Before the coming of Islam in East Africa, what is now called the demarcated region of East
Africa comprising of countries like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (Tanganyika) was nonexistent.
This region had people who lived in either segmentary or centralized societies like the
Nandi, Kamba, Kikuyu and Masai in Kenya; Baganda, Banyoro, Iteso and Langi in Uganda
and Nyamwezi, Chagga and others in Tanganyika.
Before the coming of Islam, the peoples of what came to be East Africa, had their own ways
of life; and these ways were looked at in political, social, economic and religious circles.

1. Politically, there were two major systems of governance; that is the centralized and
   the segmentary systems.
2. Under the centralized system of governance, all political powers lay in the hands of
   the chief or king. The king owned every thing ranging from land to animals. For
   example the Kabaka (King of Buganda) is called Beene which is a Kiganda attribute
   for king, which means the absolute owner of everything in Buganda.
3. The Kings and Chiefs had absolute powers over their subjects to the extent that they
   could dictate death on their subjects. For instance, it was reported that when the
   Arabs introduced guns in Unyamwezi land, Mirambo ordered that some strong men
   be collected so that the power of the gun would be tested on them.
4. In centralized systems or societies, succession to the throne was hereditary where
   the son or brother of the reigning king would be chosen to succeed him in case the
   reigning king died.