Orphaned at a young age, and been through all odds, Busoga Kingdom’s reigning 4th Kyabazinga’s life journey is one for the books.
Nile Post journeyed to his ancestral home in Busoga and we tell the story of William Gabula Kandhumbula Nadiope Iv
William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Gabula Nadiope IV has been the reigning 4th Kyabazinga of Busoga since September 2014 when he was crowned in Bugembe.
Born in Jinja on November 1988, the 35-year-old Kyabazinga is the son of Wilson Gabula Nadiope II, and Josephine Nadiope both deceased and great-grandchild of 2 times Kyabazinga of Busoga William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope III.
Both his descendant’s father and grandfather Nadiope II and III served in government, one as cabinet Minister of tourism and the other as the first Vice President of Uganda from 1962-1966.
His other great-grandfather Yosia Nadiope is credited to be the father of modern education in Busoga, after he gave land to missionaries to construct the Royalty,” BALANGIRA school “ to educate the royals which is now Present day Busoga College Mwiri.
William Gabula IV of Anglican faith, the hereditary Gabula of Bugabula will be tying the knot soon and so we journey to Busoga to dig out his history.
Our first stop is in Jinja in a place called Nile Gardens, not a hotel but a small modern village surrounded by townhouses, some of the Indian-style structures still stand and a football playground right in the Centre.
We are here to meet, a retired teacher, caretaker and aunt to the Kyabazinga, Elizabeth Mwase Kakaire.
Apart from being his aunt, their relationship with the Nadiopes runs deep.
“When the late father came back from America he settled in Nalufenya with his wife Josephine Sarah Mpaata. So we used to frequent their home even when the children were born Gabula and Yosia knew us.”
However Tragedy struck in 1991, Wilson Nadiope passed away leaving behind a widow, a 2-year-old Kyabazinga and a baby Yosia, the younger brother to the crown prince.
6 years later, in April 1997, tragedy struck again, and Josephine Sarah also passed away.
“Just before she died she asked me to take over the son and make sure he goes to Mwiri for secondary which I accepted. When she died he was in p4 he was transferred to Lohana in Kampala where he did his P7.”
As fate would have it, Kakaire says one morning she received a visit from Florence Mpaata maternal grandmother of the prince on her doorstep.
“I got a knock on the door I saw them and she said I hope you know why we have Come. Having finished p7, it’s time to fulfil that promise of Mwiri. I told her I would take the next day but she said she would leave him behind because even at school he will be staying.”
Kakaire then pulls out in her possession the original passport of the Kya bazinga's Father Arnold Nadiope
“The boy came with a suitcase and it had some of the possessions that were dear to him”
And that’s how the Journey to Balangira School Busoga College Mwiri began
Being a teacher at Mwiri herself, securing a placement for the young prince was easy.
“Peter Kintu was the Headteacher, I took the boy to him, they were from the same clan actually, and that made the placement even easier.”
Fast Forward, the journey to grooming a future leader began.
“We drove him to Mwiri where I requested we place him In Nadiope house which the teacher then Amalik Polycarp accepted.”
Kakaire narrates that by the nature of it being a boarding school, the young prince's bed was in an open space with the rest which made her uncomfortable.
“Him being a prince I wasn’t sure he would learn bad manners. I talked to Amalik again to get him a special room. He said the only way was to make him a junior prefect which we did.”
The small favors didn’t stop there, the young prince wouldn’t line up for food like everybody else but that didn’t stop his fellow classmates from teasing him
“Once in a while they would tease him, and I would tell Him one day they won’t even have access to you.”
But all wasn’t rosy, the orphaned young prince had challenges.
“School fees were an issue, I had to talk to the bursar never to send him home but just deduct from my PTA.”
The story got interesting, so we headed to the famous Busoga College Mwiri.
We are welcomed by his former CRE teacher, John Samson Okwayo.
First, he takes us to Nadiope House, titled the House of Kings and here we are shown the special room Gabula the student stayed.
Then he took us to the class where he studied.
Here we find enthusiastic young boys who want to live in his footsteps
Samson Okwayo says the prince was a disciplined young man who kept a low profile
“Even when picked on, the young man was not hyper to react, sometimes I would ask a question and they failed then I tease him, save your people.”
His affiliation not only as a descendant of the founding father of Busoga College Mwiri but as an old boy of the school is something they are proud of.
Emmanuel Kawuzi Waiswa, a classmate praises Kyabazinga for his humility.
“William the way we used to call him was a very humble man, little did we know that he would turn a Kyabazinga, actually it’s the most important thing in my life, I studied with a sitting Kyabazinga.”
We are further told, the young prince despite being reserved enjoyed a bit of dance with a few of his close friends
And just like his caretaker aunt Elizabeth Kakaire, his former teacher John Samson Okwayo, his OB waiswa and the rest that came across him in childhood hold to memories in old pictures, personal belongings and now in the current of him as the Kyabazinga of Busoga Kingdom.
