Lt Gen Sam Kavuma on how he got a Baganda name

Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, the Force Commander of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, has revealed the fascinating story behind his Baganda name, "Kavuma." 

Despite being a Munyankole from modern-day Kazo district in western Uganda, he explained that his name is a result of his family's nomadic history.

"I am called Kavuma, a Baganda name. But I am not a Muganda. People wonder how I, a Munyankole, ended up with the name Kavuma," he shared with leaders in Kakumiro district. 

Kavuma recounted how his parents were traditional nomads who moved their cattle in search of fresh pasture and water. 

This lifestyle, driven by the unpredictable nature of seasons and a lack of modern agricultural techniques, saw his family travel across vast distances in Uganda.

A Journey Across Uganda

Kavuma recounted that before his birth, his family had moved from Kazo district to Rwemiyaga in Ssembabule, then to the historical site of Bigo Bya Mugyenyi, before continuing to Mubende and finally Ngoma in Bulemezi.

It was in Ngoma, a part of the Buganda kingdom, that he was born in 1962 and given a Kiganda name by his parents.

This practice was common among nomadic communities, whose identities were often shaped by the places they settled in, however temporarily.

From Ngoma, his family continued their migratory life, moving to Gomba in Ssembabule before eventually returning to their ancestral home in Ankole. 

The Intervention of Yoweri Museveni

The turning point for Kavuma's family and many others like them came years later, after another dry spell. 

As they prepared for another return journey to Buganda, they had a chance encounter with a young Yoweri Museveni, who had just completed secondary school in 1967. 

Museveni and his friend, Martin Mwesigwa, who were also born into the nomadic way of life, had a vision of helping their people settle down.

The young men embarked on a difficult campaign to convince the elders to abandon their nomadic traditions, highlighting the dangers and suffering they faced. 

"Their families suffered greatly in the wilderness, where they had no essential services like health facilities," Kavuma noted.

Through their persistence, Museveni and Mwesigwa taught the communities how to harvest water, a skill that allowed them to become self-sufficient and anchor themselves to a specific location. 

This knowledge marked the beginning of these nomadic communities settling down in Uganda's cattle corridor.