Rubanonzya, The Hero

Rasto Karayegire Rubanonzya, was my paternal great grandfather, i.e he sired my paternal grandfather James Kanyorozi. He lived around the period 1930s-1980s. The Basingo would say, "N'omusingo Mukuru" - meaning he is a clan/tribe elder. In both family history and clan history, Karayegire (though people shortened it to Karagire) Rubanonzya stands tall and is still well remembered, more than 40 years since his demise. As far as our family goes, he made this family history as we know it. We're now in the 4th generation after him, i.e his children (our grand parents) had children (our parents), who had children (us), who also now have kids (those who already have them). But you can't start digging up family history without coming across his name - Rubanonzya! A man saw me in Bwera recently, and asked me; ori mwijukuru wa rubanonzya? Are you  grandson of Rubanonzya? It was surprising, given that I did not know and had never seen the man. Since he was drunk, I thought, huh... maybe its the alcohol but he told me that we the children of Karayegire need to be told about him, properly from people like him, who knew him well. 

I became passive attentive!


This was the night of Mwine Abel's wedding (my first cousin, so of my paternal aunt), at their village home, in Bwera, Ssembabule, earlier this year. So I made it a point to focus my family research into knowing who Karayegire was, I man I never knew because by the time I was 1 or two years old, he had died around that time in early eighties. I had not given him enough focused research, but days later after the man's conversation,I was sleeping when a voice told me, out of nowhere and without prompting, a voice came in my sleep saying; in order to understand Karayegire, you need to know all his wives and the children he had with each of those wives. 


He had always been mystery because many interesting stories had been told about him, by his children (our parents/aunties/uncles), though disconnected and from different times. It now began to make sense as I began calling again, to aunties, relatives in different parts of the country; into his wives. I have tried to summaries his marriages  and the children out of those marriages or concubines, in the tree below

He is still remembered very well today, for he was a prominent man in his time, and not just another male figure to record in family history. He remains a constant centre of discussion in the family because he shaped the way many things turned out.He got the big land that our parents grew up on. He raised the large herds of cattle, that put our family name on the map. He had the attitude of, and run his family, which was a large homestead consisting many homes in the same homestead, he run it like a king on the throne. He made the rules for his wives, kids and the wives of his kids. 


On his children, he had three biological children in his lifetime;

1. Kirungu
2. James Kanyorozi
3. Zorirwa / Rubakaka

And raised six others fully as his own, kids by wives/concubines 

1. Kosiya
2. Kamashaazi
3. Kamabaati
4. Kaharanguzi
5. Rosetti / Rosemary
6. Matama / Kabazarwe

History shows that James Kanyorozi, his son, was the first to pass on, thus leaving the big family in the old man's hands. 

A few years later, at the time of his passing, it is remembered that there were two bodies buried on that day. He died from a stroke, after receiving news that his grand daughter [Mariam Kachaku] who had been to hospital to give birth, had died after delivering baby twins [Kivengyere and Kamankazi ]. So it was not an ordinary day, or burial.