Kizito, Zakariya (B)

[MUGANDA]

Before Rev. Zakariya Kisingiri Kizito joined the Anglican Mission about 1882 he had been a mutongole at Kyango in Buddu. He was not baptized until December 1883 because he had a number of wives, and would not at first give up all but one. During the persecutions of 1885-1886 he was made a member of the first church council formed so that the church might survive even if the missionaries had to leave. In 1888-1889 when the Christians came to power, he was made kagoro, an important sub-chief in Buddu. In 1891 he was one of the first group licensed by Bishop Tucker as lay-evangelists.[1] The same year he accompanied Captain Lugard of the Imperial British East Africa Company on his march to the west, and he was instrumental in bringing to Lugard’s notice Yafeti Byakweyamba and Kasagama, whom Lugard made Mukama of Toro.[2] In 1892 Kizito was made Kangao of Bulemezi, thus achieving a senior chieftaincy.[3] The following year he was among the first group of Anglicans to be ordained a perpetual deacon.[4] When Kasagama was baptized in 1896, Kizito was his godfather, and the following year he visited Toro on a semi-diplomatic, semi-pastoral mission, baptizing a number of people and performing several marriages.[5] Later in 1897 when Mwanga was deposed, Kizito was appointed one of the three regents of Daudi Chwa. In 1899 he was one of the leading Baganda to become concerned that the Mugabe *of Ankole should accept Christian teachers, and his visit to the *mugabe seems to have been a turning point in getting teachers accepted.[6] After 1900 he had little time for church affairs, but he continued to sit on the Diocesan Council until his death in 1917.[7]

Louise Pirouet**

Notes(short form; see List of Sources for complete citations):

1. C.M.I. June, 1891, gives brief biographies of those licensed, based on information given about them in the missionaries’ letters. See also J.V. Taylor: 1958, p. 265.

2. See Chapter II, p. 60 [of Pirouet’s PhD Thesis noted below].

3. J.V. Taylor, 1958, p. 165.

4. Church of Uganda, Record Book.

5. Balya, 1965; Kabarole Baptism Register; Kabarole Marriage Register.

6. See Chapter IV, pp. 212-3 [of Pirouet’s PhD Thesis noted below.]

7. Uganda Notes, January, 1918, p. 17.

This biography, written by Louise Pirouet, was included in “Appendix A: Biographical Notes,” on pages 407-8 of “The Expansion of the Church of Uganda (N.A.C.) from Buganda into Northern and Western Uganda between 1891 and 1914, with Special Reference to the work of African Teachers and Evangelists” (PhD Thesis: University of East Africa, 1968). Pirouet published this thesis as Black Evangelists (London: Rex Collings, 1978). However, Black Evangelists does not reproduce the detailed biographies, complete with references to sources, found in Appendix A of the thesis. Print copies are available at Africana Section, Makerere University Library (U 02 P57); The Centre for Christianity Worldwide, Cambridge; and a microfilm copy at the School of Oriental Studies, London. [information from Angus Crichton]