Bugabula
Hereditary chiefdom of Busoga and an administrative county in Kamuli District, Uganda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bugabula is one of the five traditional principalities of the kingdom of Busoga in Uganda. It is located in the Kamuli District.
Bugabula | |
|---|---|
Hereditary chiefdom (Busoga) and administrative county | |
 Interactive map of Bugabula | |
| Coordinates: 1°05′00″N 33°08′00″E | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Region | Eastern Region |
| District | Kamuli District |
| Elevation | 1,062[1] m (3,484 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 306,092 |
| Population figure refers to Bugabula County (administrative county).[2] | |
It was founded around 1730 and became a part of the British protectorate in Busoga in 1896. Its current ruler is Gabula William Nadiope IV.[3]
History
Busoga was historically organised into hereditary chiefdoms. Bugabula is listed among the 11 chiefdoms referenced in accounts of the formation and evolution of the Kyabazingaship (the unifying leadership of Busoga).[4]
During colonial administration, Bugabula appears in historical scholarship on Busoga’s local governance and administrative reorganisation. For example, research on Busoga’s ethnic formation discusses colonial-era appointments and offices in Bugabula (including references to sub-county leadership and Bugabula's court administration).[5]
Geography and administration
Bugabula County is in Kamuli District in Uganda’s Eastern Region.[2] Sub-counties and town councils listed for Bugabula County in the 2024 census reporting include Balawoli, Bulopa, Butansi, Kagumba, Kitayunjwa, Nabwigulu, Namasagali, Namwendwa, and the town councils of Balawoli and Namwendwa.[2]
| Sub-area | Status | Population (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Balawoli | Subcounty | 11,397 |
| Balawoli | Town council | 16,278 |
| Bulopa | Subcounty | 24,265 |
| Butansi | Subcounty | 34,323 |
| Kagumba | Subcounty | 45,448 |
| Kitayunjwa | Subcounty | 42,740 |
| Nabwigulu | Subcounty | 20,702 |
| Namasagali | Subcounty | 43,127 |
| Namwendwa | Subcounty | 45,412 |
| Namwendwa | Town council | 22,400 |
| Total (Bugabula County) | 306,092 | |
| Source: CityPopulation.de (compiled from Uganda Bureau of Statistics, National Population and Housing Census 2024).[2] | ||
Demographics
Politics
In Uganda's parliamentary representation for Kamuli District, Bugabula is represented through constituencies titled Bugabula County North and Bugabula County South.[6][7] The MPs listed for the 11th Parliament (2021–2026) include John Teira (Bugabula County North) and Henry Maurice Kibalya (Bugabula County South).[6][8]
Traditional leadership
Bugabula is associated with the office of the Gabula (the hereditary chief of Bugabula). Media reporting on Busoga's leadership notes Bugabula among Busoga's chiefdoms, and reports that Prince William Gabula Nadiope IV from Bugabula chiefdom in Kamuli District was installed as Kyabazinga of Busoga in September 2014 at Bugembe (Busoga Kingdom headquarters).[9]