FACTORS FOR THE GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF BUGANDA

• Buganda started as a very small state which made it easy to defend and administer effectively.
• Buganda was gifted with fertile soils and good climate which ensured production of Matooke to feed her big population.
• Buganda established trade links with the coastal Arabs and was able to obtain guns that helped her to expand.
• Buganda had well developed roads that connected the whole Kingdom which eased the movements of people and their goods.
• Buganda had a highly centralized system of administration which ensured stability in the Kingdom.
• Buganda had strong and capable leaders, e.g. Kabaka Ssuna, Kabaka Jjunju, Kabaka Ssekamanya .e.t.c who expanded the Kingdom to greater heights.
• The Kabaka married from all the major tribes of Buganda which created unity and loyalty of the people.
• Buganda took advantage of her weak neighbours to expand e.g. Bunyoro lost a lot of land to Buganda.
• The Kiganda society had division of Labour where by women engaged in agriculture while the men concentrated on trading, fishing and fighting to defend the empire.
• The geographical location of Buganda also gave her a security advantage e.g. Lake Victoria in the south, river Nile in the East and Lake Kyoga in the North provided natural defense barriers against enemies.
• Buganda also absorbed / conquered small communities which led to increase of her population.
• The coming of the British also led to the expansion of Buganda because they offered her enough support in defeating Bunyoro.
• The constant supply of tributes from conquered states also strengthened Buganda’s economy e.g from Busoga.

Buganda had a royal guard where by all able bodied men were supposed to go for compulsory military training so that they could defend the Kingdom