Busoga Kingdom anthem’s composer reflects on his work
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Arthur Musulube of Uganda composed the Busoga Kingdom anthem after the restoration of traditional institutions in 1993, when the kingdom was still using a modified Buganda anthem.
Before this, Basoga people substituted the word "Busoga" for "Buganda" when singing the latter. Kingdom leaders then asked Musulube, already known for composing the Uganda National Schools’ Anthem, to create a song reflecting Busoga’s unique identity.
Musulube drew inspiration from a speech by the Kyabazinga, the kingdom’s leader, who described a talented person as “very lucky and blessed.” He built the anthem around these words, incorporating elements celebrating Busoga’s natural resources, including the Source of the Nile near Jinja, and its cultural unity. He intentionally designed the song to represent the geography of the region, the River Nile and Lake Victoria, through a hand gesture.
Musulube, a veteran music educator and former school inspector, composed the anthem alone, then presented it to the Uganda Messengers Association for production. It debuted in 1995 and was officially performed at the coronation of Kyabazinga Henry Wako Muloki in 1996. He continues to participate in church music in his 80s and received the Eninha ya Kiira medal from the Kyabazinga in 2019, though advocates say more support is needed for cultural artists in Uganda.
