Those Who Came Before Us

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Enkai is the creator god of the Maasai people. He reveals himself in three colors: white, red, and black. Among them, red and black speak the loudest.

Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai, this episode follows a lone Maasai woman as she offers a series of prayers, pleas for life, for mercy, for a child. Her voice becomes a bridge between the earthly and the divine.

The story is told in a poetic, haiku-like form..sparse, symbolic, and intimate. Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai. 

 It’s an experiment. 

Take your time. Listen. Feel it.

I hope you enjoy. 😁

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/JD8Y9LJpmUk

SOURCES

Naomi Kipuri. Oral Literature of the Maasai. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 1983.

Dorothy L. Hodgson. The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters between Maasai and Missionaries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.

Jomo Kenyatta. Facing Mount Kenya. London: Secker and Warburg, 1938.

Douglas E. Thomas. African Religions: Beliefs and Practices through History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2018.

Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, eds. Encyclopedia of African Religion. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2008.

Project FUEL. Engai: God of the Maasai. Google Arts & Culture, n.d

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The king may be gone but his wives remain.

At the royal tombs of Kasubi, a small community of women continues to serve long after death.
 They are the royal widows of Buganda: chosen from different clans, bound to the king in life… and still present in his death.

From sweeping the tombs to preparing rituals, they carry out their roles with quiet dignity. 

Not as relics of the past, but as part of a living royal tradition.

Who are these women?
 What do they remember?
 And what does their presence mean for a kingdom that never forgets its kings?

This episode is a journey through royal duty, legacy, and the sacred roles that still echo within the thatched walls of Kasubi.

Sources!!!!

1. Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.
2. Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010.
   
   
   
3. Ray, Benjamin C. Myth, Ritual, and Kingship in Buganda. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
   
   
   
4. Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911.
   
   
   
5. Reid, Richard J. Political Power in Pre-Colonial Buganda: Economy, Society, and Warfare in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: James Currey, 2002.
6. Schiller, Laurence. "Royal Women of Buganda." The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10, no. 2 (1977): 171–188. https://doi.org/10.2307/217347.
   
   
   
7. Wrigley, Christopher. Kingship and State: The Buganda Dynasty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
   
   
   
8. CyArk. “Royal Tombs at Kasubi – 3D Explorer.” Accessed June 2025. https://cyark.org/projects/royal-tombs-at-kasubi/3D-Explorer
9. Personal Interview with Catherine,  guide at Kasubi & Field Footage (Kasubi Tombs 2025)
10. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1022/

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What if a king never truly dies?
 In Buganda, power doesn’t end with a funeral. It transforms.

Today, the royal palace is modern, more European in design than ancestral. But at the Kasubi Tombs, the old world still breathes. This episode traces how the king’s presence moved from palace to tomb, how his body became spirit, and how his home became sacred ground. We step inside a world where the roof was measured to the size of his head, where each clan held a cosmic role, and where power radiated from one man like the sun.

This isn’t just history.
 It’s memory made architecture.
 And the king?...Well.
 He never really left.

Part 2: “Royal Widows” drops August 31st.

Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/nHKlrbTjKnA

Sources!!!!

1. Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.
2. Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010.
   
   
   
3. Ray, Benjamin C. Myth, Ritual, and Kingship in Buganda. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
   
   
   
4. Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911.
   
   
   
5. Reid, Richard J. Political Power in Pre-Colonial Buganda: Economy, Society, and Warfare in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: James Currey, 2002.
   
   
   
6. Wrigley, Christopher. Kingship and State: The Buganda Dynasty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
   
   
   
7. CyArk. “Royal Tombs at Kasubi – 3D Explorer.” Accessed June 2025. https://cyark.org/projects/royal-tombs-at-kasubi/3D-Explorer

     8. Personal Interview with Catherine guide at Kasubi & Field Footage (Kasubi                 Tombs 2025)

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In this episode, I dive into the chilling legends of the cannibal night dancer said to feast on human flesh and embody the darkest fears of African folklore. But beyond the myths, how did accusations of cannibalism shape perceptions of morality, justice, and otherness? I explore the psychology behind these stories, the real-life consequences of being labeled a night dancer, and how law and society have dealt with those accused of such crimes. Is there truth behind the fear, or are these tales reflections of something deeper within us?

 Intro - 0:00 - 2:01
Chapter 4 - “Cannibalism and African Zombies“ - 2:02 - 7:59

Chapter 5 - “Cannibalism, the Banality of Evil and Otherness” - 8:00 - 29:03

Chapter 6 - “Law, Crime and Justice” - 29:04 - 46:31

Conclusion - 46:32 - 48:42

Youtube video: https://youtu.be/Sq7-brM4ppo

Local Motion Safaris - https://www.localmotionsafaris.com/

Sources

A.B.C  Ocholla Ayayo, “Traditional ideology and ethics among the Southern Luo”, The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies Uppsala, 1976

Harry Johnston, “The Uganda Protectorate”, New York Dodd Mead & Company, 1904.

Heike Behrand, “Resurrecting Cannibals: The Catholic Church, Witch-Hunts and the Production of Pagans in Western Uganda” James Currey, 2011

Isiko Alexander Paul, “An Expository Study of Witchcraft among the Basoga of Uganda” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2019, PP 83-96 

Isaac Christopher Lubogo, “Law of Witchcraft in Uganda Sorcery and Illuminati in Uganda, A Philosophical Discourse”, Suigeneris Publishers, 2022.

John Beattie, “The Story of Mariya and Yozefu: A Case Study from Bunyoro, Uganda”, Africa: Journal of the International African Institute , pp. 105-115 (11pages), Cambridge University Press, 1964. 

J.W. Nyakatura, “Anatomy of an African Kingdom” (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) 

Tibamanya Mwene Mushanga, “Criminal Homicide in Uganda: A Sociological study of violent deaths in Ankole,Kigezi and Toro Districts of Western Uganda”, 2013

Tom Kwanya, “Stigmatisation of Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Night Running in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion in Africa Vol. 48, Fasc. 4 (2020), pp. 376-392

Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978

Web Sources

https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/two-wanted-for-raping-suspected-night-dancer - Aisha Nalwanga


https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/night-runners-kenya

https://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/night-dancing-is-associated-with-cannibalism-not-mental-illness-ssalongo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqHpE7wfnC0&ab_channel=SaltMediaUganda

https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/pamela-newkirk-on-ota-benga-at-the-bronx-zoo.html - Ota Benga

https://www.lynchburgmuseum.org/blog/2021/8/9/ota-benga-mbye-otabenga - Ota Benga

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/bukunja-the-infamous-land-of-night-dancers--1576818

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1023716-eichmann-in-jerusalem#:~:text=Evil%20comes%20from%20a%20failure,is%20the%20banality%20of%20evil. - Hannah Arendt

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/hannah-arendts-lessons-for-our-times-the-banality-of-evil-totalitarianism-and-statelessness/ -Hannah Arendt


https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1047829/proud-cannibal - Benedict Seruwu story


Special thanks to Elizabeth Atuhaire and her neighbours for sharing with me their night dancer stories.

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In this debut episode of the African Book of Monsters series, we unravel the haunting legend of the night dancer. What makes these figures so feared across communities? And what deeper truths do their stories reveal about the societies they haunt?

Join me for a blend of history, mythology, and cultural insight as I explore the night dancer’s place in African folklore. Whether you’re here for a thrill or to learn more about the unseen side of African traditions, this episode has something for you.
Monster Entries will be updated on an occasional basis. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for more on Africa's untold history.
Youtube video link : https://youtu.be/Ccxfp2BNlvc

Sources

Isiko Alexander Paul, “An Expository Study of Witchcraft among the Basoga of Uganda” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2019, PP 83-96 

A.B.C  Ocholla Ayayo, “Traditional ideology and ethics among the Southern Luo”, The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies Uppsala, 1976

John Beattie, “Sorcery in Bunyoro”, “Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa”, Psychology Press, 2004

Robert Blunt, “Anthropology After Dark: Nocturnal Life and the Anthropology of the Good-Enough in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion and Violence Vol. 8, No. 1 (2020), pp. 35-57

Owen Davies, “The Nightmare Experience, Sleep Paralysis, and Witchcraft Accusations”, Folklore Vol. 114, No. 2 (Aug., 2003), pp. 181-203 (23 pages)

Published By: Taylor & Francis, Ltd

Tom Kwanya, “Stigmatisation of Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Night Running in Western Kenya” Journal of Religion in Africa Vol. 48, Fasc. 4 (2020), pp. 376-392

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016)

Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978

Victor W Turner, “Witchcraft and Sorcery: Taxonomy versus Dynamics” Africa: Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1964), pp. 314-325

Kiyoshi Umeya, The Gospel Sounds Like the Witch's Spell: Dealing with Misfortune among the Jopadhola of Eastern Uganda, Langaa RPCID (Feb. 10 2022)

Web Sources

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/sleep-paralysis-causes-symptoms-and-treatments

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12133-parasomnias--disruptive-sleep-disorders

https://youtu.be/4FIqsPWiwhg?si=XYiASZ1Imzhkq9km

Special thanks to Daniel Brian Omyeri, Elizabeth Atuhaire and her neighbours for sharing with me their night dancer stories.

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The Uganda Martyrs incident that resulted in the deaths of 45 christian converts in 1886 is widely known to christians worldwide.
Unbeknownst to many, there is another martyrdom incident that occurred 10 or so years prior. In fact, there are 2 events that interestingly happened around the same time.  
These obscure episodes in Buganda and African history ironically feed into each other and are what I present today.
This was a really fascinating story for me to learn about.
Just to be clear, I do not claim that Kabaka Muteesa 1, who is responsible for the killings, to be a death diety. Rather, I am simply making a comparison between the power over life and death that Muteesa had,  to that of the grim reaper.

Corrections

Min 15:50:10 - Meant to say King's Uncle
Min 33:32:13 - Meant to say some Basoga not Baganda.

Youtube Video Link

https://youtu.be/-zhiX9O54wY


Enjoy!!

ABK Kasozi, “The Spread of Islam in Uganda 1844 -1945” PHD Thesis presented at University of California, Santa Cruz 1974.

Ahmed Katumba and F.B Welbourn, “Muslims Martyrs of Buganda” Uganda Journal 28 1964 (151 - 163) https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00073/39x

Arye Oded, “Islam in uganda: Islamization through a centralized state in pre-colonial Africa” Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem 1974.

C.F. Holmes, “Zanzibar Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route”

African Historical Studies, Vol. 4, No. 3 (1971), pp. 477-503. 

Ham Mukasa, “Backward Never Forward Ever”, Translation of the book “Simuda Nyuma” by Francis J.N. Batte, Hamu Mukasa Foundation 2012.

Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473 

Venny M.Nakazibwe, “ Bark-cloth Of The Baganda People Of Southern Uganda: A Record Of Continuity And Change From The Late Eighteenth Century To The Early Twenty First Century, (Middlesex University, 2005) (Pg, 130 - 133)

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/0aaa6bfe6c4498a8090e2481452682d5ba1878d69146fcccf4404e2267a73572/45355158/Nakazibwe-phd.pdf

https://quran.com/al-fatihah

H.M Stanley book https://archive.org/stream/stanleysdespatch00stan/stanleysdespatch00stan_djvu.txt

https://www.deseret.com/2016/10/1/20597261/the-opening-of-the-quran/

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/series/east-africa-indian-ocean-basin-world-economy-1760-1880/3-caravans-and-impact-long-distance-trade

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/namugongo-how-a-haunted-village-became-world-famous-1518256

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Explore the history of the Busiki and Busambira states, two forgotten micro-kingdoms of pre-colonial Uganda. While most Busoga states were ruled by the AbaiseNgobi, these two nations were led by the lesser-known AbaiseIgaga clan.

In this episode of "Those Who Came Before Us," we trace their journey from their founder the legendary "Meat Giver" Nemwe, through their pre-colonial sovereignty, all the way to the late 1900s when they were incorporated into the modern Busoga Kingdom and the nation of Uganda.

Join me as we dive into the oral traditions, clan lineages, and the unique political heritage of the Basoga people that often goes untold in mainstream history.

https://youtube.com/@thosewhocamebeforeus9326?si=C87e33Dsnsi1NJMO

Words to note.
Kisiki/Kisiginyi: Leader of the Busiki State

Kisambira: Leader of the Busambira State

Kabaka: Leader of the Buganda state.

Naminha: Leader of the AbaiseNaminha Clan

Igulu: Leader of the AbaiseIgulu Clan

Please see sources below.

SOURCES

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House).

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022) Text 64, 68, 71, 76, 77, 78, 79

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

William FitzSimons, “Warfare, Competition, and the Durability of Political  Smallness in Nineteenth Century” Journal of African History ( Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

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Happy Mother's day to all mothers in the world. Queen - Mothers were vital to the power structures of the intralacustrine region. They were often the rallying points around which clans gathered to defend their candidate of choice.   Here is a list of 5 pre-colonial Queen-Mothers of Uganda. Enjoy!!

Sources

Buganda

Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473 

JM Gray, “Mutesa of Buganda” 

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Motherhood, Food Procurement and Politics in East-Central Uganda to the Nineteenth Century” ( Evanston, Illinois 2007)

https://arch.library.northwestern.edu/downloads/x633f108q

 Kabaka Muteesa’s letter to Queen Victoria ;

 https://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/mutesas-letter-to-queen-victoria/#:~:text=Oh!,He%20is%20God%20of%20God.

Ham Mukasa, “Ebifa Ku Mulembe gwa Kabaka Mutesa” The Uganda Journal, Vol 1 No 2, April 1934. English Version translated by A.H.C. Full name isn’t displayed. Title in English is “Some Notes on the Reign of Kabaka Mutesa”.

https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00056/52j

Bunyoro

Ade Adefuye, “Kabalega and the Palwo: A Conflict of Aspirations”, (Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria Vol VIII NO 1 December, 1975)

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) 

Edward I. Steinhart, Conflict and Collaboration, The Kingdoms of Western Uganda 1890-1907(New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977) https://www.amazon.ca/Conflict-Collaboration-Kingdoms-Western-1890-1907/dp/0691615594/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U1JCNQI4FX7J&keywords=The+Kingdoms+of+Western+Uganda+1890-1907&qid=1694981666&s=books&sprefix=the+kingdoms+of+western+uganda+1890-1907%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-1

Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30717853317&searchurl=kn%3DTwilight%2BTales%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBlack%2BBaganda%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image1

https://kabalegafoundation.org/facts-about-omukama-kabalega.html

https://www.bunyorokitarausa.org/amasaaza-ga-bunyoro/

Busoga

David William Cohen, “Womunafu’s Bunafu” ( New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31182157137&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3Dwomunafu%2527s%2Bbunafu%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Motherhood, Food Procurement and Politics in East-Central Uganda to the

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In this installment of "Those Who Came Before Us," we explore the intertwined pre-colonial histories of Bulamogi and Bukono. These are not just neighbouring states; they are "sibling states" founded by the AbaiseNgobi—the royal clan whose lineage defined the sovereignty of Busoga.

Tracing their journey up to 1900, we dive into the unique bond between these two houses and how they maintained their identity within the larger Busoga collective. From the sacred authority of the Mukama to the strategic traps of their kings, this is a deep dive into the political maneuvers and family rivalries that shaped northern Busoga.

Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/7alaiwIcOBw

Words to Note.
Zibondo - Title for King of Bulamogi Kingdom
Kabaka -  Title for King of Buganda Kingdom
Nkono    - Title for King of Bukono Kingdom
Tabingwa - Title for King of Luuka Kingdom

SOURCES

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House). 

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Lloyd Fallers, “Bantu Bureacracy” ( The University of Chicago Press, 1965)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)

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While other states sought only to survive, Bukooli sought to dominate. Located at the strategic crossroads of the East, the AbaiseWakooli clan didn't just rule a territory, they guarded a gateway. In this episode, we unpack the high-stakes history of a kingdom that refused to stay small. We trace the lineage back to Okali, the brother of Kakaire (Ep. 3), and examine the two clashing legends that define their founding: the terrifying "King of Spikes" and the "Defiant Cattle Keeper."

But the story of Bukooli isn't just about myths; it's about the cold reality of empire. We explore how their strategic alliance with Buganda and their control over the Zanzibar trade routes brought guns and global wealth into the heart of Busoga long before the colonial era began.

From the first footsteps of the Babiito brothers to the turning point of 1900, this is the rise of the AbaiseWakooli clan of Bukooli.

Correction at 21:06 Banda state in southeast Bukooli was ruled by the AbaiseKibiga not the AbaiseKiruyi. I got it wrong.. Twice. 🤦🏿(pg 467, Enkaana) I will forever hang my head in shame.

Few things to note.
Wakooli - Ttile for King of Bukooli Kingdom
Kabaka -  Title for King of Buganda Kingdom
Ngobi.    - Title for King of Buzimba-Kigulu Kingdom

Please see sources below for further reading.
Ashe, Robert, “ Chronicles of Uganda” (London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1894)

David William Cohen, “The Historical Tradition of Busoga; Mukama and Kintu” ( London: Clarendon Press, 1972)

David William Cohen, “Emergence and Crisis: The States of Northern Busoga in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” , in D. DENOON, ed., History of Uganda, vol. II (Nairobi: East African Publishing House). 

Early Treaties in Uganda, https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00061/520

Federick Peter Batala-Nayenga, “An Economic History of the Lacustrine States of Busoga, Uganda: 1750-1939” ( University of Michigan, 1976)

Minah Nabirye and Gilles-Maurice De Schryver, “Enkaana” , Fieldwork Texts Compiled by David William Cohen on the history of the Basoga people, (Kampala, Menha Publishers, 2022)

Ogenga Otunnu, “Crisis of legitimacy and Political Violence”, (Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)

William FitzSimons, “Warfare, Competition, and the Durability of Political  Smallness in Nineteenth Century” Journal of African History ( Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Y.K. Lubogo ESQ, “History of Busoga”(Kisubi,Uganda: Marianum Press Ltd, 2020)(Translated and reprint from original written in Luganda)