Katuna
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Gatuna Katuna |
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|---|---|
| Town | |
 Gatuna
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| Coordinates: 01°25′48″S 30°01′03″E / 1.43000°S 30.01750°E | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Region | Western Uganda |
| Sub-region | Kigezi sub-region |
| District | Kabale District |
| Elevation | 1,825 m (5,988 ft) |
| Climate | Cwb |
Katuna is a town in the Kabale District of Uganda at the border with Rwanda. In the Kinyarwanda language, the town is called "Gatuna".
Katuna is located on the Ugandan border with Rwanda, in extreme southwestern Uganda. The town is located in Kamuganguzi Sub-region, Ndorwa County. This is approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi), by road, south of Kabale, the largest city in the sub-region. The coordinates of the town are:1°25'22.0"S, 30°00'39.0"E (Latitude:-1.422778; Longitude:30.010833).
Katuna is a major entrance point to Rwanda and handles most of Rwanda's imports from and exports to Uganda. Most goods bound for Rwanda from the Kenyan port of Mombasa pass through Katuna. Because of increased commercial and tourist traffic, Katuna is a fast-growing town. The border at Katuna is open 24 hours a day.
In the pre-colonial times Katuna was a very important place. Around 1600AD, the first Bakiga (named after their ancestor Kashyiga) arrived from Rwanda, came to the hills of Kagarama and Rwanyena, fearing to cross the big lake which they named Bunyonyi, (too big that small birds could not cross it), they discovered a shorter route along the plains where there was a tree under which they rested, played and prayed giving thanks to their ancestors before they could proceed to the hills. They called the place Gatuna for a meeting place.
However, some fellow Rwandese immigrants who came following their relatives lost their way and went to Rubaya. That time, they migrated from Rwanda in places like Byumba, Murindi, Ruhengyere, Mukaniga and Buganza (especially from the Bumbogo Kingdom) in search of fertile land and to escape natural hazards and internal political conflicts. When Chief Rubunga was sending envoys to Mpororo, it is at Gatuna under the command of the now called the Abagyesera and Abasigi clans that the first group disobeyed and went towards Ankore. This was the beginning of the decentralization of the Rukiga Kingdom. From that time, different clans were formed, no longer heeding allegiance to the Main Chief. Rubunga belonged to the Bamuhutu ruling as a Mungura. Till today, there’s still a dispute among the Bakiga who was their real King. However, many legends hold that, due to fear of the brutality of the Abungura who mistreated most of the Bakiga, after the death of Rubunga, the Bakiga formed Abakuru b’Ekika (elders of homesteads) but feared to ask the Abungura to give them Umwami or Omukama.
Thereafter they elected abakuru b’emidyango (elders of clans) who were representatives but since these had to refer to one elder, which idea they did not like, the whole of Kiga Kingdom collapsed. The colonialist benefited this situation by forming one big political district called Kigezi. Today, Gatuna is still largely occupied by the Abasigi, Abagyesera and the Abungura sub-clans.
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Wikipedia