Baana Ba Kintu - "the Children of Kintu" - is a fitting tribute to Ssekabaka Kintu who, in around 1300 AD, together with a group of fourteen wise men, presided over a conference at a place called Nnono and founded the Kingdom of Buganda.

 Buganda - which means 'Bundles' - is now a 700 year old Kingdom. It is aptly named as it bundles together the 50 odd clans that form the Kingdom. It was from Buganda that the State of Uganda was created by the British about a century ago.

The reigning King, Mutebi 11 is the 36th in a direct line descendent from Kintu. The first Katikkiro or Prime Minister was called Kakulukuku and to date, there have been 78 Prime ministers.

 

The Buganda has always been fiercely loyal to their King whom they call Kabaka. This devotion is a direct result of the system of governance implemented by Kintu. Buganda is a land of equal opportunity where everyone has a sense of belonging. No individual or clan feels discriminated against, dominated over or unduly favored. It boasts a system of Government where, apart from the Kabakaship, any person can ascend from the lowest to the highest office in the land, based solely on their ability.

 

Living in the Diaspora, one is far from family and faces many challenges such as migration issues, unemployment, new languages, cultures and values. It is easy to feel lost and perturbed by the 'loss' of identity as other realities of life including birth, marriage /divorce and sickness set in. As one ages, the search for a cultural identity inevitably takes place as if one is crying out: "I am somebody not just anybody!"

 

Baana ba Kintu was founded as a cultural group to fan the flames of the 700 year old fires that have kept our Kingdom alive, and to continue our forefathers' notion of assimilating new ideas without betraying old ones. It is a Gauteng based non- profit organisation with no political or religious affiliation. The organisation is founded on the principles of cultural norms, values and the tradition of the people. We recognize that culture is an integral part of humanity and civilization and believe that the preservation of the culture, tradition and identity of our people requires a conscious effort both individually and collectively to guide, strengthen and unite our people in pursuit of their rights and interests.

 

Our membership is based on voluntary non-profit making activities to support and draw together Baana ba Kintu for their own improvement and that of our kingdom.

The association is geared towards providing education on the origins of the Buganda, our history, language and overall cultural identity. Our emphasis is on word "culture" because we believe that all values and strong principles in life and humanity like respect, kindness, thoughtfulness and caring are based on culture.

 

The organisation aims to:

• Encourage and help members and friends of Baana ba Kintu to promote and sustain their cultural traditions and values

• Educate members and friends of Baana ba Kintu about Buganda origin, history, language and value of clans (Bika)

• Raise the consciousness of all people regarding the importance of freedom, autonomy and justice

• Mobilize available resources to develop Baana ba Kintu, South Africa and the kingdom of Buganda

• Encourage engagement in lawful activities

• Promote mutual understanding amongst members and friends of Baana ba Kintu in South Africa

• Provide and assist in recreational and leisure activities to mark our heritage

We are encouraged by the charters of both the United Nations and the African Union on human rights and other International Conventions and laws that provide for the protection of culture, human rights and democracy.

 

Our achievements thus far include improving our visibility through the association's activities. The activities undertaken in 2010 gave us the opportunity to reach out to many prospective members. The response was overwhelming and enabled us to organize a successful Tabamiruka (convention) in October 2010. We also donated academic attire to Muteesa 1 Royal University in Uganda. 

We would like to salute and thank the executive committee and other members for the excellent voluntary work and commitment. We would also like to thank members and friends of the organisation for their financial, material and other contributions.

 

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge our sister associations in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and North West provinces of South Africa as well as the rest of the Diaspora including the United Kingdom, the United States, Swaziland, Botswana, Ireland and Sweden. Let us never tire of promoting our culture.

It is our hope that centuries from now, Buganda may feel as young and vibrant as she did when Kintu presided over that momentous Constitutional Conference at Nnono 700 years ago.

 

Dr. DJK Lumu is a gynaecologist based in Parktown, Johannesburg. He has been working in South Africa since 1982 and is the former president of Baana ba Kintu.

Dr. Binnas Lubega is an anaesthesiologist based in Vereeninging. He has been working in South Africa since 1988 and is the current president of Baana ba Kintu.