Language, Geography, & History
S. Srikanth
Note: the playwright will be referred to as Seremba, while the character will be referred to as George. Previously, this has been one and the same, but in a production wherein we intend to cast a different actor for the main role, it is important to differentiate between playwright and character.
It is fascinating to examine the rich political, geographical, and language-based histories of Come Good Rain. Indeed, Seremba’s inclusion of a historical timeline and translations throughout the play are key to enriching our own understanding of the play as members of a creative team; however, a few things are important to consider. For one — and this is no fault of the playwright — the historical timeline could be benefitted by richer details. Additionally, one must consider the impact of languages in the play — occasionally, the script provides translations (Seremba 13), and at other times, George himself translates a line from another character (Seremba 15-6). Finally, due to the fact that the majority of a creative team and general audience will likely be unfamiliar with many of the locations referenced in the play, some geographical explanations and markers are important to provide. These three items — languages, geography, and history — will be further unpacked in this section.
It is fascinating to examine the rich political, geographical, and language-based histories of Come Good Rain. Indeed, Seremba’s inclusion of a historical timeline and translations throughout the play are key to enriching our own understanding of the play as members of a creative team; however, a few things are important to consider. For one — and this is no fault of the playwright — the historical timeline could be benefitted by richer details. Additionally, one must consider the impact of languages in the play — occasionally, the script provides translations (Seremba 13), and at other times, George himself translates a line from another character (Seremba 15-6). Finally, due to the fact that the majority of a creative team and general audience will likely be unfamiliar with many of the locations referenced in the play, some geographical explanations and markers are important to provide. These three items — languages, geography, and history — will be further unpacked in this section.
Language
Let us begin with some language exploration. From the onset — before the play even begins, in Seremba’s acknowledgements — he says “As we say in Luganda: Mwebale nyo, thank you so very much” (Seremba 3). Luganda is one of the major languages used in Uganda, used by more than 8 million Baganda (a Bantu ethnic group from Buganda, a province in Uganda), and spoken in the capital city of Kampala (‘Luganda’). It is interesting to note that this language developed through centuries as a spoken language, and only relatively recently (that is: second half of the 19th century) that it began to appear and be recorded as a written language as well. Indeed, the prevalence of a written form of Luganda may be tied to ideas of diaspora — it was only after the movement of Arab and European peoples and their influences into Uganda that the language began to take on a written form (‘Speaking and Writing Luganda’). The 8 million Baganda that primarily speak Luganda are composed of 52 clans, and are the largest ethnic group in Uganda, accounting for 17% of total Ugandan population as of 2014 (‘Luganda’). More generally speaking, Bantu ethnic groups and their spoken languages account for 65% of total population (Seremba 9). Seremba is also quick to point out that “English is the common language of inter-ethnic communication” (Seremba 9); as people move throughout the country, language might normally become a barrier, but Uganda’s British colonial roots are preserved in the memory of the country. However, Swahili’s status as a lingua franca (a language used as communication between people with different native languages) again speaks to ideas of diaspora in the play, and in the fabric of Uganda’s history; Swahili is not native to Uganda, with its origins coming from the East Coast of Africa and developing through contact with Arab traders. It is also interesting to note that Swahili, despite its use as a lingua franca, has roots in Arab slave caravans and European colonization of the continent (‘Swahili Language’). Seremba even utilizes Swahili in the dedication to ‘Auntie Gladys’ (Seremba 12). In a country with various spoken languages, many of them are not native to Uganda; the movement of people and culture across the continent through history and colonization have created a rich linguistic tapestry in the country (‘Cultural Patterns’). Language in the play is a tool; when in possession of the script, we are afforded the opportunity to view translations provided by Seremba (unspoken), translations provided by George (spoken lines), and to acquire our own translations if desired, as we have the written words to actually translate. However, for a viewing audience, the language can be a tool of disorientation; without an English translation, there is likely no way to provide meaning to some of the words spoken. Providing English translations in a handout would likely be ineffective and possibly exclusionary, as it would pull focus from onstage action and there is no guarantee that an English translation would be the most effective for a diverse audience. However, perhaps the disorienting nature of untranslated language is itself the most effective tool. In moments where George sings and does not translate himself (e.g., Seremba 13), perhaps an understanding of the words is not what is needed, but a feel for the rhythm and emotion in the melody/voice. In another instance, such as the beginning of the second act, the soldiers bark orders at George, which he follows without translating for the audience. In hearing an untranslated language as part of the action, a typical audience may feel overwhelmed or confused; perhaps this is most effective in getting the audience to understand the emotional circumstances of the given moment, as confusion and fear likely dominated George’s feelings at the time. Instead of being a distancing tool, then, perhaps untranslated language in Come Good Rain actually serves to bring the audience closer to George.
Above: a breakdown of language type in Uganda ('Languages of Uganda').
Geography
Seremba also presents multiple geographically-based references through the play. These are key to examine, as the diasporic nature of his own story can be more greatly appreciated with a proper understanding of locations. In the information Seremba provides, he notes that: “Neighbouring countries include: Zaire to the west, Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, and Tanzania and Rwanda to the south” (Seremba 9). Seremba initially wrote the play in 1993, when the country of Zaire existed; now, that area is known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Zaire in its initial form collapsing in part due to instability caused by the Rwandan Genocide and withdrawal of American support after the Cold War (‘Zaire’; ‘Africa’). The creation of the Republic of Uganda itself was not naturally done. British colonizers, in efforts to secure control of a given area, created their own boundaries and combined various ethnic and cultural groups into an area wherein they would all be given one label (that is: Ugandans) (‘World Factbook: Uganda’). This artificial and forced geography later complicated politics in the country, as an independent Uganda struggled to develop a unifying political identity (Collins & Burns 2013). Throughout the play, Seremba references different locations; to aid in both the development and understanding of this project, key locations will be briefly defined below (with page numbers of first reference in brackets):
Rubaga (17): a residential division in Kampala, Uganda
Nabunya (17): a road that runs through central-west Kampala
Luwero (24): a district in the Central Region of Uganda
Lwabenge (24): sub-county in Uganda
Kalisizo (24): a town in the southern section of the Central Region of Uganda
Akokoro District (26): sub-county in Uganda, north of Kampala
Kilungu (33): sub-county in Kenya
Banda (46): neighbourhood in Kampala
Kireka (46): township in central Uganda — part of Kira Municipality
Bweyogerere (46): township in central Uganda — part of Kira Municipality
Jinja (52): town in southern Uganda — located along the source of the Nile River
Owen Falls Dam (55): power station along the Nile that has its source at Lake Victoria, Uganda
Mukono (55): municipality in the Mukono District of the Central Region of Uganda
Lugazi (55): municipality in the Buikwe District of the Central Region of Uganda (A.K.A. ‘Kawolo’)
Mabira Forest (55): a 300 square km rainforest in Buikwe District, between Lugazi and Jinja
Bulumagi (55): village in central Uganda
Iganga (56): town in Eastern Region of Uganda, and the centre of the Iganga District
Mulago (58): hospital in Kampala
Namanve Forest (59): forest in Mukono District
Kibuye (60): small section in central Kampala
Kisubi (60): small neighbourhood in the Central Region of Uganda
Entebbe (62): town on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, central Uganda
Rubaga (17): a residential division in Kampala, Uganda
Nabunya (17): a road that runs through central-west Kampala
Luwero (24): a district in the Central Region of Uganda
Lwabenge (24): sub-county in Uganda
Kalisizo (24): a town in the southern section of the Central Region of Uganda
Akokoro District (26): sub-county in Uganda, north of Kampala
Kilungu (33): sub-county in Kenya
Banda (46): neighbourhood in Kampala
Kireka (46): township in central Uganda — part of Kira Municipality
Bweyogerere (46): township in central Uganda — part of Kira Municipality
Jinja (52): town in southern Uganda — located along the source of the Nile River
Owen Falls Dam (55): power station along the Nile that has its source at Lake Victoria, Uganda
Mukono (55): municipality in the Mukono District of the Central Region of Uganda
Lugazi (55): municipality in the Buikwe District of the Central Region of Uganda (A.K.A. ‘Kawolo’)
Mabira Forest (55): a 300 square km rainforest in Buikwe District, between Lugazi and Jinja
Bulumagi (55): village in central Uganda
Iganga (56): town in Eastern Region of Uganda, and the centre of the Iganga District
Mulago (58): hospital in Kampala
Namanve Forest (59): forest in Mukono District
Kibuye (60): small section in central Kampala
Kisubi (60): small neighbourhood in the Central Region of Uganda
Entebbe (62): town on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, central Uganda
History
Finally, a more detailed examination of the historical timeline provided by Seremba may help appreciate the references made throughout the play. Indeed, even for our own purposes — though we have access to Seremba’s timeline — it may be helpful to examine a few other resources to aid our own understanding of the various political climates created under each leader. For an audience, it would be helpful to disseminate a condensed version of this information, with the hope that they may at least skim the information before, during intermission, or after the play to enrich their own experience. Per an in-depth study by Sejjaaka (2004), 68 years of British colonial rule had left Uganda with a vibrant, promising economy, with some of the highest potential of any country in sub-Saharan Africa; however, civil unrest between 1962 and 1986 arguably crippled the country permanently due to an overt presence of corruption, violence, mass killings, and misuse of national resources (Sejjaaka 2004). When British Colonial rule ended in 1962, Sir Edward Frederick Mutesa II (former Kabaka, or King, of Buganda) is elected president — however, when Mutesa attempted to create discontent in Buganda, Milton Obote had him exiled (‘Mutesa II’). Obote himself is a controversial figure. He is seen as an autocrat by some, as he implemented a one-party system in Uganda in an attempt to secure his own power long-term; however, others saw him as a saviour, as Obote’s return after the fall of the tyrannous Idi Amin was an extremely welcome change (Marshall 2005). Indisputably, though, Obote was never forgiven by many of the Baganda people for his role in exiling the popular King Mutesa II. Obote’s ‘move to the left’ and policies of ‘diluted’ socialism gave Uganda a brief period of political stability and economic prosperity, but he remained unpopular with Ugandans; thus, when Idi Amin executed his coup in 1971, it was in fact welcomed by many Ugandans (Marshall 2005). Amin, however, soon began a ‘reign of terror that [destroyed] the political and economic fabric of the country’ (Seremba 9); it is estimated that his reign accounted for the deaths of somewhere around 500,000 Ugandans (Harriet 2020). Amin himself is inextricably linked to diasporic ideas in Seremba’s life and in Uganda overall; it was Idi Amin’s reign that forced George’s movement, and Amin’s own proclamations that forced the mass exodus of the Asian population from Uganda (Dawood 2016). In 1978, Amin engages in a war with Tanzania, but Tanzanian forces and exiled Ugandan opposition groups push back and manage to capture Kampala, with Amin himself fleeing by 1979; Obote returns and is installed — via an election marred by widespread and blatantly irregular actions — as President, which is initially welcomed by the population. However, Obote’s excessive spending in government, combined with violent attempts to move people from rural areas into the city, resulted in mounting debt for Uganda and the deaths of thousands more Ugandans (Marshall 2005). In 1986, Yoweri Musveni overthrows Obote and assumes power, pledging to help reform the devastated country; it has been 34 years, and he remains in power. Age and term limits that one existed for the Ugandan president have disappeared. He has been re-elected for 5 terms as President, but these terms have been marred by claims of fraudulent elections (‘Yoweri Musveni Fast Facts; CNN’).
Conclusion
Movement and memory have been fundamental, defining concepts for Uganda and Ugandans for generations. Sometimes the leader drives sections of the population out of the country; at other times, the population drives the leader (and their ideas) out from the nation. Languages in Uganda can also see many of their own roots tied to diaspora. It is important to consider these things — to understand them as best we can — in order to follow George’s story, and to understand the stories found in the very bedrock of Uganda.
Works Cited:
‘Africa.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa.
‘A Primer on Speaking and Writing Luganda.’ Buganda. http://www.buganda.com/luganda.htm.
‘Cultural Patterns’. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa/Cultural-patterns.
Collins, Robert O., and James M. Burns. (2013.) “The Historical Geography of Africa.” Chapter. In A History of Sub-Saharan Africa, 2nd ed., 7–22. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139795333.003.
Dawood, Farhana. (2016). ‘Ugandan Asians Dominate Economy After Exile.’ BBC, 15 May 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36132151.
Harriet, Aldrich. (2020). “Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Idi Amin Coup.” The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, doi: 10.1080/03086534.2020.1765530
'Languages of Uganda.' Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Uganda
‘Luganada.’ Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luganda.
Marshall, Julian. (2005). 'Obituary: Milton Obote: The first leader of an independent Uganda, he imposed virtual one-man rule, but was twice overthrown.’ The Guardian, 12 October 2005, https://advance-lexis-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/document/?pdmfid=1516831&crid=27c0ec33-45c0-4b2f-bd7c-25ee2db481fd&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A4HB6-9GK0-00VR-R426-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=138620&pdteaserkey=sr0&pditab=allpods&ecomp=dzx2k&earg=sr0&prid=253e72ba-59fe-4ec3-b54d-25cbbc73d5ad.
‘Mutessa II: King of Buganda.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mutesa-II.
Sejjaaka, Samuel. (2004). “A Political and Economic History of Uganda, 1962-2002.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304737518_A_Political_and_Economic_History_of_Uganda_1962-2002
‘Swahili Language: African Language.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Swahili-language.
‘Yoweri Musveni Fast Facts.’ CNN, 2 September 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/world/africa/yoweri-museveni---fast-facts/index.html.
‘Zaire.’ Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire.
Works Cited:
‘Africa.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa.
‘A Primer on Speaking and Writing Luganda.’ Buganda. http://www.buganda.com/luganda.htm.
‘Cultural Patterns’. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa/Cultural-patterns.
Collins, Robert O., and James M. Burns. (2013.) “The Historical Geography of Africa.” Chapter. In A History of Sub-Saharan Africa, 2nd ed., 7–22. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139795333.003.
Dawood, Farhana. (2016). ‘Ugandan Asians Dominate Economy After Exile.’ BBC, 15 May 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36132151.
Harriet, Aldrich. (2020). “Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Idi Amin Coup.” The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, doi: 10.1080/03086534.2020.1765530
'Languages of Uganda.' Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Uganda
‘Luganada.’ Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luganda.
Marshall, Julian. (2005). 'Obituary: Milton Obote: The first leader of an independent Uganda, he imposed virtual one-man rule, but was twice overthrown.’ The Guardian, 12 October 2005, https://advance-lexis-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/document/?pdmfid=1516831&crid=27c0ec33-45c0-4b2f-bd7c-25ee2db481fd&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A4HB6-9GK0-00VR-R426-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=138620&pdteaserkey=sr0&pditab=allpods&ecomp=dzx2k&earg=sr0&prid=253e72ba-59fe-4ec3-b54d-25cbbc73d5ad.
‘Mutessa II: King of Buganda.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mutesa-II.
Sejjaaka, Samuel. (2004). “A Political and Economic History of Uganda, 1962-2002.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304737518_A_Political_and_Economic_History_of_Uganda_1962-2002
‘Swahili Language: African Language.’ Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Swahili-language.
‘Yoweri Musveni Fast Facts.’ CNN, 2 September 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/world/africa/yoweri-museveni---fast-facts/index.html.
‘Zaire.’ Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire.