The Road to Fame

" I am about to write the things I experienced and thoughts that were in my mind when I was a child and afterwards as a young man, before I was taught religion of the Lord Jesus Christ up to the present time." - Ham Mukasa


A Child’s thoughts
When I was a very small child i thought that my father was the king of Uganda, and that there was no one of more honour than him. It was merely a childish fancy, for there was a king and many others of more honour than my father.

I also thought that when the evening came, the sky came down to earth, and that’s why we were able to see the stars because then they were quite close to us. Yet of course this was not really the case.

I also thought that the king could not die, could not eat food, that his body was not like of any other men he ruled over, that it was like a brass, or beautiful beads. Of course this too, was only childish fancy, and when I grew older I no longer thought these things, I learnt other things.

Charm for a Chieftainship
When I was a lad, my aunts gave me charms to wear and small pieces of clay to swallow, and a medicine called “BULEZI” which ensures you obtaining a chieftainship from the king. My aunties ensured me that if I did as they told me, to think of these charms and to respect them, that when I grow up, i should certainly be a chief under the king.

I believed in it fully at the time and for long afterwards until i become a Christian. For years I trusted in those charms. Possibly this was not true but when i was a lad i believed in whatsoever my elders said. For instance, my father told me that in the sky, there leaved people with tails, i believed it because i could not imagine or believe that my father could lie. Therefore i remained for a long time believing that men with tails lived in the sky as my father and uncles had told me.

How to go up to the sky
I was also told that if a man wished to go up to the sky to the gods, he should go to the stone on which plantain sponges are beaten out, where there was a plantain of the kind called “ GONJA” and then tie some of the fibre of this plantain and say thus “ O GOD (LUBALE) TAKE _ O GOD TAKE”. And then they told me that if I did this I should be able to go up into the skies. But iwas afraid to try it, because I did not wish to leave my father and mother behind on earth, I thought it was best that all of us remained on earth.

Another thing I used to think was that a man who becomes possessed with a spirit of the dead could not die because he was able to rule over all kinds of sickness and diseases of this world and therefore I was very anxious to become possessed with a departed spirit. But of course I know that they died just as other people do. All these childish notions are a result of being born in ignorance and being with people lack certain knowledge of mankind.


One of Mutesa’s pages
When I was older my father was made a chief by the king’s chieftainship was called “MUJEEBEEJO”. The king asked my father to give him a boy to be one of his pages. So my father took me and give me to the king called Muteesa, to wait on him.

I think I must have been around twelve years old when I entered the kings household. I found the king’s court full of the vilest customs, introduced by the Arabs and the Turks (people from Egypt). I was much afraid, for my parents had tols me not to agree to such things, for they told me that I did such things I should die at once. But inspite of this I was compelled to join the rest.

Learning the Mohammedan prayer
Whilst I was leaving at the Lubiri ( king’s palace), the king at the time was Muteesa also known as Mukaabya, ordered every boy to learn to say the Mohammedan prayers. ( This refers to the Kalima – God is God, and Mohammed is the Apostle of God).

He said “ All of you must become Mohammedans. I will have no heathens”.

So we learnt the Mohammedans prayer on order of the king. No one could say no to the king and we believe that the king is always right. Out of the respect of the law, all of us had to learn the prayers. There are some who refused to learn the and they were executed. At that time i never that even there were other religions and differences between the Europeans and the Arabs.

An odd alphabet
One day when I was out for a walk, I was crossing over the hill called Rubaga, having just come from another hill called Kasubi or Nabulagala where i had been sent to salute Mwanga who then was one of the princes. On my way I met Mr.Ashe of the C.M.S who had just been visiting Kabaka Muteesa I. Mr.Ashe said to me, “ well my boy, where are going to?”, I replied “ I have been sent with a message”. Then he asked me “ do you know who to read?”. I replied “ yes, I know a little”. He then asked whats the little do you know? I replied that I know “Bisimilai”. When Ashe heard that, he laughed out loudly and said, “ my lad come out at Natete and I will teach you properly .Come and do not forget”. At that time I never knew that religion of Jesus Christ and that Mohammedan was not the only religion. This I found it out afterwards and after many years.

Mr.O’Flaherty’s preaching
We had a friend called Kidza Luli, who lived at Natete because he was ill and the fact being that he received medicine from the missionaries for his illness. The missionaries taught him the alphabet which was written on a piece of calico. When I went to visit him I could see a lot of European things and I used to hear many new things they taught in the church. Mr.O’Flaherty also known as Bwana Felipo, usually preached about the last day that shall come to earth and about life after death. All men will be raised from the dead.

Our friend Kidza, used to talk about this to us all the time that we became very scared and used to make fun of Mr.O’Flaherty and we really had fun out of it that we all laughed. But there was one thing always on our mind and really made us afraid – that all the world will be burnt up, the trees, the hills, the grass, the ground, everything. It made us pray and we wished “ may it happen after our death, for then what will the fire burn of us”. But yet we feared the saying very much.

A WIFE IN A BOX
One day we were told that Mr.Mackay (missionary) was making a big feast because he was going to marry a wife who had been brought from Europe in a box. They told us that the box had been opened the day before and that he wanted to make a feast to please the people and to celebrate his wife’s arrival. It possible it was a chrismas feast he was making but at the time we had many different understandings of situations. We accordingly went to the feast and also to see the woman who was white. We had never seen a white woman then. We sat on the veranda and waited.

While sitting, Mr.Ashe came and said to me, “Mukasa come along here”. I went with him to the back of he house on the veranda and gave me a seat. Then lots of cooked plantain and meat was brought to me. Then they said to me, “ lets first go church and pray”. Together we went to pray and met over 500 people already in the church. Our mission was not religion, it was to see the white woman and to eat food. It ended up, no prayer no food.

LAUGHING AT AN INQUIRER
About at that time we heard that a lad called Mukasa Muganzi Awongererwa had gone to see Mr.Ashe at the same time we were eating food. Later he become a Christian and was ordained the deacon of the church of Uganda and also become known as Samwiri Ganaafa.

He was called Muganzi Awongererwa because the King called him so. But after becoming a Christian, he started leaving at Natete with the missionaries and become a great friend of Mr.Ashe. However we used to laugh at him, saying “they will take him to Europe shut in a box”. He really wanted to learn the word of God.

STEALING GOATS
It was about this same time I started to learn of wisdom, to understand myself and to give up childish things. I did not know enough of religion as Samwiri did. He was older than I was. Yet we were a number of boys who were pages of the king and we used to go at steal goats that belonged to the king’s household and sometimes those who belonged to a chief called Kibaale whose son later became the chief known as Kago.

We used to eat the goats at night and threw away the skins and heads to places no one could find them. It was also difficult for them to know whether some goats were stolen since they had a lot of them and not to mention, they thought no one could take that chance to steal from so powerful people. At that time a plague broke out and lots of people died. It was then said that the reason why this plague was sent to us, it was because of the people who were thieves. So people started setting fire on houses of all they knew and heard of, that they were thieves. Ofcourse due to the rumours that it’s the thieves who have caused the out bust of the plague, many of the pages who were part and partial of this act started giving in names of the thieves who they knew. So I ran away and to refugee at my father’s home for a very long time since I was afraid to come back to Kabaka Muteesa’s household and never came back until his death.

ON WAR EXPEDITION
I first went to war when Muteesa I sent out for an expedition under his uncle a man called Ndalike ( he was the chief of Kasaka, Mr.Fletcher’s station – for a long time). I went with my father to this expedition and we raided south-west of Uganda, we passed through the county of Uzinja, the king of this country was called Kasasula.

I as many as 7000 people died on the march to this expedition. They died of diseases. When we came back that same year, Kabaka Muteesa I died. At the time I was at Budu at the house of my father. So we sent to work and plundered the people of the country around and took their goats. This was the regular custom of Buganda, when the king died, everyone plundered their neighbour’s goods. There was no fear of punishment since there was no king to punish us.

Mwanga’s page
When Mwanga was made a king, I was still down in Budu. Together with my father we returned back. Kabaka Mwanga had a large number of boys and they were evil lads, they used to get high by smoking Indian hemp, and they teaching others evil things. Had I not left the Mwanga household, I would have become like them. However I went and lived together with my uncle, because I was afraid of going to the Kabaka’s household. Mwanga was the king at the time and he keep a large number of lads all the time around him of the worst character and since I had been in the country for a long time, I saw it suitable not to stay at the king’s household.


MUKASA BEGINS TO LEARN TO READ
After along time I returned to the king’s household. I found a great many men I knew and others did not know who had started reading. Some were reading the Gospel, others the prayer book and learning letters. This really surprised med and I began to learn the alphabet, to which I learnt in two days and the syllables in about four days. I was then taught to read by the following; Nuwa Mpemba, Musa Mukasa who was killed at munyonyo, Mikaeli Luzungana and Elisa Alegeri who later become Musoloza and a man called Kasi who later became a roman catholic well as many of us were protestants.

SET OVER COLLECT TRIBUTE
I had not learnt to read properly when Kabaka Mwanga sent me off to Uzinja to collect the tribute. We went with a roman catholic called Nsingisila who later became a Kangawo. A man called Kibunda also went with us and during the nights he used to teach us by words of the mouth and he threaten us not to convert to the Roman catholic faith.

When we came back from Uzinja country we found Kabaka Mwanga now leaving at Munyonyo about seven miles from Mengear the lake. So we went to Kabaka Mwanga to sow him and deliever the stuff we had collected as tribute from Uzinja. The king was please with the stuff that he appointed Nsingisila a chieftainship. He gave me the position of Kitagobwa in the county of the chief called Kitunzi.

AN IDLE SCHOLAR
After this we remained at Munyonyo for about one year and half. During this time religion was spreading rapidly amongst the people. I myself I was trying to learn to read but was not deligent in trying to learn. I went to leave with a lad called Eli Ngili who afterwards became a chief called Nafumbambi. This man used to teach me to read the swahilli prayer book. Then I went to leave with Walukaga a blacksmith, who later was put to death at Munyonyo. I made but little progress in reading because I was idle and not really try.

EIGHTY “READERS” SEIZED
I will now tell about the awful thing that happened. The Christians were very active in teaching others. No one thought of that this was insulting the king and that he would later do what he did. One day as I was going to visit my friend a Roman catholic called Luke, who lived at a place called Kitebi. As I left I heard the king grumbling that so many people had learnt readings. The following day, I heard that the king had taken to custody over eighty reader and that many had been put to death.

This caused me a big problem since I had some rivals in the king’s household. These were those boys who I refused to join in their wicked acts. They went to the king and told him that I was a reader too. They wished me to be killed just like the other readers. I then ran away from Mengo and hid. After I heard that the king was looking for me and that I ran away with two boys and that I was after death.

IN HIDING
My friend called Yusuf Wasswa, who had just been made the Kangawo in the place the chief who had just been killed in Bunyoro, took me in and hid me. He let me sleep at his house but as soon it was midnight, he left to the county house and also lent me a gun as protection along the road.

I then left for the county called Bulemezi at a place called Waluleta, and hid on a hill called Bowa. Its here I hid whilst the kings officers were looking for me. Yusuf kept the secret of my hiding place. I could not properly read at this time though people though that I was a great reader and that I had a great ability to learn, where as I could not read at all.

COMING OUT OF THE HIDING PLACE
After about three months, the Kangawo came over to my hiding place with a lot of news from the capital. He told me that the king had sent for my father, and had said to him, “I will forgive your son for your sake”, but chief Kangawo added, “ I do not know whether really the king means it”.

I asked the chief for some advice as to what I could do, and if it was better to go and face the king. He replied, “we will go together and see the king”. After a few days, I was ready and we left for Mengo to meet the king. I went to see my father and he told me that the king had granted me a pardon. I was not really convinced about this and thought my father was deceiving.

Then my father showed me some medicine to rub on my hands, to which I applied on my hands and after a few days I left for the king’s court. I was then introduced to the king. It so happened that a public assembly had been called together that the king might interview an European who had come from Bunyoro (probably Dr.Junker a German explorer who visited Uganda at the time).

I remember one thing about that European had a very large stomach.

Then they brought me in before the king and said to the king, “this lad is your slave, he had come back”.

The king said, “I have set him free”.

I was at liberty and no longer an outlaw.

Many people were disappointed to hear the king say this, for they wished me to be put to death since I had refused to join their group of wicked and evil deeds.

Man should not suppose that I refused to sin due to religious reasons. I was afraid of the dropsy, for I had heard that men who commit certain sins fall ill of dropsy, and I had seen many people ill with dropsy.

MUKASA PRESENTED WITH A GUN
After I had been for a long time in the king’s household as one of his pages, the king made me the chief amongst the pages and I became the Sabadu of the pages. Then the king gave me a gun, it was only a muzzle-loader. The king was afraid of giving me a breach-loader. For he said, “ The lad is trustworthy, he will steal the gun, he is not trustworthy like the others”.

At the time the king gave out a number of guns to many of his trusted subjects. All the little boys in his household received breech-loading rifles. Some of the boys were not more than ten years old. The big lads like myself were disappointed upon this, seeing smaller boys with better guns than we got.

Surprisingly I keep myself out of corruption in the king’s household, which at the time was very tempting. I was like a man who had learnt a great deal and yet knew nothing for certain. Many of the other lads were afraid of me. They said, “I was a great reader of religion, who was untouchable”. They claimed that I never joined them in their conversations and always silent once in their company.

HEARING OF THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM
There was a man known as Saleman Kibanda, who came one day and taught us about the city of Sodom and how it was destroyed. The description made us very afraid. For many days I was in a mental distress and could think of nothing but the destruction of Sodom. Suddenly I dreamt of our capital Mengo burning down and I could not run away. This made me very scared and remained full of fear for many days after. This led me to be taught more about Christianity. I did not wish to be taught openly but in private. I occasionally went to the Christians for teachings, people like Yusufu Wasswa, Petero Mpwanyi, Sulemani Musoke, Musa Itewala, Eriya and many others who taught me deligently.

MWANGA PLAYS FAST AND LOOSE
Kabaka Mwanga devised a plan by which he might kill us like our companions before. He suddenly ordered us all to wear heathen charms or otherwise death. He did not manage to carry out this threat because the chiefs were on the verge of rebellion because he forced them to dig out a pond for him, because he was constantly abusing them, taking their wealth from them by force to mention but a few.

When Kabaka Mwanga found out that his chiefs were going to rebel, he decided to befriend us the boys, for he thought we would fight and defend him should it be any rebellion. Kabaka Mwanga never had the sense to shut one door and make sure of it. He played fast and loose with us and the chiefs. He tried to win the favour of both sides. He made the chiefs great friends and also bought guns to all them at the same time doing the same to all of us boys, making us go against the chiefs. All the boys knew about Kabaka Mwangas game but we were proud to become his friend and the privileges that followed.

A PLAN THAT FAILED
One day when I was living in the lubiri( king’s palace-household). I saw a roman catholic boy called Kiwanuka later known as Adere , who became a great friend of mine. Surprisingly at that time I had many Roman catholic friends, yet it should have been protestants. I took religion to be one and one God. Adere came up to me and said, “let us leave the country”.

I agreed to do so, but I asked him, “ where shall we go?”. He replied , “ to Bunyoro, to king Kabarega”.

He told me that two others will go with us, one called Kironde and the other Damulira. Those men had been baptised as Marco Lwimbazi and Samuson Damulira respectively.

We made arrangements outside his house. I put my gun by his house but they did not wait for me because they were too afraid of being caught and may be they lucked trust in me because by the time I reached their home, they had long gone. He had the idea of being caught any given time by the king’s officers and would be put to death. He left my gun with his slaves and told them to give it to me, but his slaves took it themselves. I tried to look for them but I failed to find them.

STEALTHY VISITS TO THE MISSONARIES
I used to go by stealth to Natete to hear about religion, but I never understood what they taught me. As a result I became very anxious to meet someone who had learnt a great deal. I admired such men very much.

I then met Yusufu Wasswa, who saw that I was very anxious to know about God, he said to me “ you ought to be baptized”.

I agreed and he showed me the passages in the baptismal services that are the answers to the questions asked in baptism. So I learnt them off by heart.

He then took me to other Christians and presented them to me. Their names were Sila, Nikodemu and Bartolomayo. Another presented was Tomas Senfuma who was not present at the moment. However when I came, he became very angry and said, “why bring such men like him, he will injure the church and has a lot of sins”. This was because he recognised me as one of the lads in the king’s household. Fortunately he was late, I had already been baptized.

I then made great efforts to be taught and I bought a copy of the genesis in swahilli. I found a very safe place to keep it and that was at Sulemani Musoke’s house.

I then got the new testament. It was bought by Samwili, who gave 700 shells for it at Natete since I was too poor to afford.

So when the King wanted to pay revenge to me due to the lost gun, I used to hide in all secrecy and spent all the time reading. By the time I was baptized I could read a little and knew some of the letters. But God gave me more steadfastness more than the others, this made me far advanced than the others. Many claimed I could more than I could and I believe they were many who were better than me.

MWANGA BOSTS WHAT HE WILL DO
About this same time Mwanga set off for an expedition to visit his province of Budu. So I set off to go with him, but on the way towards Munyonyo, Mwanga told us this, “I tell you there are Europeans coming to fight me. They say their leader is a man called Samuli (H.M.Stanley), often called “Stamuli”, who fought with us at Nakalanga. That he has 4000 tents for his European soldiers”.

Then Mwanga turned to his chief called Mujasi and said, “Kapalaga (his name) my friend, how will this affect us?”. Kapalaga replied, “We will fight them without giving in”.

Mwanga then said, “the general sent by the queen, when I take him prisoner, he will chop firewood for my wife”. He was so confident that the white man had no strength to defeat him. He was such a man of courage and this made his lads to do anything for him.

MUKASA GIVEN A COMMAND
When we got down to Budu, Mwanga set off an expedition to a large island in the south west known as Kome. I was given to lead this expedition in the place of the chief called Sabakaki,though I was only Sabadu in the king’s household. I was not educated enough and now I was leading all the boys in the king’s household on this expedition and I sought for honour in the eyes of men, I had to lead them. I made myself appear as a great man and pretended that I knew too much to which I did not. I did not really know anything at all. We reached right down to Kome, in the county of Kigaju, and then we came back.

MWANGA REFUSES TO BELIEVE A FALSE CHARGE
On our way back to Budu, people came and told me that, “they were some people who had accused you to the king, that you sold a man the son of a chief called Sekibobo, and in return you got spades, goats and some bark cloths”.

But the king refused to believe it.

He said, “No no, a man who learns the European religion like Mukasa does, is unable to sell a man, he is accused falsely”.

And this was really the case. Many felt very bad that I was given a chance to lead this expedition and managed to successfully to accomplish the expedition. The man was not sold but become lost by himself by not following us but doing his own wishes as a son of a chief. This is one example of how many of us who read religion were falsely accused.

ANOTHER ACCUSATION; MUKASA’ CANDOUR
I was also at one time accused for having stolen the plunder for the king after a war. The chief called Sabakaki arrested me. But when they told the king he set me free. He told them, “you have no right to imprison my servants without getting an order from me”.

For this I thanked the king.
I suppose that he thought that this accusation was like the one brought to him before about selling a man. The think the king thought that I was incapable of such an act when I was learning the new religion. As a matter of fact it was not the religion which kept me away from stealing, but it was the consequences of it afterwards if I could be caught. I used to think of it. My thought always was that if am caught and the king rules against me, first the king might believe all the accusations from before and secondly be put to death.

I know people thought that it was my fear of religion that prevented me from wrong doing but that was not the case.

Possibly God was clearing the ground for me with building there a house, to which he will later come and dwell.

Another time we went to war through Singo. We went as far as Lwangili, in the District of Kinyenya. All the boys of the king’s household we had a great deal to do for the king. We had the job of providing torches to light the king every night.

Now since I had got a feeling that the king is beginning to mislike like me due to the fact of my learning the white man’s religion, I made every effort to light the king tirelessly more than any one else. This was an effort to build back my relationship with the king despite the fact that I was still reading and learning religion.


THE WOUNDED FOOT
One day a piece of wood as big as the longest tooth of a hunting dog ran through my foot. Due to the tension, I told no one about it and it remained my secret. I knew no one would pity me anyway, therefore keeping it to myself.

A day after the foot became worse and could not manage to wait the king any longer, this was the time I told to some lads who I trusted to help me out. But those I told took no notice.

The king became so angry and scolded all the way long until we camped in the night. When we got to the camp, the king had all of us tier up.

MUKASA IS SPARED AGAIN
Whilst we are still tired up, all the boys thought that its now Mukasa’s turn to be put to death. But God helped me. I was then handed over to the custody of a very kind man called Sajabi in due course of finding a suitable punishment. By faith he was a Mohammedani, and he knew I was a Christian. Despite the fact of him knowing of my religion, he treated me very nice which in other circumstances it would be the opposite.

Well as I was treated very nice, all the others who were arrested were treated very badly, that afterwards they did not understand who I always manage to escape the worst. To me this seemed a very remarkable thing. This made me believe that my future was very bright. No one could escape all these incidences which could result into death like I did and remained alive.

After some time we were all set to liberty. We were nine fellows altogether. We were then given the job of carrying the torches on the roads for the king all the way to Mengo. We used about 200 torches all the way back. But this is not a easy job, its very tiresome and irritating but we had to do it. On the road the king praised our torches and was please for the job well done.

MWANGA QUARRELS WITH THE CHIEFS
The principal cause of the king being dethrone was that of the quarrel with his chief known as Musalosalo called Nyonyintono, who was a roman catholic and a chief known as Mwanika called Apollo Kaggwa. The king later also fell out with Wasswa. The biggest reason as to why Mwanga hated these three, was because these chiefs let readers collect that their homes.

It was due to this that Mwanga devised a plan to put all readers to death. It took him eight months or so. For he saw religion had taken root whole over his country. The fact is that it was many readers who kept both their sins and religion.

A PLOT TO STARVE ALL THE READERS
The king was now determined to kill all of us. He said the reason was that we were learning the European religion. Besides the king now disliked chiefs who were grown up men, as a matter of fact he befriended the boys who were also very eager to get a chance to become chiefs. The king got a number of boys and they could do what so ever he told them. They went on plundering where ever they passed with the king in the country.

When the chiefs realised this, they became jealous and endeavoured to show the king that the “readers” had driven out of the country the old heathen gods of his ancestors. This led to the heathen chiefs to advise the kill to put to death all the readers (Christians) by starving all Christians on an island. When Mwanga realised that he could not do it he returned to Mengo.

A REBELLION BREAKS OUT
When the king realised that we had discovered his plan and reason for us to go to Entebbe by water in the canoe and that we had decided to go by land with Kaggwa a roman catholic. I asked Apollo Kaggwa a chief under a chief Musalosalo called Nyonyintono who were chiefs under his household to go by water. The king’s executioners known as “Bonebowa” killed a number of us as a result.

So we arranged a rebellion once these executioners came on to some of us. They were to be put on fire once they attacked us. This was because in those days it was a way of boasting once one put fire on the king’s executioners. On the way to Mengo we all rebelled. We joined with Mohammedans and drove Mwanga from the country.

The Mohammedans put Mwanga’s brother Kiwewa on the throne though we wanted Kalema another brother to be the king.

KIWEWA AND THE CHIEFS
We made Kiwewa the king and he claimed to be a Mohammedan. The reality is he had no religion. He had a heart full of heathen. This led to dividing up the country amongst ourselves and we took the chieftainships. I Ham Mukasa took the chieftainship called Kiyoza at a place called Nsagu. Apollo Kaggwa took the large chieftainship of Singo and became Mukwenda and Nyonyintono became the Katiikiro. The principal Mohammedan called Bukulu became Kimbugwe. Each man took that chieftainship he though was suitable for him. The king, Kiwewa who tried to be Mohammedan and at the same time a heathen organised a plot together with the Mohammedans to kill all of us Christians but it fell.

THE CHRISTIANS ARE DEFEATED AND FLEE
After some time as the Mohammedans became more stronger. All of the Christian chiefs were told plainly that the king and his subjects did not intend to join together in governing the country with the people who followed the europeans’ faith who did not follow the Mohammedans prays and read their book and did not kill the animals in a proper way. Not long we were defeated and we fled to Nkole (a country in the west). We fled about five hundred people altogether but on arrival we were around hundred and four. Many had turned back on the way and converted to Mohammedans.

MWANGA AMONG ROMAN CATHOLICS
After some time we went across to a roman catholic mission station at Bukumbi, where Mwanga was living at the time. Mwanga was very happy to see us. We found him sleeping on a bedstead made of papyrus, which gave away with him everyday; it was not strongly tied. We were told that they made Mwanga sleep on this bedstead that he might learn humility by remembering what he had to suffer. As a matter of fact, all this what happened to Mwanga was to no purpose. He never learnt to be thankful.

MACKAY’S SHREWD ADVICE
From Bukumbi, I went to Usambiro to meet Mr.Mackay and to deliever the letters I had brought from the Christians in Nkole. He read the letters and asked many questions. He asked me whether he knew all the Christians there. I told him that I think he knew them all. Then he pressed me to persuade the Protestants not to join hands with the roman Catholics on the coming expedition to attack Buganda. “For” he said “ if you join with the Catholics, without doubt you will soon fall out amongst yourselves and fight one another”, and this actually happened.

I then came back with a letter written by Mr.Mackay, urging the protestants not to join in this expedition. When Mwanga saw it, he became very angry and he started hating the protestants most bitterly. I told was touched by what Mackay had said and was not happy with it. We went there to get some encouragement and advice but all we got was the opposite and even advice to attack.

We were like a child who wants a knife but the cries when he cannot have it. Yet it would certainly cut itself with it. And so it was with us when we cut our fingers; then we understood that Mackay had said all true.

We have a proverb that says, “the ears of a snake will only hear a stick”. The meaning is a fool must be taught with a rod. And we found this to be true in our case, in our case we fell out with the Roman catholics and had a bitter war. All that Mackay said happened.

MR.STOKES INTERVENES
Mr.Stokes was at Bukumbi and he said to the Roman catholics, “very well, I will take Mwanga back to Uganda because all people back there like him; and I have a lot of guns and powder; and more than this my boat is my; I can do as I like with it. Other Europeans have nothing to do with me”.

At this all Roman catholics rejoiced and we were glad. Mr. stokes told us that he had something which would set Kalema’s capital on fire. Perhaps the thing he spoke of had no power as he described it, but it went into our heads and we told it to as many people as possible. This gave us more courage. We told them that the European had a gun that would destroy everything and this generally believed. So we came back together with Stokes and Mwanga to Uganda. We entered through Sango. Mwanga sent me to the Ssesse islands to call on the people to revolt from Kalema’s rule and follow Mwanga.

So I set off for the islands and on the way I captured a swahilli from Zanzibar called Alfan. He had with him eighty women and sixty boy slaves. The people with me wanted to kill the man at once, but I refused to allow this, and we went off to tell Mr.Stokes. He refused to kill the man and said that I had done right. He said, “you are a sensible man, Ham”.

Mr.Stokes was always very fond of me ever afterwards right up to the day of his death.

A FIGHT WITH THE ARABS
One day when we were on the islands of Bulingugwe in 1889, we had that two sailing boats had come from the south of the lake bringing reinforcement to the Arabs. We set off to look for them at Entebbe and to fight them there.

I told the Basese paddlers in my canoe to go closer to the Arab’s boat, but they were afraid and refused to do so. So I said to them, “very well, so put me ashore”.

So I was taken ashore. Then I with my ten boys went along the shores towards the boat. But one Arab saw me coming as we were many and aimed at me and hit me in the knee.

The bullet broke my leg and I fell. The boys carried me back to the canoe, where I laid to watch the fight. After sometime I saw the sail of the Arab’s boat and the ropes of the mast all take fire, and then I knew we have the victory.


KEPT FROM SUICIDE
I was then taken to a small island near Entebbe called Nfo. I started having satanic thoughts due to my injury and kept on thinking to commit suicide just like many of those wounded in those days did. I had always heard that when someone is too much in pain, the only wish was to die, that’s why many used to kill themselves especially when one is serious hit in the war. But with my courage I did not wish to do this like the others. The courage kept up and I never wanted to destroy myself. There was one Christian called Galatu who was shot in the thigh at the same time and just decided to kill himself. I kept thinking of him and debating whether to do the same but I kept strong. He had set his house on fire, where he was laying and died in the flames.

When I heard of this I felt very sorry for the poor man. At this time I had not too much faith and I used to pray now and again when ever it was too much pain in the leg.

I remained in my tent for fifteen days with out being able to move out. Two Christian Misaka Kintu and Sedulaka Kiali kept on coming and teaching me in swahilli. At this time I was too ill near to death. As I always say, “no one can determine destiny, God only can”. I really thought I was going to die.

I was very tempted by satan at this time due to the illness. However Christian kept on coming, consoling and praying for me. Those who came regularly to see me were Elisa Sentamu, Abili Mukasa and Selumani Kibunda.

They used to come and read for the bible, though much of what they read I did not understand, but I used to ask them what they had read and they explained it to me. This gave me more courage and the ambition to live. On the thought of the words from the holy book, I developed more interest in the bible.

I became so ill that I was tempted to try other satanic ways of lust and shame. Had it not been that the Christians were with me almost all the time, I believe I would have done what I wanted to do. The Christians never for a moment had the thought of what I wanted to do and I know I would had done it had I any opportunity. Now I know it was only fear of those men which prevented me from doing some traditional acts to wish and ask those gods for healing.

More fear of God.
This is the time of religion and everyone was talking of religion in the whole country. In 1891, after I had left Bulingugwe and the back to Mengo, I was tempted very severely. I wished to do and eat things which were not appropriate to Christians like all other people who were ill did. Things were very sinful and shameful for one who called himself a Christian. It was not a problem to get all these things. I wanted very much to get drunk and to commit other sins. This latter was not known about me by the others. Though knew that I used to make people of my household drunk from time to time.

During 1892, I read a great deal by myself from the old testament. I had a book called “Somo lya kwanza” in Swahilli language from the university mission in Zanzibar. I used to teach many of my boys from this book in the evening at seven and after the prayers at eight.

IN TEACHING OTHERS YOU ARE TAUGHT YOURSELF
By teaching others, this helped me to keep my faith to God stronger. I would not like to do wrong, since I taught my boys not to do so. I had to set a good example for them. This reminds me that the more you teach others the better you come yourself, for you get better understanding and knowledge than the one who knows but keeps idle.

I was very diligent in teaching the boys at night and in praying myself. Now whilst I was in this state of mind, I thought to myself, “if I keep on drinking this plantain wine all the good thought will go out of my mind”. So I gave up on November 14th, 1892.

I started going to the church everyday to learn more since it was much I did not know and understand though I taught my boys. For sometimes whilst I taught my boys my thought could get mixed up with sinful thoughts yet I taught the boys not to commit sins. I longed to get drunk again and other wrong things to mention but a few. The temptations were very strong that I nearly pulled back to my old life style.

TWO HELPFUL FRIENDS
As a result I made two friends to help me. In 1892 I became a friend to R.H.Walker and R.Pashe who later became very fond of me indeed. This gave me more courage not to return to my old life because I thought to myself everyday, “what makes these men so fond of me?”, it cannot be because I have given them something of value, for I have given them nothing. It was quite a puzzle for me. Mr.Ashe used to teach us from the Book of revelation of St.John. I did not understand it properly but I made great efforts to come regularly to what was taught although I did not understand it all. I decided never to fail to come to the teachings of these new friends of mine and also since they were very glad to see me whenever I came.

HAM’S MARRIAGE
From 1892 to 1896 I was filled with foolish evil and foolish desires more the holy ones though no one had a slit knowledge of it. It was in 1894 that I ought to get married. It was because my friend Mr.Ashe said to me, “Ham you ought to be married”. This made me think of it and then I took in a woman called Hanah Mawemuko. She got married to me without knowing what I was like. I had a struggle with her especially in teaching her since she could not understand anything at all, that I started thinking evil of her.

In 1895, I prayed to God to help me to teach my wife. I started teaching her in the nights by the light of the lamp. She often made me shed tears because she would not look at the book, though I tried to teach her every day.

She used to quarrel with me when there was no cause for it, as a result I took her aside privately with no one nearby and I scolded her.

She said that, “I have left all my evil ways now”. After some time do you know who went back to those evil things she claimed she had left! I was in deep distress and sorrow about my wife. I prayed to God everyday that she would change my wife’s heart. As time went on and I could not see any changes in her life style, I inclined to quarrel with God for why he was not listening to my prayers.

When I realised that may be I was stressing myself on this matter, I decided let it go and continued with my prayers as I had formerly done. In 1896 I prayed diligently and it was then that Hanah finally changed and started to pay attention to what I taught her and this gave me fresh courage and joy. Then I understood how foolish I had been to loose heart to give up in despair.

It was in june 1896 that I realised God as my personal saviour and that all those things I used to think of in a very long time would actually have destroyed me.

In 1897, I thought much about he glory of God and went carefully over the experience of 1896 and this caused to tremble in my heart. Then I understood that it was the spirit of God which had taught me to hate sinful thoughts and longings.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN HAM AND MUKASA
Time went on I found my thoughts fighting against each other and started trembling with fear and I prayed to God in my heart to give strength. This might look strange for many but praying really helped me through a lot of difficulties. The war I had was the name Mukasa against Ham the name I got after I was baptized. I found it out that Mukasa was daily annoyed that I will not follow the natural inclinations on my body. But the new man Ham which God sent to drive away Mukasa, would not allow Mukasa to come back and reign in my body, for God wanted Ham to be there and fight the sins. I so thinking, I thought hat God had sent Ham to drive away Mukasa and his bad evil habits. At last I managed to tackle the situation and accepted Ham to reign over Mukasa and once again the power of God had victory. I could not please both for man cannot have two masters.