HISTORY

The legend to explain how Kkobe clansmen came to have Kkobe as their totem

Kkobe (is a creeping plant) grown as a food crop. Its fruit is harvested and prepared wholesomely by steaming in banana leaves. It is a delicacy for other Baganda but not the members of the Kkobe clan (Abekkobe), for them it is a taboo to eat it.

The great grand father and founder of Kkobe clan, Nsereko Kalamazi, was one time under the command of King Kintu (1200-1230). They came from exile in Eastern Uganda to attack and overthrow the notorious Bemba Musota then King of Buganda.

On their way, Nsereko met a girl and fell in love with her and later proposed to her. One day Nsereko in an entourage of friends went to be introduced to his future in-laws. They were warmly welcomed , seated down on animal skins and served to a banquet. In the middle of the delicious meal, a kkobe fruit fell and hit Nsereko's bald head. Oh! This was a terrible embarrassment to Nsereko in front of the in-laws! From that day he cursed the kkobe and he swore and directed that his children and grand children never to eat kkobe. Hence kkobe became their totem to this day.

The girl with whom Nsereko was in courtship was Namboozo, the name later changed to Nambooze. He married her and she gave him children. The first born was name 'Male' meaning "let's do away with kkobe". The second born son, Nsereko called him "Busuulwa", meaning, "let us throw away 'kkobe' for good". The third son, was named 'Ssebuliba' in memory of the skins on which Nsereko was seated when the kkobe hit him. The daughter born to him, he called Nambooze after her mother whose hand Nsereko had gone to ask in marriage, when the kkobe problem ensued.

Nsereko Kalamazi further joined hands with King Kintu and later on they overthrew Bemba Musota that is known in history of Buganda to have been a dictator, killer, oppressor and very corrupt.

After the victory, Nsereko settled in Kanyanya near Magonga, Busujju county. Later on, he requested the king to be offered Buzimwa area in Mawokota where his brothers had settled earlier. Nsereko's brothers were: Gubiri, Kakulukuku and Nalugunju. They were under the rule of a Munyoro called Kasamu, the four brothers joined hands and chased Kasamu away. They did the same to other Banyoro chiefs around Teketwe, present day Buwama, the ancestral headquarters of the Kkobe clan.

Nsereko was known for his tactical ways and wisdom he displayed in the way he used to answer the king's questions. Nsereko was always the first to answer. Because of the quick and wise answers Nsereko would give they called him 'Namuyama' which later changed to 'Namwama'. In Lusese language, 'kwama' means to be the first or to welcome.

Nsereko was later assigned the duty of regularly fetching god Mukasa (god of the sea and fertility) from Ssese, whenever there was need for the god's intervention. The King always asked Nsereko: "Omugenyi wamuyama" (did you welcome the guest?) (Mukasa), Nsereko would respond; "Omugenyi namuyama" (Yes, your majesty, I welcomed the visitor). From 'Namuyama' - Namwama, the name given to the Clan's ancestral headquarter (Embuga) evolved, that is 'Buwama', in Mawokota county.

Nsereko's Immediate Descendants
The Kkobe clan forefather Nsereko, had more than ten children, however, the following became very famous:

1. Namukangula, a great hunter during the reign of King Kintu; He would go for the king's meat from the hunting ground. He settled in Buzimwa, did not bear children and on his death he was succeed by his brother Nankule.
2. Lwabiriza was King Kintu's chief, he settled in Magonga, Busujju county. The king honoured him with land in Katoolingo Busiro county and later assigned him duties of:

a) Digging graves for dead princes
b) Removing jaw - bones from dead kings for preservation and honour.

Lwabiriza had children but the most prominent was Junior Lwabiriza who accompanied prince Kalemeera to Bunyoro.
3. Mabingo Magere was in charge of fixing the king's spear, which he used in piercing a kob whose skin was used to make a special dress called enkanamo for the king. Mabingo settled in Magonga.
4. Kiraga and his sister Nambwami were customary placed by Nsereko as symbols of his parentage. When he had twins, Nsereko performed a ritual called: "Okumenya olukanda as Nabwami and Kiraga stood in for Nsereko's father and mother since both parents were dead.
5. Kyana of Tiribogo, Mawokota county, leads the royal lineage (Olunyiriri olulangira) in the Kkobe clan (see page…).
6. Walubandwa - Kabengwa, was also a great hunter, lived in Buzimwa with other Kkobe clan members and died there.
7. Nakanyakaali father to Kakinda of Jjalamba and Mukooge of Ggolo Mawokota county.

Nsereko had other sons like; Kayiwa, Busuulwa among many others.

The burial grounds for the Namwamas and their grand children are at Buzimwa, Ssabagabo - Mudduuma subcounty 22 miles along Mityana road.

The Ancestral headquarter for kkobe clan is at Buwama Musaale Subcounty along Kampala-Masaka road. It is said that the fore-father of the clan, Nsereko Kalamazi mysteriously vanished in Teketwe hill - Buwama.

Nsereko had a spear known as "Mazina gandigita" he used in many expansion and conquest wars against the Banyoro. He captured Teketwe, Kayenye, Misindye and Kyabadaaza from them.

Nsereko's last battle against the Banyoro extended as far as Kayenje and Misimdye in Mawokota. During this war he sounded his war drum Tagobwa (the unchallengeable) commanded one of the platoons and usually on the front line. His son Kabengwa who loved his dog like life itself commanded another platoon. He changed the sounding of his father's drum to; "Embwa ekooye gireete erye eggumba. Ye omukazi leka eyo" meaning, "My dog is worn out and hungry serve it with food, don't mind the woman." That lyric later formed part of the Kkobe clan anthem (Omubala).

After Nsereko Kalamazi had defeated all the Banyoro around Teketwe (Buwama) he asked Kabaka Kintu for a permission to settle there so as to continue with the responsibility of always fetching Mukasa from Ssese. It was for this reason that Nsereko acquired two territories including Buzimwa.

SOME PROMINENT KKOBE CLANSMEN OF HISTORICAL TIMES
These were great men and women in the Kingdom of Buganda because of the contributions they made to the growth of the kingdom. These people are still remembered to date, and they include:

1. Nsereko Kalamazi, the fore father and founder of the Kkobe clan was a fierce warrior who joined hands with Kabaka Kintu and together they defeated the notorious Bbemba Musota. Nsereko defeated the Banyoro from Mawokota and Butambala counties.
2. Kyewaalabye of Kaabyuma was county chief of Buweekula. From him, the name/title Luweekula was derived because whenever Banyoro women heard the mention of Kyewaalabye's name, they would flee carrying their young ones on their backs. It would only be at a distance that they got the children from the backs "okuweekula" and feed them.

From "okuweekula" the nickname Luweekula for Kyewalabye originated. Kyewalabye defeated the Banyoro in Buweekula county during the reign of Kabaka Kamaanya. He assumed the title Luweekula after many conquests, and became a county chief of Buweekula. Before this he was a sub-county chief of Ssabawaali Ssingo.

It is said that one time Kyewaalabye was waging an expansion war against the Banyoro, and got tired, before he slept, he assigned the women to keep watch and to wake the warriors up if anything suspicious happened; unfortunately however, even the women fell into deep sleep. If the dogs had not taken over the responsibility of watching over the camp, the Banyoro would have made a surprise attack on Kyewaalabye and his men.

After defeating the Banyoro, the warriors remembered the women they had left some distance behind. When Kyewaalabye was asked whether to go for their women counterparts, he said, "Abakazi leka eyo kasita embwa zange nzitutte", meaning, "leave those careless and useless women alone, it is to my advantage that I have my dogs with me." This further contributed the dog's prominence in the Kkobe clan anthem (mubala).

There was a Munyoro black Smith living in Kaabyuma village he was called Lukubabyuma. In this village there were iron deposits, which Lukababyuma would mine, smelt and make implements of metal. Kyewaalabye chased the black smith from the village. The village's name has its etymology from "byuma" meaning metal, hence Kaabyuma meaning a village of iron (metal).

3. Ssebuliba of Buddo, is another great Kkobe clan member of historical times. He lived and excelled during the reign of Kabaka Ssemakookiro. He was the man the Kabaka asked for a big favour. It is said that following directives of the Kabaka's fortuneteller, Ssebuliba was requested that he be locked in a grass-thatched house and it was set on fire. The aim of this was to tell whether Ssemakookiro would defeat Jjunju his brother or not. If Ssebuliba survived the fire, that would prove the Kabaka's victor and vice versa.

Ssebuliba survived the fire together with his dog, yet all his wives and children deserted him. He pampered the dog even the more after this incident, so the dog came out prominently even then.

Later Kabaka Ssemakookiro made Ssebuliba his Chief over Buddo Coronation grounds.

4. Mutumba, a great warrior during Kabaka Kyabaggu's time. He also played a role in expanding the Buganda Kingdom westwards. He chased the Banyoro chiefs that occupied Lubanja in Ssingo County together with their people.

Among the great Banyoro chiefs Mutumba chased was the great Namunkululu. After his victory Mutumba resolved to protect the new territory.

He got help from Namwamma who sent him men led by his son Ssebuliba. When Ssebuliba reached Lubanja area, he continued with conquering the Banyoro to the last one.

A legend goes that, one-day Ssebuliba was coming back home from war and he urinated in a small valley. The direction the urine took mysteriously became a source of a brook called Ssebuliba, to date. It is at the source of this river that Namwama planted "omutuba" for Ssebuliba, omutuba tree planting in this case served as the symbol for ownership of the land in question.

Prominent women of the Kkobe clan include Namale Nkomommo who was a king's court entertainer during Kabaka Edward Muteesa ll. Others were Hadija Namale, Maliyamy Namale among many others.