The Tutsi-Bairu tale in Rujumbura-Eric Kashambuzi,
When Museveni waged the guerrilla war he recruited heavily from Rukungiri Tutsi and Bairu but commanders came from Tutsi 32 year on.
I believe very strongly that every child should be taught their history at home or at school as far back as possible so that they are aware of what happened and what lessons can be learned, conclusions drawn and recommendations made.
The history of Rujumbura county in Rukungiri district of South West Uganda where I come from is worth telling because there are things that every child or adult from there and the outside world should know.
Bantu people from the Nigeria/Cameroon border arrived in the area about 3000 years ago. They brought short-horn cattle, goats, sheep, poultry, crops and iron technology. They intermarried with the people they found in the ares.
They grew enough food and the population grew rapidly and settled down. They had kings and chiefs and a governance system that settled disputes largely through negotiations. Accordingly they didn’t see much need for strong military establishments.
Around 1800 Tutsi/Bahororo arrived in Nyakinengo of Rujumbura under the leadership of Rwebiraro with a standing army and seeking refuge after Bahinda kings of Nkore chased them away from the area in present day Ntungamo after Mpororo kingdom had disintegrated from internal feuding.
With their army and later in collaboration with slave traders they fought and defeated peaceful Bantu. Those captured carried ivory to the Indian Ocean and later sold into slavery.
The Bantu economic and administrative systems and institutions were destroyed and Bantu people were collectively renamed Bairu, meaning slaves or servants of Tutsi who had originated from present day Rwanda via Mpororo kingdom. Bairu were reduced to producing good for Tutsi, transporting then on stretchers (engozi), building their houses etc.
When Rujumbura came under the British rule the Tutsi were retained as chiefs under the indirect rule system. They continued to exploit Bairu who were denied education that was the preserve of the children of chiefs. In the late 1940s/early 1950s, Bairu were allowed to go to school. Our parents told us repeatedly that the only way to get out of poverty and it’s offshoots was to get a good education and then a well earning job.
We studied hard and we have many well educated people but the British system still favoured Tutsi.
When independence came the Bairu in UPC were divided by well established and connected Tutsi into meat eaters and vegetable eaters and Tutsi managed to stay on top.
When Museveni waged the guerrilla war he recruited heavily from Rukungiri Tutsi and Bairu but commanders came from Tutsi.
I volunteered to fight but Museveni decided otherwise. Since he formed his government 32 years ago, he hasn’t hired anyone from Bairu for a high profile job like cabinet minister, presidential adviser, ambassador or permanent secretary. Yet Bairu have the best qualified people around.
I have been asking why this is the case. What I get instead is blackmail, intimidation, destruction of my properties to just shut me up.
That in short is Bairu history in Rujumbura county of Rukungiri district of Uganda.
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