Those Who Came Before Us is an immersive journey into African history, oral traditions, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of the Great Lakes. From Buganda and Bunyoro to the mysteries of the Bachwezi and the spirits of Lake Victoria, each episode blends history and myth to reveal the emotional and spiritual world of East Africa. Together, we hold a lantern to the darkness of the past. So that the stories, fears, and ambitions of those who came before us are never forgotten. New episodes explore…
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Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the role of horns in spiritual practice across kingdoms like Buganda, Bunyoro, and Busoga. Often filled, sealed, and carried, these horns were believed to contain forces that could protect individuals from harm but also act against others. Moving beyond simple explanations, this episode looks at how these practices reflect a broader worldview: one in…
Send us Fan Mail This is the story I didn’t say. In the main episode, I focused on what the envoys meant to Buganda. Here, I slow things down and follow their journey step by step from the Nile, through Sudan, into Egypt, and eventually to England. This is a closer look at the places they passed through, the people they encountered, and the world they were trying to make sense of. If you want to…
Send us Fan Mail By 1879, the kingdom of Buganda found itself caught in the expanding shadow of empire. To the north, Egyptian forces were pushing deeper into the Upper Nile, threatening to extend their authority toward the Great Lakes. In this episode of Those Who Came Before Us, we explore how Kabaka Muteesa I responded to this growing danger. Facing the possibility of Egyptian domination, the…
Send us Fan Mail Lake Victoria has always been more than geography. For the people who lived along its shores in Buganda and across the Great Lakes region, it was a living domain capable of taking life without warning, yet sustaining entire communities. In this episode, we explore Mukasa, the spirit of the lake whose power touched every layer of life: food, labor, kingship, fertility, and the…
Send us Fan Mail The world’s second-largest freshwater lake is more than a body of water. It is a boundary. For those who lived along its shores in East Africa, Lake Victoria was shaped by unseen presence—spirits, serpents, and forces that governed life, death, and survival. In this episode, we explore Lukwata and the serpent world beneath the waters. These were not just myths, but part of a…
Send us Fan Mail At Kagei the crucial port on the southern shore of Lake Victoria and the main gateway to Buganda by canoe, James Hannington finally steps free after his detention by King Romwa of Buzinza. But just as the last stretch of his journey comes into view, sickness overwhelms him. Too weak to continue , Hannington realizes his long-awaited mission is slipping away. Buganda lies just…
Send us Fan Mail After a brutal trek across the interior, James Hannington and two fellow missionaries finally reach the lands of Romwa of Buzinza, exhausted, sick, and desperate for canoes to cross Lake Victoria. But with empty hands and no tribute to offer, they quickly learn that Romwa is no simple chief. He is a wary monarch guarding his sovereignty in a world where strangers mean danger… and…
Send us Fan Mail Frail and fevered, James Hannington reaches the caravan’s camp only to find them seized by dread. Beyond the horizon lies Mirambo’s domain, a land few dare to cross. His name moves through Central Africa like a storm: the warrior-king who defied the Arabs and reshaped the trade routes. When the caravan finally leaves Uyui without him, they are forced to turn back. And when they…
Send us Fan Mail The missionary James Hannington crosses the harsh Ugogo Plains of Tanzania’s Dodoma region, home of the Wagogo people. Battling wind, dust, and disease, his faith is tested in one of the most unforgiving stretches of the 19th-century East African caravan routes. Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc Youtube video link: https://youtu.be/lKSKkwjdBJQ Sources Ashe, Robert…
Send us Fan Mail Today marks 140 years since the death of Bishop James Hannington of the Church Missionary Society, killed on his way to the Buganda Kingdom on October 29, 1885. What many don’t realize is that this was actually his second attempt to reach Buganda. By then, the kingdom had become a prime destination for European explorers, missionaries, and Arab traders especially after H. M.…