Case studies of collaboration

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Buganda
In  1875, starting  from the south,  Stanley  travelled  around  Lake  Victoria  and ended up  in the court of Buganda's   Kabaka Muteesa  I. Buganda's   collaboration  with British had began as far  back  as  1862 when  Kabaka  Muteesa   I welcomed   John  Speke.  The  coming  in of Stanley  added  on  another  good  impression.    Stanley's   visit  coincided  with  threats  being mounted on Buganda  from Bunyoro  and Egypt  from the North.
However,  Muteesa's   experience  with  John Speke  taught  him an Important  lesson  that the white man was powerful  and if he befriended  him, Muteesa  would have a lot of advantages over  his enemy  neighbours.   It was his  hospitality   and  his impression  on Europeans   that made him welcome  another  explorer Henry Morton  Stanely in 1875.
By  this  time,  Muteesa   I was  already  convinced   that  the  Europeans  were  strong  and  he requested  Stanley to write a letter inviting European  Christian  missionaries  to his land. This letter led to the coming  of Church Missionary  Society  missionaries  in 1877 and the Roman Catholic  white fathers in 1879.
By  1884, at the death ofKabaka   Muteesa  I, Europeans  had already  established  themselves in Buganda  especially  through  their Missionary  work,  which  produced  a class of Baganda converts  who collaborated  with the British  in estabalishing  colonialism  in Buganda  and the rest of the country.
REASONS   FOR  COLABORATION     OF BUGANDA.
1.    The coming  in of first explorers  and long distance  traders  in Kabaka's   palace  notified  him about the usefulness  of a gun especially  in matters  of political  control.  Therefore,  Kabaka Muteesa  I collaborated  because  he wanted  guns to fight his neighbours  especially  Bunyoro under Kabalega who was expanding  eastwards.
2.    Through the messengers  of Charles Gordon,  the governor  of Equatorial  Province,  Muteesa I had learnt the ambitiousness   of Khedive  Ismail  of Egypt  to conquer  the source  of River Nile.    He  therefore    invited   Christian   missionaries    not  necessarily    for  the  need   of Cbristianity    but  because  -he wanted  Europeans   1D  hIS kingdom   who  would  defend  him against Egyptians.
3.      Baganda  wanted  to behave  in confirmiry with  expectations   of  a good  Christian  convert.
The Baganda  became  the first beneficiaries  of Christian  reaching after embracing  the white
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can's   religion.  They  saw a necessity  for collaboration  as good Christian  converts,  to their resistance  meant  being antiprogress  and irreligious
Baganda  recognised  their  military  weakness.  The  Baganda  also collaborated   because  they were convinced   that  the  military   might  of  the  British  could  not  be  challenged.   Kabaka Mutesa's   delegation   to queen  Victoria  of England  in  1875 explained  the  British  military
might                   .
The Baganda  also collaborated   to gain wealth  and raided  items  from Bunyoro.  This is why tney  accepted   to  be  armed   against   Kabalega   of  Bunyoro.    The  war  against   Bunyoro provided them with a lot of territory  and looted property.
A number  of Baganda   collaborated   as a strategy  for personal   advancement.   These  were opportunists    who  jumped   on  the  colonial   band- wagon   in  order   to  reap   the  fruits  of collaboration.   Many  of  these  were  employed   as chiefs,  tax  collectors,   law  enforcement officers  and  became   the  functionaries    of  colonial   rule  both  in Buganda   and  the  rest  of Uganda.  Such  included  Semei  Kakungulu   who played  a leading  role in spreading  colonial rule  in  Eastern   Uganda.   Others   were  Apollo  Kaggwa,   Stanslus   Mugwanya   and  Prince Mbogo who were all allies because  of the British  power and influence.
The  religious    wars   especially    between    1886-1893   created   a  lot  of  confusion   to  the kingdom.  The conflicts  between  protestants  and catholics  encouraged  the British to come to establish  colonial  rule in Buganda.  Since these  were Christian  converts  it became  very easy for the British   to put them  under  their rule.  The Buganda  agreement  of 1900 demonstrates the role of Christian  converts  in putting  Buganda  under colonial  rule.
HOW THE BAGANPA   COLLABORATED.
To a large  extent,  the  Baganda   collaborated   with  the  British  colonialist   in the following
ways:
1.Unlike  some  societies   in Africa,  the Baganda  were  hospitable   and  accommodative.   They invited    and   welcomed     Christian    missionaries     in  their   kingdom    who   brought    th- collaboration  response  to climax with the signing  of 1900 Buganda  agreement.
2.They embraced  Christian  teachings  and this created  a number  of followers  who were ready even to die  in the name  of Jesus  Christ.  Missionaries   used  a lot  of propaganda   involving quotations   in the  Bible  that made  Baganda  fail to oppose  the white  men  hence  leading  to easy colonisation  of the Baganda
3.They  accepted   to  be  employed    as  administrators,     tax  collectors,    supervisors   and  law enforcement   officers.  They were  even employed   in the imposition   of colonial  rule outside                      Buganda.  For example,  Sir Apollo  Kaggwa  and Semei Kakungulu,
4.As  a matter  of appreciation   Baganda  were  rewarded   with  two  kingdoms   of Buyaga  and Bugangaizi.    This  was  because   they   had   allied   with  the  British   in  their   war  against Kabalega.  They were responsible   for the defeat and capture  of both Mwanga  and Kabalega.
5.      They  accepted  to pay taxes, provide  labour  and to grow cash crops  like cotton and coffee.
This explains  why cash crop growing  registered  success  in Buganda  than elsewhere  in the country.                                                                                                              
6.    They  agreed  to hand over their  independence   by signing  the Buganda  agreement  with the British  in  1900 despite  its restrictions   on Buganda  kingdom  and  Kabaka's   powers.  This was an extreme way of collaboration.
7.    Instead  of  Luganda  language,   they  adopted  the  use  of  English   language  as the  official hence a sign of collaboration.  Important  kingdom  documents  were made in English because they were simpler to read by the white  men.
8.    Baganda  participated  in cash  crop  growing  such  as cotton  and coffee,  which  they did not know their end product.  Their  food production  strategy  was abandoned  which  resulted  into famine outbreak  in Buganda  Kingdom.  Hence a sign of collaboration.
However, they resisted to a small extent:
9.    Kabaka  Mwanga  openly  opposed  the activities  of the British  colonial  rule in Buganda  by killing  Bishop Hannington  and massacring  many other  colonial  converts  in 1886. However this led to his exilement  in Seychelles  Island in 1899.
10.    Baganda  refused  to pay  taxes.  A lot of force  and manpower   has to be used  in collection  of but tax, gun tax and poll  tax from Baganda.  Local chiefs  lived  in a risk of being dismissed
after failing to raise expected  tax revenues  from the subjects.
11.        Britain  was involved  in land grabbing  e.g. after the signing  of the Buganda  agreement  part of Buganda  land  was  taken  over  by  the  British  government   and  named  It  "Crown  land" while  the Baganda  were  offered  the chance  to share  the remaining   land and it was named "mailo  land" because  it was measured  in miles,  cbiefs  and other  notable  ones  to Buganda had  powers  of taking big shares  of mailo  land tban peasants  etc. This caused  resistance  to B,aganda squatters.
12.    There was resistance  against  growing  of coffee.
Many  had to be whipped  before  their  involvement   in coffee  activities.  Thus  the origin  of the term "Kiboko"  meaning  a whip as another brand of coffee cash crop in Uganda.