Excerpt from a book by Israel Siriri, “Way of Life for Abayudaya, The Jews of Uganda”

The Jews of Uganda are known as “Abayudaya,” which in the native Luganda language means “the people of Judah.” Unlike other remote Jewish communities whose origins may be lost in the mists of time, the origin of the Abayudaya can be traced to a specific person and date. Semei Kakungulu was not only the founder of the Abayudaya community but is also remembered as a major figure in Ugandan history. In the nineteenth century, in the area that later became Uganda, some tribes had established kingdoms in their territories, and others had not. Semei Kakungulu was born in 1869 in the Kooki Kingdom, which was later (1896) absorbed by the kingdom of Buganda. Kakungulu first rose to prominence through his hunting abilities, providing ivory to Kabaka (king) Mwanga, which he exchanged for foreign goods from Arab traders.

In the latter part of the 19th century, European powers colonized Africa, and this was accomplished not only by military actions but also by traders such as the British East Africa Company and by religious missionaries. The competition for this territory was between the British (with Protestant missionaries) and the French (with Catholic missionaries). Between 1889 and 1900, Kakungulu led Baganda soldiers in a series of military actions, which helped the British establish their control over the eastern region of Uganda, especially the Busoga, Bukedi, and Bugisu regions. The British recognized him, made him a chief in that region, and gave him and several of his followers land around Mbale. Semei Kakungulu moved with fighters and elders, both men and women; 1,246 armies and 4,321 additional non-military followers moved with him from Buganda to eastern Uganda. In total, he had 5,567 people.

In the course of this association with the British, Semei Kakungulu and other leaders who had been converted to Christianity were given the Bible translated into Luganda, which they used to study, discuss, and teach others. Besides being soldiers, in April 1893, Kakungulu and another 39 Baganda chiefs freed all their slaves. The denomination of Christianity that Kakungulu adopted, called Malakite, observed the Shabbat on Saturday and interpreted much of the Bible literally, and as they read the Bible, he started to encounter verses that prohibited eating certain animal meat, fish, birds, and insects. He also encountered verses about circumcision on the eighth day and observed the Sabbath on the seventh day.

The community that Kakungulu established around Mbale followed this Malakite Christianity, and his reading of the Bible raised many questions in his mind, but when he started to challenge his friends as to why some practices commanded in the Bible were not put into action, he was told that these were only done by the Jews. In 1919, Semei Kakungulu declared himself a Jew; later that year, a son was born to him, and he circumcised him on the eighth day. It was at this point that he and his followers broke away from the church to start Jewish practice. This represents the beginning of the Abayudaya, which means, in Luganda, the people of Judah. Semei Kakungulu started by circumcising his eight-day-old son, who had been born to him at that time, as well as himself and his followers. They tore the New Testament pages of their Bibles, and the Abayudaya continue to do so today. In the beginning, it was not easy for them to follow Jewish practices because they had neither the Jewish calendar, nor prayer books, nor basic information about the Torah or Jewish law and practice.

Kakungulu continued studying at home with his followers until one day he was at a leadership program in Mbale town, which was also attended by an Indian Jew called Joseph, who worked with the water department in Mbale. Joseph sat at some distance and looked at Kakungulu in his unique traditional clothing (white kanzu) with a white rob (head wrap). He noticed that Semei was very careful in his eating habits, and this prompted Joseph to ask his neighbor who the man was. His answer was, “That is Kakungulu the Jew.” Joseph replied, “The Jew? Is that man a Jew?” “Yes, if you want, go and ask him.” At the end of the meeting, Joseph introduced himself to Kakungulu and made arrangements to visit him at his home in Gangangama.

When Joseph went to visit Semei at his home, he found him with his followers in Bible study, something that amused Joseph. He had brought with him a Jewish calendar, a prayer book, and a tallit. This provided the right guidance for Kakungulu’s journey. Mishael Bilogi, being younger than Kakungulu, learned Hebrew faster. He used to visit Joseph and learn with him how to read Hebrew and understand the meanings of some words.

Kakungulu established synagogues in Busoga, Namutumba, Nasenyi, Kabwangasi, Namanyonyi, Bukedi, Namagumba, Mbale town, and Nabugoye village, assigning to his students the duties of spiritual leadership. He had also allocated part of his land for the construction of Abayudaya headquarters on Nabugoye Hill. With his sponsorship, a spiritual foundation had been dug for the larger synagogue before his death.

Kakungulu had wealth in terms of cows and land that was given to him as a reward for his work. The Malakite Christianity that Kakungulu and his community had previously followed rejected modern medicine because it is not mentioned in the Bible. Kakungulu himself reported having lost a herd of cattle because he refused to inoculate them, and it is believed that tetanus and smallpox that invaded Uganda in 1928 could have been the cause of his death at that time.

Semei Kakungulu died at the age of 59 at 10:35 p.m. on Monday, November 24th, 1928, at his home in Gangangama. He was buried on November 27 in the presence of many people from different places who came to pay respect. It is noted that Semei Kakungulu loved reading the Bible, and he liked stories of King David. Sadly, his death left a big gap because he was the sole financier of all activities in the different synagogues.

Semei Kakungulu had 13 children, four boys and nine girls, and at the time of his death, one grandchild, Seth Kakungulu, but none of them followed their father’s route (Judaism). It is believed that soon after he died, his children were taken to the Buganda kingdom, where they were cared for, taken to Christian schools, and taught Christianity. They married Christian partners, and this further made them forget Judaism. At that time, the family had not yet adopted Judaism enough to resist assimilation; this also affected many families. Although few of his descendants have kept his Jewish faith, Semei Kakungulu became the founder of the Abayudaya through his converts, whom we referred to as the founding fathers of the Abayudaya.

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About the Author

Israel Siriri was born in Nabuli village to Magoba Rachael and Shadrach Siriri. His father was among the first converts of Semei Kakungulu, and his mother was the daughter of Rabbi Samsom Mugabe. He went to Nabuli primary school, Mbale secondary school for a lower secondary, and Wanale View for an upper secondary, and joined Bushenyi Technical College for a technical diploma in civil engineering and building. Israel served as a youth leader in the Kibbutzi movement and was later elected chairperson of the main leadership of the Abayudaya community for 6 years. He is the executive director of the “Light of Hope for Widows and Needy Children Foundation.” He currently owns two businesses: construction and a shopping center in Mbale town.