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The Great Lakes of Africa include many people speaking related languages, with similar lifestyles (historically) and cultures. Curiously, many of the ruling kingdoms there include reference to an "Empire of Kitara" in the past to legitimise themselves as descendents of this empire. It seems highly doubtful that an Empire of Kitara ever existed or was as prominent as the legends of it might seem to be.

So with this in mind, could any individual kingdom (Buganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Bunyoro, etc.) ever unite the region on their own with this shared culture and mythological background as a legitimising force? Would this take a "great person" to arise, an Alexander/Temujin of the Great Lakes or such? And ignoring the pre-colonial era, if the Great Lakes of Africa were colonised by one country (instead of being divided between Britain and Germany and later Britain and Belgium), could a movement develop for the region to unite as one country (presumably nowadays Uganda--possibly excluding the northern parts--Rwanda, Burundi, plus the Kagera Region of Tanzania at least) even if only by colonialist instigation?

Regarding the impact on history, a precolonial united state making up most of nowadays Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi with bits of Tanzania could be a powerful force that would be one of the last African states to be conquered by Europeans. With some luck and a skilled leader, it could hold off the European onslaught and never be colonised, in which case the development of the state would still be heavily influenced by what would go on in the neighbouring countries but with a very unique tone thanks to the circumstance of the state. In the worst case, a Derg-type regime might be able to come to power, but on the other hand, it could develop somewhat more positively. It would still be a landlocked country with a very high population density, which brings a unique set of challenges.

If colonised, and if the region holds together, I think much of the above would hold true, particularly if the precolonial monarchies are able to play a role in the modern state as they do in Uganda OTL. Colonialism will change the mindset, but the circumstance the country will find itself in remain very similar.
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