21 “The Battle of Nsinsi”

A supplementary account of the history of “The Battle of Nsinsi” came from the interpreter Edward Ssebunnya Kironde, who identified one of the individuals who died during the conflict and the subsequent story of his status following his death and through the ages:

Another interpreter, Jessy Ssendawula, elaborated on this history:

Joseph Kyagambiddwa offers a detailed historical context on the conflict that “The Battle of Nsinsi” references, noting that King Jjunju (r. ca. 1780–1797) was unmatched in his warlike nature among all previous kings of Buganda and second only to Kintu in bravery. Driven partly by a desire to reunify the fragmented kingdom and partly by a natural affinity for combat, he transformed warfare into the nation’s primary occupation, viewing peacetime as mere idleness. His greatest accomplishment came when he conquered the wealthy county of Buddu from Bunyoro—a territory his predecessors had repeatedly failed to annex through both military campaigns and diplomatic negotiations. The only battle Jjunju ever lost was one he did not initiate; his brother, Prince Ssemakookiro, staged a rebellion and marched against him with an army of loyal followers. The decisive confrontation occurred at Nsinsi, where after brutal fighting the king’s forces were defeated, Jjunju himself was killed, and his victorious brother ascended to the throne of Buganda, ruling from approximately 1797 to 1814. In the aftermath of this civil war, musicians composed “The Battle of Nsinsi” to preserve the memory of this bloody conflict for future generations—a battle so fierce that some of the stubbornly defiant vanquished soldiers became wanderers who eventually emerged as a new tribe known as the Abakunta people.4Kyagambiddwa 1955, 121.

These accounts offer diverse insights into the dynamics as well as immediate and lasting effects of the civil war that “The Battle of Nsinsi” commemorates. For example, Ssendawula’s discussion articulates the frame of mind that drives the warriors of Buganda to fight and ultimately to die in Nsinsi. Of course, none of these people desire death, but in recognizing their social duty as warriors, they lay down their lives. In considering themselves extensions of their communities, the warriors sacrifice themselves for the good of the whole. Rather than being obsessed with maintaining themselves, they are willing to give that up for the sake of those they care about. This complex imbues civil war with new meanings of dedication and selflessness. Rather than lamenting the warriors’ deaths, Ssendawula’s comments recognize and contemplate the willpower that precedes those deaths, thus illustrating the dedication with which the people of Buganda serve their kingdom. This point of view is especially relevant to national politicians, as we frequently encounter in them the opposite approach to struggle—self-centered avoidance. The trend implies that contemporary office holders might benefit from beginning to fulfill the duties of the office, as the warriors mentioned in “The Battle of Nsinsi” do.

In addition, Kironde’s explanation of the enduring presence of Kibuuka, the Baganda’s god of war, shows that violent conflict is still “alive” in the sense that it remains in the lore of the people. Just as living figures change with their environment, so does the perception of this battle. It melds to fit the demands and desires of those who engage with it. Kibuuka is a prime example, for recognizing him as a spirit represents the literal life that he carries as an idea persisting through generations. An idea, although ephemeral, is nonetheless real, as it affects the world around it, and that world affects it in return. This philosophy reshapes our understanding of what it means to die. It shows us that the battle at Nsinsi still affects us today, through pieces and scraps of remembrance that reverberate throughout time, as we see in “The Battle of Nsinsi.” The warriors themselves live on, too, as spirits and conceptions that inform how we experience and encounter the world.

In Majwala’s and Bisaso’s performances of “The Battle of Nsinsi,” both musicians accompany their singing with the bow harp (ennanga), but each musician uses unique aspects of his creative power to express the themes of the song’s lyrics. The bow harp produces a soft, buzzy timbre, and its instrumental part features two interlocking melodies that support the performer’s vocal melody. These three melodies are inextricable and complementary. Both Majwala and Bisaso commence their performances with brief instrumental passages that gradually speed up before they sing wistfully. Both renditions also feature bouncy rhythms in triple meter, with vocal melodies trickling sparsely over the instrumentals. Majwala conveys the lyrical content with a unique style of vocal phrasing. He begins each phrase on a higher note and, after a brief sustain, descends into a lower range before ending completely. In other instances, a select few phrases ascend again. This and other features evoke different emotions associated with war and conflict, which Majwala and Bisaso express through an intimate and spontaneous fashion, including chant-like singing that personalizes the delivery of the text. Majwala’s lyrics appear below:

Majwala’s version reveals that the singer was too young to participate in the battle (lines 3–4) and, as a result, did not share the gruesome fate that the conflict meant for those who fought there. At the end of the song, the singer expresses a reluctance to go with a colleague named Nsanso (lines 10–12), suggesting his distaste for war and his preference to avoid going into conflict if possible. The singer indirectly criticizes political decision-making that lusts for conflict more than it seeks consensus. Using Nsinsi as an example, he emphasizes that the main thing that comes from violent conflict is loss. Rather than describing the political advantage that some may have achieved from the battle, he illustrates that regardless of the outcome, people died (lines 6–7). In the later section of the song, when the singer describes his youth at the time of the battle (lines 3–4), he advocates for learning from past mistakes. Having survived this violence, he seeks to ensure that people do not repeat history’s mistakes.

Bisaso’s performance of “The Battle of Nsinsi” is much briefer—just two lines. His vocals sound mellow and reserved, carrying a mournful weight that reflects the negative impacts of war: