Mwanga (ca. 1866-1901) was a monarch of Buganda and the last independent ruler of that important East African kingdom.

When the great kabaka, or monarch, of Buganda, Mutesa I, died in 1884, his state was a major force in the Lake Victoria region. During his seminal reign, contacts with the worlds of Europe and the East African coast had introduced new forces into Ganda society which would complicate the rule of his son Mwanga Mwanga became kabaka in October 1884 with the general support of his people, but it was soon apparent that he lacked the talents to master the difficult problems confronting his administration. Internal political life in Buganda was troubled by conflict between factions grouped around Protestant, Roman Catholic, Moslem, and African traditional leaders. Externally, East Africa was just facing the beginning of its partition by Britain and Germany.

Mwanga, faced with these difficult conditions, soon weakened his...