Sekgoma succeeded his half-brother
Khama II as
kgosi of the Kwena tribe upon Khama's death , and he abdicated to Macheng upon the latter's return in 1857. Sekgoma went to the
Kwena tribe, allegedly fearing that Macheng would have him killed, and convinced the Kwena
kgosi Sechele I to raise an army for him. Sekgoma returned with Bakwena soldiers in 1858 and seized power back from Macheng. Macheng's firm rule, reminiscent of the
Northern Ndebele people in Matabeleland, had made him unpopular with the elites in the Ngwato tribe and brought calls for Sekgoma's return. Sekgoma negotiated the creation of a missionary station with the
Hermannsburg Mission, led by Heinrich C. Schulenburg. He did this in 1859 after Sechele negotiated a similar arrangement for the Kwena tribe to appease
Afrikaners and prevent them from raiding. Sekgoma led an expedition against the
Tswapong people in
Lerala, a
tributary of the Ngwato, in the 1860s after they gave shelter to Macheng. This effectively ended Tswapong control over the area. Sekgoma enlisted several men to travel to the Kwena tribe in 1862 where they were to put a curse on the tribe's cornfields, but they were caught. The Kwena
kgosi Sechele responded in late 1864 when he launched an unsuccessful attack against the Ngwato tribe. Sekgoma adhered to traditional religious practices, but his sons
Khama III and
Kgamane were Christians and refused to participate in the traditional
bogwera rite of passage. Sekgoma sent men to put a curse on Khama upon his refusal in 1865, but Khama did not believe in the magic they claimed to have in traditional religion. The conflict escalated to the point of civil war in 1866, but Sekgoma was removed from power by Macheng the same year. In 1873, Sekgoma was returned to power by his son Khama, who had led a coup against Macheng in 1872. Sekgoma was overthrown by Khama in 1875. == Death and legacy ==