Nnaabagereka of Buganda

The Nnabagereka is the title for the Queen of the Kingdom of Buganda, a tribal kingdom in modern day Uganda. The current Nnabagereka is Sylvia Nagginda.

This title is a relatively recent one, created in the 20th century. In the old Buganda tradition the leading ladies in the nation were the King's mother ( The Nnamasole, or Queen mother )and one of his sisters (the Lubuga, or Queen sister). Each of these two ladies had her own compound in the royal palace and in some reigns one or the other had substantial political influence. The king's principal wife had the title of Kaddulubaale, a title that was also held by the principal wife in any household in the kingdom.

King Chwa II,(reigned 1899-1939) was the first king whose wife, Lady Irene Nnamaganda, was the susbstatinve First lady in the kingdom. The name Nnabagereka, a girl's name from the Mushroom clan, was adopted by him as the first lady's title.

Reference: The Baganda by John Roscoe, pub by Frank Cass, London.