Royal Order of the Omujwaara Kondo

The first recorded recipient of the Order was Kasaru, the interpreter of Omukama Rukidi of Bunyoro, who ruled in the late 15th century, and therefore the Order is believed to be more than 500 years old.[4] 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.[5]

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 obtain the title of "Omujwaara Kondo" (English: Coronet wearer) and became an Abajwaara Kondo (a member of the group of Omujawaara Kondos). It was also normal to award recipients with elaborate headdresses made from beard and skin of the Colobus Monkey.[6]

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 [7] and 1955 between the Kingdom and the British Government recognized the Omukama's power to award this ancient honour, which was then classified as an "Order of Distinction".[8]

After Uganda gained its independence from Britain in 1962, Omukama Sir Winyi IV continued to award the honour until 1967, when the Kingdoms were abolished [9] by dictator Milton Obote. The Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara was restored on June 11, 1993 [10] with the enthronement of H.M. Solomon Iguru I, son of H.M. Omukama Sir Winyi IV of Bunyoro, the Omujwaara Kondo, similar to the other traditional honours of Bunyoro-Kitara, is once again being awarded.

The Order is listed as a "Non-Ruling Dynastic Honor and Order of Merit" by the Augustan Society.[11]

Insignia of the Order

Originally, when being awarded the Order, recipients would swear an oath of loyalty to the King, and drink a bowl of milk with the King, but now the drinking of milk is optional. How the tradition of drinking milk started is not known, but it is believed to have ties with the former large herds of Ankole cattle, which were an important part of Bunyoro economy, history and culture.

The Order was revised on March 22, 2010, by Solomon Iguru I, in an attempt to modernize it. Since then the honour has been updated to be a breast star that is 90 millimeters in diameter. This star is worn at Empango ceremonies [12] or other appropriate formal occasions, and member of the Order sits in a special place of honour during the Empango events. Traditionally the Order was only given to men, but since its restoration in 2010, women are also allowed admittance into the Order. The traditional ban on eating beans, potatoes and other vegetables has also been removed. Also recipients must be minimum 25 years of age. The honour is normally granted two times a year, once during the Empango ceremony (which most often is on June 11 each year) and the other on H.M. Solomon Iguru I's birthday on June 18.

The Order may be compared to, for example, the highest grades of the Order of Dannebrog or the Order of the Thistle. On account of its heritable nobility, it has been likened to a Baronetcy in the British Honours system.[13]