Kabaka’s lake in buganda Kingdom Uganda
Kabaka’s lake in buganda Kingdom Uganda: Occupying 2sq kms and estimated to be 200ft deep, the Kabaks’s lake is Africa’s only outstanding and available man-made lake up-to date. It was dug in the year 1884-1888 by a legendary Kabaka of Buganda the, Kabaka Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II. He was known for his ruthless behaviour by the Baganda people. He was a man of his word.
Kabaka’s lake sits at a close range from the city centre. In a kampala suburb called Ndeeba which is in located Rubaga Division, Kampala City in Central Uganda is where the deepest man-man made lake sits confortably at an open view by passers-by. It is estimated to be a 5km distance from Kampala city centre. It can be accessed by road, one can drive there, board a taxi or use a boda boda (public motorcycle transport in Uganda).
Why did the Kabaka Mwanga Dig the lake?
Kabaka Mwanga was said to be an adventurous man at his time in power, he was a sports man, he loved fishing and swimming as well. With all that he one day decided to be creative since he was a very wise man who could see the future at his close.
On his way from the Palace in Lubiri to Mengo, he saw a vast land sitting bare and beautiful for a lake, he goat an idea of creating a channel to link the palace in Lubiri to Lake victoria and his other palace in Munyonyo. He assumed that would also be an escape road once he was invaded by enemies.
Kabaka mwanga had not accomplished the building of his first palace at the time he got an idea of digging the Kabaka’s lake. He most times lived in the Munyonyo palace which was built by anothe Legendary king Muteesa. The kabaka did not love the Munyonyo palace and when the “Twekobe” was completed, he moved in though Munyonyo also remained his residence as well, this is the reason as to why he got an idea of linking the two palaces by digging a channel in the name of Kabaka’s lake. The Kabaka approved his idea himself and gathered his people to start on the mission. The Kabaka Mwanga himself was invlved in the act since he always led by example though the princess and other parish chiefs disobeyed the idea of digging which did not divert his idea.
The kabaka and his people on site were so determined that the digging lasted for 11 months. They worked every day. This caused many people to die due to the diseases spread amongest themselves, fatigue, hunger and even accidents. In 1888, there was an abrupt attack by christian Converts who put the planned job at hault. The didgging had then reached Najjanankumbi,a subrb in Kampala and up-to date, the Kabaka’s lake stretches from Ndeeba to Najanankumbi, it has maitained it’s state since then. It has also become a relaxing point for locals who sit there as they lisen to the birds sing. It has some few birds that can be watched as they fly over the lake.
