabalega deployed the elite troops who were well drilled and supplied with adequate dry rations and other supplies.

The fighting was ferocious and, due to superior weapons and overwhelming numbers of the invading force, he was overwhelmed and the fort fully destroyed in 1894.

Kabalega had selected Katasiha due to its other natural advantages. It had a deep cave with many tunnels that helped him and his army to move from one command post to another. The nearby River Bigajuuka provided the first line of defence.

To avoid a head on collision with the enemy, Kabalega retreated to Budongo Forest and adopted mobile guerrilla warfare, drawing the invading force deeper and deeper into the kingdom, away from food and other supplies while avoiding any form of contact with them.

It appears he chose to wait for his expeditionary army still in Toro and Busoga to rejoin his main forces. He also expected the Baganda to return home within weeks, so he decided to wait on them. Evasive action, therefore, was a sign of deliberate planning rather than a weakness.

The first few weeks of the invasion, save for the Katasiha battle, were remarkable for the lack of major fighting. So much so that by the end of February 1894, the British, who had marched across southern Bunyoro to Lake Albert, considered one of their main objectives completed.

Omukama Kabalega remains Bunyoro unsung Hero

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THE BATTLE OF KANGAHO, JANUARY 1886- “BAGWIGAIREBATA RIFFLE” LEADS KABALEGA TO VICTORY (Kabalega’s reign Series……Part 1)

“I don’t want to sleep when the enemy is still in my country, I want the county to be mine alone, to possess this country the enemy must kill me first”……Omukama Kabalega 1886 in the battle of Kangaho 1886

In 1886 Omukama Kabalega slightly shifted his Capital from Mparo to Bujumbura, where he remained for a bout one full year, from Bujumbura he moved it once more to Bulera (where Bulera Core PTC is located currently). It was while he was at this place that an army from Buganda invaded Kitara. This battle was led by Kangaho Kibirango (Saza Chief) of Bulemezi, it arrived in Kitara in 1886. When Kadoma one of Kabalega’s men heard of their advance, he sent a massage to Kabalega which read “The Baganda are advancing with a big army” there upon the King decided to wait for the enemy at his Capital at Bulera, but his great chiefs advised him against the policy, pointing out possibility of a Buganda win which would lead to the sacking and plundering of the Capita. This, they argued would be disastrous because it was against the custom of Kitara for the Kings Capital to be sacked and plundered by the enemy. Indeed whenever a King moved his capital to another area his subjects burned down the former palace to make sure that nothing was left behind. This was the practice in times of peace

So Kabalega accepted their advice and decided to fight the enemy behind the forest of Rwengabi in Bugoma, from Wesigire on the border between Kitara and Buganda, the Ganda army marched for six days before they reached Bugoma. When the King got news that the enemy had reached Bugoma, he was filled with anger and excitement and ordered the war drum to be sounded. Where upon his army leaders assembled with their men before him. He got hold of shield and moved about his men uttering great words of encouragement. In the evening he ordered his soldiers to go down one one knee in lines and he passed between theses lines while conversing with his army leaders and chiefs. He employed this tactic to test the endurance of his army to see if it could match that of his enemy
At c**k crow, the Baganda beat their military drums and their soldiers took up their positions, the Baganda first attached the battalions of Saza Chiefs Nyakamatura, Mugema and Nyakabwa of Kyaka and were successful

Kabalega’s battle strategy was as follows; The armies of the Saza Chiefs (Obwesengeze) were to hold the right and the left flanks while his Abarusura was to hold the centre, the Abarusura were drawn up in twelves lines. Shots were exchanged from both sides and it is said that these shots could be heared in Mengo the Capital of Buganda, they produced sounds similar to those of an earth quake, by 11:00 am the Kitara army had succeeded in capturing the drum of Kamuswaga, Kikindo, the enemy was defeated and Pokino Tebukozza a Muganda chirf and one of the army leaders were woulded. The army fled the field and the Abarusura pursued them to their capms and plundered them, by midday there was a lull in the fighting
At this juncture Ireta and Rwabudongo-Abarusuura Generals said to the Omukama Sir order the vanquished enemy saza chief to fetch water for us, And you, Sir, should give us a lot of meat so that we can spend the night here and posh off the Baganda in the morning. Now your solders are tired and fed up with hearing the booming guns
While they were speaking the King was seated on an anthill, his eyes red and so frightening to any one who looked at him, and roaring like a lion he said to his generals “I don’t was to sleep when the enemy is still in my country, I want the county to be mine alone, to possess this country the enemy must kill me first”. On hearing these words all his soldiers and generals sang his praise “ Singa Rumenya mahanga, Singa rwa Kanyange, Singa Rukolimbo nyantalibwa mugobe, Kahangirize kabeho ebiro byona……..”

He immediately ordered his soldiers to regroup and advance towards the enemy and having crossed one village they spotted Kangaho marching towards them with many people who looked like reeds while their spears and shields looked like mud walls, the enemy were not drawn in lines of battle but were coming from all directions at the same time, only leaving a space between them and Kangaho their commander. On seeing what was going the Abarusura too abandoned their own military formation and every Murusura (soldier) was ordered to get on one knee up to the forest, Kabalega ordered them not to shoot until the enemy had reached with in close range partly because he wanted to fire the 1st shot at the enemy as a sign of battle opening, he got hold of his gun called “Bagwigairebata” which could fire 17 shots and having fired the first shot the battle started, then the Ganda army retreated in a fleeing form due to the fact that Kangaho’s army hard been exposed to rapid and furious attack. Kabalega once again got hold of his gun and aimed 3 shots at Kangaho the Baganda army commander and killed him instantly, on seeing their leader dead the Baganda army moved back with fury, at this juncture Rwabudongo and Ireeta took charge of the frontline and the battle raged on and on until the enemy fled but as they fled they noticed a one Murusura (soldier) pulling the dead body of their commander Kangaho holding one leg, the Ganda could not bear this they again turned back shot the Kabalega soldier and swiftly rescued the body of the dead commander

The battle of Kangaho cost lives of many people on both sides although the Baganda suffered far more losses. Those Baganda who survived returned home and invented a song which went like this” If any one has not seen guns let him go to Bulega” and Bakitara also invented a song which went like this “ The little bird which told me of it came from Buruli in the north and told me that Kabgaho’s body has been eaten by birds”

There were some other important Baganda commanders who were killed in Bunyoro and these included Mururuma and Mmandwambi who were killed by Nyakamatura one of Kabalega’s commander