Tayari News
Nkore is the original name for Ankole, coined by the British government. The British administration, guided by the Baganda interpreters, was not able to say ‘Nkore’ but were quick to grasp ‘Ankole’, and so when incorporating the Kingdom of Nkore in the Uganda Protectorate records of 1898, Nkore was entered as Ankole.
The word Nkore was used before the British to signify the area over which the Omugabe (King) had royal authority, and this comprised the present counties of Nyabushozi, Kashari, Isingiro and the eastern part of Rwampara.
This area was originally known as ‘Kaarokarungi’ (Beautiful Land). The beauty of the area was derived from the nature of its vegetation as shown by the favourite grass for cattle grazing called emburara from which the name ‘Mbarara’ was created.
The name Nkore originated from the Queen Mother’s mourning cry for King Cwamali (Omukama) of Bunyoro-Kitara, who was killed by Ntare Kiitabanyoro, King of Kaarokarungi. As Cwamali was returning from a cattle raid in Rwanda, he wanted to add Ntare’s cattle from Kaarokarungi to his loot. Ntare’s men resisted Cwamali and in the process of protecting their cattle, Cwamali was killed.
News of his death reached his mother, and as she wept, she expressed the feeling that the cattle of Kaarokarungi had snatched her son from inside her belly. (Lit.Ente za Kaarokarungi zankora omunda), meaning that she was made to abort her king son due to the cattle of Kaarokarungi. This is how Kaarokarungi became ‘Nkore’ from the verb root of za ‘NKORA’.
(Source: The Development of the Anglican Church in West Ankole 1900-1990 by Bishop Emeritus Yoram K. Bamunoba)