How Nubian Soldiers attacked the Bukusu people

This is a story as told by Odhiambo Levin Opiyo

A photo of Nubian soldiers (Uganda Rifles) and other mercenaries, ready to conduct an assault on the Bukusu in 1893 Standing ahead of the detachment is Semei Kakungulu an important Chief of Busoga who commanded Baganda fighters during the assault.

On their torturous journey from the Coast to Mumias while carrying heavy items, porters passed through Kavirondo (Nyanza and Western) which had abundant food.

This really appealed to them , and consequently, some of them deserted their caravans and disappeared in Kavirondo.

Most deserters had also formed a habit of fleeing with guns and bullets which were greatly valued by local chiefs. According to Hobley “In those days native chiefs loved to have a few gunmen in their entourage as it gave them prestige with their rivals.”

In 1893, the desertation of men with rifles had increased tremendously. This was encouraged by the Bukusu chiefs who paid cattle for every rifle recieved .

Mr Spire who was the British administrator at Mumias before the arrival of Hobley, tried to discourage this by warning the chiefs that the rifles were government property and recieving them was punishable. However this didn’t yield any result.

He therefore decided to apply force and sent twenty five Nubian soldiers stationed at Mumias to the village of Chief Majanja to demand guns.

Unfortunately Spire underestimated the strength of Bukusu and only gave his soldiers very few ammunition. During the meeting with Majanja, a gun belonging to one of the soldiers went off by mistake.

This attracted Bukusu warriors who emerged from their villages like a swarm of infuriated bees. Even though the soldiers fought bravely, they were overpowered by Bukusu warriors who slaughtered them one by one, eliminating all of them.

When Hobley arrived at Mumias to take over from Spire, his first job was to reach out to Chief Majanja to demand compensation for the slaughter. When channels of negotiations failed, he decided to invite a Bukusu delegation to Mumias

However Bukusu chiefs and elders buoyed by their earlier victory, refused to attend and warned of attacking Mumias.

After receiving definite threats Hobley called for backup from Uganda. And accordingly, William Grant of Busoga was sent to Mumias with a company of Nubian soldiers and 1000 Baganda fighters under Semei Kakungulu the chief of Basoga. Kangulu was also the founder of Abayudaya, a Ugandan community that followed Jewish practices.

Neverthless, hearing of the looming operation, Nabongo Mumia also requested to be allowed to contribute wanga spearmen to the expedition. They were joined joined by 100 Maasai mercenaries.

The new commissioner of Uganda Mr Ernest Berkeley arrived at Mumias when this expeditionary force was being prepared for the attack and he asked Captain Sitwell of British Army’s Royal Dublin Fusilier to join the operation.

But with his usual tact he didn’t place Sitwell in command as he realised William Grant was the best person to lead because of his experiences in such matters.

After organising and plotting at Mumias, the force began its march towards the Bukusu country. River Nzoia was swollen, and soldiers had to be ferried in two rickety dug-out canoes. This crossing took two days because of high floods.

The force then advanced into the Bukusu country in four parallel columns each a few hundred yards from its neighbour. After about 20 miles they came near a village surrounded by a great wall, and spies were sent to check what was inside.

Immediately the Bukusu saw the strangers, they all rushed inside the walled village, closed the gates and opened fire. When the main body of the force arrived it surrounded the entire village and opened fire on one of the gates with a small Hotchkiss gun.

However this did nothing to bring down the gate. At this point Semei Kakungulu who was leading the Baganda fighters requested for permission to storm the gate with his fighters and permission was granted.

These Baganda fighters failed to bring down the gate , but forced their way into the walled village through an opening . However they had to rush outside for their safety after they met agitated Bukusu spearmen who slaughtered many of them.

Grant who was leading the force then came up with another strategy. He positioned the remaining Banganda at the main gate and moved the Nubian soldiers to another gate . The force then opened fire on the wall using a maxim gun , brought a section of it down and advance to attack.

Hobley wrote that at this point, the Bukusu spears “came over like rain and the Nubians were held up by the ditch. ” The Baganda at the main gate were then ordered to renew their attack and eventually the entire village was captured and set on fire, with the survivors streaming out through another gate.

Meanwhile during the night the Maasai mercenaries had stormed another fortified Bukusu village about half a mile away. They first created confusion by firing burning arrows into the thatch of the huts .

The severity of the battle is depicted by the fact that more than 100 soldiers and fighters of the expedition were murdered and wounded by Bukusu fighters.

Hobley recalls one particular Bukusu fighter who bravely charged at him and Captain Sitwell. Not even the direct gunfire from the Nubian soldiers could bring the warrior down. According to Hobley, the warrior was only brought down by a pistol just a step from them.

He wrote: ” I have a particular vivid recollection of a warrior who charged down on Sitwell and myself. A volley from a detachment of Sudanese failed to check his rush, and he only ended his career at our feet, checked by a luck shot from Sitwell’s revolver.”