Royal Order of the Omujwaara Kondo
| Royal Order of the Omujwaara Kondo | |
|---|---|
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| Awarded by Omukama of Bunyoro | |
| Type | Single-grade two-class Chivalric order |
| Eligibility | Any individual, above the age of 25 |
| Awarded for | All that makes for the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind and Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom in particular, and those who promote work for humanity and charity, for the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger |
| Motto | “Pro Rege Lege Grege” (unofficial, no official motto exists) |
| Post-nominals | OOKB |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 15th century/revised 2010 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None |
| Next (lower) | Royal Order of the Engabu |
 Breast Stars (two classes) |
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The Order of the Omujwaara Kondo (English: Order of the Coronet Wearer) is the oldest and highest royal order of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom and is awarded solely by the Omukama (King) of Bunyoro. It is a single-grade honor, separated into two classes - Class I and Class II. Class I is limited to other royal families of the world and heads of state, while Class II is open to all persons.
The first recorded recipient of the Order was Kasaru, the interpreter of Omukama Rukidi of Bunyoro, who ruled in the late 15th century - Therefore the Order is believed to be more than 500 years old . It was normal that recipients of the Order were awarded ownership of land and it was believed that they obtained a special divine power called mahano with the admission into the order.
Recipients were awarded an Ekondo (English:coronets) and other regalia, and had special seats during ceremonies of the Kingdom. Recipients were not allowed to eat common food like potatoes and beans, instead they were expected to follow a special diet, containing primarily meat, poultry and other finer/rare foods.
When awarded the Order, recipients obtains the title of "Omujwaara Kondo" (English: Coronet wearer) and became an Abajwaara Kondo (Name for a group of Omujawaara Kondo's). It was also normal to award recipients with elaborate headdresses made from beard and skin of the Colombus Monkey.
The Order has, compared to European standards, more characteristics of a title of nobility (The award being a title and a coronet) than of an Order of Chivalry. When the British conquered the Kingdom however, the Bunyoro Agreements of 1933 and 1955 between the Kingdom and the British Government recognized the Omukama's power to award this ancient honor, which was then classified as an "Order of Distinction".
After Uganda gained its independence from Britain in 1962, Omukama Sir Winyi IV continued to award the honor until 1967, when the Kingdoms were abolished by dictator Milton Obote. The Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara was restored on June 11, 1993 with the enthronement of H.M. Solomon Iguru I, son of H.M. Omukama Sir Winyi IV of Bunyoro. After the enthronement, similar to the other traditional honors of Bunyoro-Kitara, the Omujwaara Kondo is once again being awarded.
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