The Fourth Heritage: How We Ugandans Can Integrate Our Tribal, Religious and Colonial Heritages.

By Emmanuel Sunlight Kirunda

This is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the African tribal mind and its interpretation of the world as dominated by Eurocentric ideals.
In a brutally honest and yet reflective writing, Mr. Kirunda offers his critique with a uniquely African perspective. Written in the authors third languageEnglish this book attempts to use simple yet powerful reasoning to advocate a paradigm shift in the way Ugandans look at their Tribal, Religious and European/Colonial heritages. In an analytical and creative style rare to many African writings, Mr. Kirunda vividly describes his tribal life and the impact his parents had on his worldview. He then offers an unusually cold and intimate analysis of: the cultural confusion within the Uganda society, his personal hypothesis of why the Americans, Germans and Japanese are economically and intellectually developed, the two hindrances to development in Uganda, and his personal creative proposal of The Fourth Heritage as a way to integrate the triple heritages and also solve the two hindrances. Lastly, he generalizes his thesis to accommodate Kantian moral philosophies and offers a thrilling discussion of the scientific account of humanitys origin in East Africa and what that means for our human heritage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456737832

Emmanuel Sunlight Kirunda

Mr. Kirunda was born in Iganga Town in 1979 to Mr. Sanoni Atanaziraba and Ms. Edinansi Nakisita. This is the continuation book for his first book The Fourth Heritage in which he wrote about the mental roadmap for integrating our triple heritages of tribe, religion and colonial heritages. Since both his parents were illiterate, in both his books, the author is trying to write from the point view of illiterate tribal people like his parents who have no voice in the current debates about our society. He attended Iganga Town Council Primary School (1986 –1989) and Nkumba Primary School (1990 –1993). In 1994 Mr. Kirunda started his secondary school at King’s College Budo. After senior four, Budo nominated him for the United World College scholarship national contest, at which he was selected to go represent Uganda at the United World College-USA. He is eternally grateful to the then Budo Headmaster, Mr. Sam Busuulwa who gave him a list of 20 prominent Bodonians from whom he was able to fundraise money for his upkeep in the USA. He did his Bachelor’s in Engineering at Lafayette College (Pennslyvania) and Master of Science in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. After working five years as a Civil Engineer in New Mexico and Texas, he currently works in the Investment Banking industry in Salt Lake City, Utah. In his leisure time, Mr. Kirunda enjoys playing rugby, skiing, biking, running, swimming and exploring the beautiful American Southwest region.

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© 2011 Emmanuel Sunlight Kirunda. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 3/7/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-3784-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-3782-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-3783-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011902124

Printed in the United States of America

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

First edition was published 7/31/2009

The front cover photo is the author at 4 or 5 years old with his sisters at Iganga Primary School.

CONTENTS

Praise for The Fourth Heritage

Dedication

Foreword

Preface: The Background

Acknowledgement

Introduction

1. Our Triple Heritages

2. Our Need

The Heri

The Americans

The Germans

The Japanese

The Scientists (Short Version)

The Heri of Kesa

3. Our Problems

The visible problems

The invisible problems

4. Solutions That Don’t Work

5. Thesis: The Fourth Heritage / Integrating Our Triple Heritages

Explanation

How the Fourth Heritage Solves Our Problems

Solving the First Invisible Problem

Solving the Second Invisible Problem

Secondary Benefits of the Fourth Heritage

Secondary Benefit 1: Nation building

Secondary Benefit 2: Indigenous culture preservation

Secondary Benefit 3: Tribal-Religious harmony

Secondary Benefit 4: Eradicating Cultural Confusion

Secondary Benefit 5: Creating a literary culture

Secondary Benefit 6: Embracing individuality

6. Morality and The Fourth Heritage

What is morality?

Immanuel Kant

Obuntu bulaamu (Humanism)

Conclusion

Epilogue

Appendix

The Scientists (Extended Version)

End Notes

References

About the Author

FIGURES

Figure 1: Our Solar System

Figure 2: The Timeline of the Universe condensed into 12 months

Figure 3: The General Heri of Kesa

Figure 4: The Specific Heri of Kesa

Figure 5: Our Visible and Invisible Problems

Figure 6: The Naki Diagram of Heritage Dominance for Far East Asia

Figure 7: The Naki Diagram of Heritage Dominance for Uganda

Figure 8: The Sano Model of The Fourth Heritage.

Figure 9: The Naki Diagram after Superimposing The Fourth Heritage.

Figure 10: Possible Naming Conventions due to The Fourth Heritage.

Figure 11: Structure of Moral Philosophy

Figure 12: Iganga Fourth Heritage Libary

PRAISE FOR THE FOURTH HERITAGE

"The Fourth Heritage written by Emmanuel Kirunda is a must read for Africans from any corner of the continent and those who strive to find real solutions to Africa’s demise. It is a common sentiment that Africa is a continent full of potential. Others have referred to mother Africa as a sleeping giant. Kirunda offers a framework we can follow to lift Africa and her nations out of dormancy. Events in Uganda are used as the case study but the themes of this philosophy focusing on integrating tribal, religious and the colonial heritage reach out to all Africans. Our nations have a shared history and have fought on the same front-line for decades without making the much-needed ground to compete on the global stage. Reading this book extricates some of the core-myths that continue to cast our nations in a backward-state of mind. Kirunda sets out with a mission to help us understand the fundamental weaknesses of our society and then offers a platform we need to re-define who we are. This platform is characterized as a ‘heri’— every advanced society has had a ‘heri’ which offered a springboard from traditional society."

Dr. Daniel Kawuma Busuulwa, West Virginia (USA)

Emmanuel Kirunda’s book The Fourth Heritage succeeds with great ease in providing an account of a young Ugandan boy’s academic journey that starts with practical tribal beliefs, but in an instant (like the big bang) rapidly expands to include western religious beliefs, western cultures, and a modern scientific understanding of the cosmos we live in. He recounts his personal struggles (feelings) with the many contradictions found between the teachings that come from a tribal upbringing, a Christian boarding school, and a formal western scientific education. In the end he suggests a path for his Ugandan countrymen to consider in hopes of eliminating decades of economic stagnation that his country has experienced. Roy H. Herlocher, Texas (USA)

Are you dominated by your culture, religion, government or all? What makes certain nations more advanced than others? Why are scientists so unique? Rarely has an author come out with such a compelling discourse that challenges the readers to redefine their social DNA and become in charge of their destiny. Targeted for an African audience but applicable to all human beings, Mr. Kirunda’s The Fourth Heritage is an ambitious journey through mankind’s intellectual and religious history, Africa’s tribal culture and a new pragmatic framework for each individual to realize their full potential. You will find the content original - a rare blend of scientific critique of philosophy and spirituality, mixed with the author’s innovations such as his heri concept - a must-have for developing nations to get out of their rut, redefine their sociological DNA and finally make some progress. Mr. Kirunda will make you think about what truly defines your own adoption of culture, religion and the approach you take to your life. His objective analysis of the human condition, particularly in Uganda, is a gale of fresh air; shifting away from the victimization and traditional mindset to a revolutionary way of thinking. The Fourth Heritage is a must-read for all who care about the world, including citizens of developed countries and all children who need intellectual development Jehanzeb Noor, McKinsey & Company

what you are saying is that there is no big difference between the Americans & Germans and us Ugandans. They are just human beings like us. Their heritages are not superior, but it is the way they work… I like the way you write about our clans. Each of us, as individuals, has to think for him/herself without clan leaders dictating to us what we should or should not do Pauline Babirye, Iganga (Uganda)

If you have ever left home to live in a different culture and analyzed the changes within yourself, you will identify with the author. The author’s experiences and psychology transformations are likely far greater than any of us Europeans have experienced, but they are very honest and real. The openness of heart and mind, the breadth of knowledge, and the simplicity of writing made this for me a very enjoyable book to read. Justas Staisiunas, Lithuania

Mr. Kirunda is on the right path promoting reason and science as a way to help his nation’s woes. I hope that all Ugandans read his book and take it to heart. Jayson X, Deputy Director, World Union of Deists

"after reading your book, my American mind was enlightened to the internal, and psychological struggles Ugandans, and Africans as a whole, deal with on a very deep level. Understanding the three heritages (religion, european, and tribal) has laid the groundwork for your book to show the people of Africa that using their knowledge of these heritages will allow them to change their psyche and gain empowerment to improve their own situations. Christopher Bond, Louisiana (USA)

DEDICATION

To my parents: Baba (R.I.P.), it is your constant encouragement for me to be better than you that always sustained me and pushed me to limitless imagination. Mama, although language separates us in that I cannot express my deepest thoughts to you in Lusoga and your inability to speak English means you cannot understand the ideas I am expressing herein, this labor of love is for you.

Abazaire bange: Baba (beera mu mirembe), kubanga wankobelanga inti inin’okula mbe bulungi okusingaku iwe, kyova nasobola okukula mungeri gyenakulamu era kyova nsobwole okuba n’obwongo obusobola okulowooza kubintu ebyengeri eninji. Mama, waire nga eby’olulime bitufafaaganya naaba nga tisobola kukukobera mu lusoga ebirowoozo byensinga okulowooleza ku enno enno, ate waire nti iwe toyogera luzungu, tosobola kutegeera bilowoozo byempandika mu kitaabo kino, mpandiise ekitabo kino kulwa iwe.

FOREWORD

It is indeed a sad thing not to have a place to call home or worse still to lose sight of home. Is it that sense of being lost which led one of my favourite poets W. B. Yeats to start off his poem The second coming thus:

Turning and turning in the ever widening gyre,

The falcon cannot see the falconer,

Things fall apart….

As an African and a Ugandan in particular, I have been keenly aware of the confusion of being both African and Religious (read Heathen vs. Christian), of being both traditional and modern (read villager vs. town person) and of being torn into three different worlds of African existence i.e. tribe, religion and western influences.

Emmanuel (or KESA as I fondly remember him from our days in school at King’s College Budo and subsequent discourses) has in this book successfully merged his brilliant scientific mindset with a simple and honest style of writing. His sincere call to action to embrace a 4th Heritage becomes clearer on reading this book because not only is it packed with well researched facts that can hardly be disputed(how my disbelieving mind sometimes doubted his arguments!), it is written with a sincere touch based on his experiences of coming from village to town.

I too hope, as sincerely as he does, that as Ugandans, we shall truly embrace the 4th Heritage and experience a true paradigm shift we so desperately need and that when someone boldly asks me what about you, what are you proud of? I will look to the 4th Heritage and proudly answer him.

Dickson E. Wasake

June 2009.

PREFACE: THE BACKGROUND

This book is a personal view. The view that I present herein was born out of the 19 years I spent living in Uganda and the 11 years I have spent in the U.S.A., where I have been growing and acquiring knowledge to guide the interpretation of my Ugandan years. My life in Uganda can be summarized in three words: love, luck, and books.

I was fortunate, my parents gave me unconditional love. Even if my father and mother were illiterate village people and they never uttered the word love to me at all—in the U.S., parents constantly tell their children I love you—I am certain they loved me unconditionally. My father, who passed away when I was 16 years of age, was the always-smiling, do-good fellow who went out of his ways to please everyone, even his enemies. In his business deals, many people cheated him because he could not read or write, but his reaction was always to work even harder. So hard he worked that he ended up being the only relatively prosperous person in our whole clan of dozens of families. Unfortunately, the tragedy of his premature death at the age of 51 years was caused by his lack of intellectual sophistication that would have allowed him to make better choices in life. However much he worked, however much he planned, the poor man did not have the intellectual tools to reach his God-given potential. Luckily for me, he always told me I had to get an education so I can be better than him. I vividly remember the long talks I had with him in which he would tell me to count the blackboards remaining before I could finish my academic career—each blackboard was a symbol for one year of school. When he died in my second year of Secondary School (High School), I had nine blackboards left before I could graduate from University.

As a young boy, so many times I ran into trouble due to the influence of the clique of boys that I associated with, but my father never punished me. His response was always a winsome smile and the warning that, "mwana wange, bwolikula oida otegeera nti ebintu by’olikola buti tibyamagezi" (my son, when you grow up, you will realize how stupid you are acting). When I was alone with him on his deathbed, I tried to ask him hard questions about people who were sabotaging his businesses and he smilingly dodged answering me. Up to the last day of his life, he treated me as a kid who was not old enough to understand his complex life. I learnt more about him from his half-brother and friends because they treated me more maturely. To him, I was always his younger son, innocent and immature, and to me he was always the perfect fatherly figure. Since he was loved by so many people and his reputation is almost spotless, indeed I have taken to heart his wishes for me in that I realize educating my self is the only way that can give me a chance to equal his reputation and achievements.

My mother is the perfect embodiment of unconditional love. There have been times during the past 11 years, when I took years without communicating with her, but the minute I did call her it seemed as if no time had lapsed. Ever since I was young, she has always trusted my decision making and at no time has she doubted my ability to make the right choice for myself. She has eternally supported me in my mistakes or triumphs, and even as a teenage boy when I would rebelliously tell her I am now my own person, I don’t believe that anymore, she gave me space to grow into my own independent person. I still remember how she would cry whenever I was sick as a little boy. She always sneaked into our bedrooms at night to spend a couple of minutes lying with each of her children. While I don’t remember any particular lesson my father taught me—other than him being a reputable exemplary figure to emulate—my mother taught me the greatest lesson I still embrace. She would lecture me every time I ran into trouble with my clique of friends. She would always say—this is a direct quote— "mwana wange, omufu Kiiko yatukoberanga nti ebiguluupu bifafaganya obwongo" (my son, the late [headmaster] Kiiko told us that peer pressure is bad for mental growth). Because of this constant warning that I would get from my mother so frequently, I have grown up to be extremely suspect of belonging to any group.

Her warning has had an everlasting influence on my psyche such that I have become an individual very much uncomfortable with group associations, good or bad. Most of my life’s battles have been due to my fighting to preserve my unique individual thinking that is independent of any group that I belong to. As I have grown older and seen many more fortunate and cleverer people settle for mediocrity due to groupthink (wanting to belong to a group), instead of aspiring for uncertain individual greatness, I think back and wonder if every child should get my mother’s teaching. In retrospect, I strongly believe that because my parents never, at any time, punished us or used command-and-control disciplinary actions, all their eight children grew up with limitless freedom that contributed to molding us into very distinct individuals with a wide range of personalities. None of my six sisters is similar to the other, and definitely I am very different from my older brother. I am proud that despite our different personalities, we are a very coherent and loving family.

Good Luck must be my middle name, because I cannot explain all the good fortunes that have come my way. For example, I might not have gone to school had it not been for the men who used to work next to our house. They played a big role in convincing my father to send me to school. As a playful five or six year old boy, those men were my first friends. They gave me my first nick name Pukkeh Pukkeh. I still remember the first time I tried on shoes was with those men when I would play the role of Baba omuto (young father). Better late than never, at age seven, my father enrolled me at Iganga Town Council Primary School where I started learning my ABCs in primary one. I vividly remember some of the most challenging thing I had to put my mind through was reorienting my mind in regard to time counting. Since my entire family was not educated, we always counted time in the tribal way, which is 6 hours off the modern time counting system; for example we call 7 AM, 1 hour, we call 10 AM, 4 hours. By the fourth year (Primary four), I was a little spoiled boy roaming the streets of Iganga. I was lucky that my sister Becca realized that I would not get very far in life if I stayed in that small quaint town. She found me a boarding school, Nkumba Primary School, which is in Entebbe, a town very far away from home.

My new school was in a foreign land where I could not speak the local language, Luganda, and my English was unintelligible. At the tender age of 11 years, I could not handle being away from home, and I escaped from boarding school not once, not twice, but three times. The first time was the easiest as I was able to just get a taxi from Entebbe to my sister’s home in Kampala. The second time was harder, because the headmaster had forced my sister not to leave me with any pocket money that I could have used for a taxi, so I just hitchhiked the whole journey. Every time I escaped, the school headmaster had given me the last chance not to be expelled from school. I vividly remember for the third time I walked from Entebbe all the way to Kampala (a 45 minute journey by car), a feat that took me from dawn to dust. My sister rightfully felt let down and she pondered giving up on me because surely I was going to be expelled from school. As she looked totally overwhelmed by what I had done, I kept telling her while crying, that I wanted to go to Iganga to see mama. However, instead of me going to Iganga to see mama or mama coming to see me, it was my father who came to Kampala. Without saying anything to me at all, he talked with my sister and her friends and afterwards he turned around and returned to Iganga. In a very un-fatherly way, he just abandoned me. My mind froze! I could not understand how my own parents did not want to know why I did what I had done, and instead they were abandoning me to my sister and her friends who were total strangers to me. Following that moment of abandonment, I made a psychological leap because in a way I felt like I was no longer my parents’ son. I felt like it was I on one side and everyone else in the world on the other side.

After the third time of escaping, the Nkumba administrative staff had decided to expel me from school. Because my brother had stopped schooling in the same primary four, my parents were certain that it was their curse for their only two boys never to go past primary four. But luck was on my side. My sister—God Bless her— was bent on not giving up on me. She did not want me to stay in pinpoint Iganga where I could not have a good education. She approached a friend of hers, the registrar at the nearby Nkumba College, who managed to convince the Nkumba Primary Headmaster that I could stay at his place and attend school as a day student.

For everything my sister had endured and sacrificed in order to keep me at Nkumba Primary School, she was furious and rightfully justified to feel let down. Just to quench her anger, she teamed up with her pastor friend to teach me a lesson. They locked me in a room and beat me so hard with everything from belts and sticks until I became swollen and totally numb all over my body. Afterwards, they gave me food and locked me up in the room. Looking back, since I owe my education to my sister because she was the only one who saw the potential in me, potential that even my parents did not see, that day