Those Who Came Before Us
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 African mythology, Buganda history, and the hidden worlds of pre-colonial East Africa.
Those Who Came Before Us
At the Edge of Buganda: Why James Hannington Turned Back (Part 5)
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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 across the water from Kagei yet it has never felt more unreachable.
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Sources
- Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894
- Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.
- Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908
- “Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.
- Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.
- Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.
- Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.
- Hartwig, Gerald W. “The Victoria Nyanza as a Trade Route in the Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of African History 11, no. 4 (1970): 535–52.
- Holmes, C. F. “Zanzibari Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route.” African Historical Studies 4, no. 3 (1971): 477–503.
- Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.
- Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910
- Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.
- Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.