why Ankole is the most proud Tribe in Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Ankole Kingdom is one of Uganda's most prestigious kingdom making it one of  the popular tribes.This unique kingdom is found in western Uganda and its part of the Bantu speaking people.The kingdom has produced numerous men and women that have strongly served the country and many prominent leaders like the current president of Uganda( HE. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni).

Ankole cattle

Today,the Ankole culture has greatly spread throughout the countery and this is because of the increasing migration of the Ankole people from the west of Uganda to Kampala city ( capital city of Uganda) in search for jobs.In Uganda,the Ankole peole are one of the leading proud tribes in Uganda and this is evidenced when a Munyankole moves to a different area with people of different culture.Instead of trying to learn the new language,he/she will continues speaking Ankole language which is not the case with some Ugandan tribes.Many other tribes instead of speaking their mother languages proudly while in Kampala (Buganda),they speak Luganda but Ankole people are known for their language love.

Ankole people are basically cattle keepers and this is why their land is referred to as a "land of milk". They mainly survive on this cattle and they are the leading suppliers of milk in Uganda.This increases income in the kingdom as they sell  milk from different parts of Uganda.

The kingdom' s richness started way back when the king owned all the cattle,land and theoretically all the women.This instilled a sense of fear among the Ankole people in that they were not allowed to sell cattle without notifying the king.

Today,it has become quite expensive to marry a girl from the Ankole tribe because of the expensive dowry that is asked by the girl's parents.It is a common practice that the girl's parents ask for cows as dowry for their daughters.

We can arrange a cultural Safari for  you and you get to see how these proud people of Uganda live plus witnessing some of their cultural practices like:

• Traditional weddings
• Traditional dances
• Coronation ceremonies
• Burial ceremonies

The Biwagala dance of Basoga people - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

        

Biwagala dance is one of the most common cultural dances in Uganda and it is believed to have been started in the early quarters of the 18^th century. This dance is mainly performed by Basoga ethnic tribe of Uganda found in the East. Basoga people are fond of this dance and it is so interesting that a person is persuaded to concentrate. This unique dance is performed on Biwagala music.

Basoga men playing Biwagala sound

The dance used to be performed in the king’s palace back in the days but today, it s performed at various cultural ceremonies. It was performed to entertain the Busoga king’s visitors.

After the amalgamation of Busoga’s  chiefdom into Busoga kingdom in the early 20^th century,Biwagala dance was adopted as the kingdom’s royal dance plus Biwagala songs as the Kingdom’s royal songs. This continued up-to-date and at every Busoga cultural ceremony, this dance has to be performed. Some of the functions where it is performed include; cultural weddings, funerals, traditional prayers and cultural cerebrations.

Biwagala songs are meaningful and they are based on different situations like poverty, good harvest, leadership, marriage, acceptable norms and practices.

How Biwagala is performed

The major instruments used while performing Biwagala dance are trumpets. Biwaga means gourd trumpets in Lusoga and this is why these instruments are used. The trumpets are blown carefully to produce a rhythmic sound (song) on which the dance is performed.

The order followed is that one trumpet is blown and others follow. After the trumpets, drums are played, songs are sung and lastly the dance comes in.

Dancing is done in line and dancers keep on changing their positions in a circular form. Just like 

Baganda, Basoga also tip-toe while dancing and rotate their waists in a circular motion. Some people prefer clapping so as to maintain a rhythmic follow of the dancers.

The singing is kept on a low tone to enable the trumpet sound stand out which makes the whole performance magnificent.

Languages spoken in Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Uganda is one of the African countries with the highest number of ethnic languages.This is as a result of the many ethnic groups that are found in this East African country.The total recorded number of languages spoken in Uganda are 40 and they mainly fall into 3 families including the Bantu,Central Sudanic and Nilotic.
Though English is taken as an official language in Uganda,it was inherited from the colonial government (British).
Currently with the East African integration,Swahili has been adopted as the region's important language because it is widely known and easy to learn.

Among the Bantu speaking people of Uganda,there are various languages that are spoken and these include,Lutooro for Batooro,Luganda for Baganda,Lusoga For basoga,Lunyankore for Nkole people,Lukiga for Bakiga,Lugisu foe Bagisu and many more.These Bantu languages have common dialects and common words that make them sound related.

The Eastern Sudanic has go several languages too that are represented by various Nilotic languages like Karamojong people speak Bari language and Teso people speak Ateso.Others include;Acholi, Adhola language,Langi and Kumam language.

Initially,English was the leading promoted language in Uganda and every Ugandan strived hard to learn this colonial language but Swahili has started taking course.Initially,Swahili was being used by police men and soldiers but today,it is being taught in schools and this has led to a rapid spread of the language.
The introduction of the Swahili language was seen as threat by the Baganda people as they thought that it could lead to an end to Ganda language and therefore,they advocated for English to bemade as the official language.On top of that,they started teaching Luganda in schools too.

Luganda is one of the most commonly used languages in Uganda and it is hard to find a person in Uganda who can not speak at least a Ganda word.The location of Uganda's capital city (Kampala) in Buganda has also led to the wide spread of Luganda in the country since everyone who visits the city is enticed to lern the language.

However,Luganda's spread has s not ruled out the fact that Swahili is Uganda;s national language.Ugandans are now more focused to learning Swahili than Luganda.

Uganda's ethnic languages are easy to learn and many visitors find them selves speaking some of the common languages in Uganda.

Buganda's traditional dances - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Buganda is the largest Bantu  ethnic group in Uganda and it was the first group to get civilized.The Kingdom of Buganda is compossed of numerous clans each with its own totem.They are mainly found in the central region of Uganda where the capital city (Kampala) is found.

Baganda dance

Baganda people have got very many local songs and different types of dances done depending on the ceremony taking place.These dances are said to have originated from the clans during the early days.Each clan strived hard to get it's own dance in order to be more unique than other clans.Today Buganda has the highest number of traditional dances than any other tribe in Uganda.

In Buganda,traditional dances are done on various grounds like; Churches (when praising God),celebrating life-cycle rituals and rites,celebrate a good harvest,labor celebrations and achievements,population education,a way of earning a living and some people do it for rcreation purposes.
The uniqueness of Baganda dances has attracted tourists from different parts of the world who enjoy and sometimes join the dancers.

Though there are various dances in Buganda,the most common dances are 3 and these are;Muwogola,Nankasa and Bakisimba.The most common attribute about all of these dances is that they involve a circular movement of the waist,moving on toes and spreading of hands in either forward or upward motion.These dances are done on sounds from the drums and each dance has its special sound on which its being performed.Singing and dancing must follow the beats from the drums.


A cultural safari to Uganda is one of those experiences that a visitor can never forget because of these Baganda dances.Women put on beautiful costumes that cover their shoulders  and a wide free kikoyi that allows free movement of the legs.On their waists,they tie a sash that improves the visibility of the moves as the waist is being rotated.
For the case of male,they put on kikoyi too and this only covers the mid calf so as to allow vigorous dance moves.Men do the energetic part of the dance by side kicking and staggering as if they are drunk.

Baganda use various types of African instruments to produce rhythmic sounds like drums of different sizes (Empunyi-that produces a central beat,Namunjoloba-a small drum,Embuutu-large drum,Enjalabi-acylindrical long drum,Amadinda-xylophones,Endigidi-tube fiddle,Entongoli-boe lyre,Enombe-horn,Ensaasi-shakers and Endere-fluite.

These dances are respected in Buganda and Baganda children are taught how to dance at an early age.It is rare to find a Muganda man or woman who can not dance any of the Baganda dances.
A visitor can always visit Uganda during any time of the year and enjoy these dances live.

Bunyoro culture - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Banyoro people are part of the bantu speaking people and they are found in western Uganda in the districts of Kibale,Masindi,Kiryandongo,Buliisa and Hoima.Their origin is the same as that of other Bantu people and are believed to have come from the Congo region.

The Banyoro people have a unique culture that is portrays the true African culture because of their way of living. Some of the unique cultural practices of these people include;

 

The Omukama (King)of Bunyoro

Naming

When a child is born in Bumyoro,the child’s parents or grand parents are supposed to choose a suitable name for him/her. This name is based on the clan that the child belongs to. Incase of twins, there are special names that are used and a traditional ceremony for the naming has to be done. Names are based on various aspects like death,poverty,spirits,sorrow and many others.

There are also names that are given to children and they don’t belong to their clans but stating any situation in the community. These names state the situation in which the parents are in and in most cases, clan elders must be consulted.

Marriage

Marriage is another special traditional activity that Banyoro people are fond of. The most families in Bunyoro are polygamous with one man and many wifes.Unlike other tribes in Uganda, in Bunyoro,bride price can be paid after marriage when the couple ha settled. They do this to allow the man to first get enough funds and at the same time looking after his family.

 The process of marriage starts from a boy and a girl coming to a mutual agreement and then later informing their parents.If the parents are comfortable with the ideal(specifically the girl’s parents),then plans for a traditional wedding starts.The traditional ceremony is funded by the groom and the bride’s role is only consent. In Bunyoro,a  boy is not supposed to marry a girl from his clan and likewise.

Political set-up

Banyoro people have a centralized system of government with a leader known as the “ Omukama” who commands respect from his kingdom. The kingship is hereditary. The king is helped by his chiefs who head various regions of the kingdom in running the affairs of the kingdom. The king organizes traditional meetings with his chiefs and the chiefs are supposed to update him about what is going on in their respective regions.

Another traditional activity that is done by the Banyoro people is the Empanga ceremony. This is carried out when a new moon is seen. People gather at the king’s palace, sing and dance to the rhythms from the played drums and other wind instruments.

The Lugbara People - Cultural Safaris in Uganda

Lugbara culture is the largest culture in East Africa and in Uganda,it is 4.2% of the total population,making it one of the largest ethnic group.

A Lugbara girl leading a cultural dance

Where are they found?
In Uganda,the Lugbara people are  mainly found in the west Nile region on the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.Among the districts in Uganda where these people are found include;Koboko,Nyadri,Arua and Yumbe districts.

What is the origin of the Lugbara people?
 The Lugbara People are believed to have originated from Sudan and their initial place of stay was Rajaf in Juba region.History has it that the first people in Lugbara culture were Gboro and Meme and these 2 people were supernatural.Meme got pregnant and it is believed that its God who filled the womb with the kids.Time reached and Meme gave birth to twins and they were named  Arube(boy) and O'duu (girl)..Unlike their parents,these twins were normal human beings and they lived a normal life.

As the wins grew up,they got married to each other  and they produced kids.These kids multiplied rapidly by producing other kids and as time went on,the Lugbara people had started their existence.
There several other tales about the origin of the Lugbara people but this is the most common one.

Their way of living
Lugbara people are mainly farmers ( cultivate rear livestock and poultry). You can also refer to them as settled subsistence farmers.They mainly keep guinea fowl and grow cassava which is their stable food.Other cultivated crops include;millet,legumes,sorghum,pigeon peas and other root crops.
Lugbara people are also great hunters and they use bows and arrows to kill the animals.
They mainly speak madi  which is divided in
to very many dialects like Ayivu,Aringa,Terego,Maracha and Vurra which are easily understood by others.

Marriage
In the early days,courtship was not common and the boys had no powers in choosing their partners.Instead their fathers chose a girl for them to marry.
It is of recent that this has changed and the boys can make their own choices when it comes to marriage.The boy is expected to pay bride price before he is allowed to go with the groom.

What is the political setup among the Lugbara people?
Lugbara people are divided into clans each with a clan leader who commands respect from his people.There is an overall leadr knows as Ozoo-Opi who heads the whole kingdom.All the chiefs are supposed to report to him regularly.

Cultural Dance
The Lugbara people have a unique way of dancing and their dances include;

• Agwara Dance-This dance is mainly done on sounds from local trumpets.The women dance while the men play these trumpets (horns) jumping in a rhythmic style.This dance is so interesting and it requires someone to have energy.
• Gaze-this is the most common Lugbara dance.It is mainly done by the touths and it reflects transition of dance movements into style.

Bagisu People - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Commonly known for their unique cultural practices,Bagishu people are part of the Bantu speaking people found in Eastern Uganda on the east and south halves of Mt.Elgon.They are also known as the Bamasaba and they are about 4.5% of Uganda is total population.
The Bagisu people speak Lugisu language also known as Lumasaba language and it is understood by some tribes in Uganda including the Bakusu.

One of the most outstanding cultural activity done by Bagisu people is Imbalu (male circumcision).This is a seasonal activity that is done around August of every year.

History about Bagisu people

There is no clear history about the origin of the Bagisu people.The believed story is that their ancestors known as Sera and Mundu came from one of the caves on Mt.Elgon and they were the first people on this land.Innitially,the lifestyle of the Bagisu was survival for the fittest and elimination of the unfit and they were unsocial compared to other tribes.
Some history states that Bagisu were part of the Bukusu people that are found in Kenya.They decided to separate away from the Bukusu people in the 19th century.However,it is believed that the first group of Bagisu arrived in their present land in the 16th century.
Though they have different tells about their origin,they are part of the Bantu people and their processors should have been Bantu speakers as well.

Kingdomship and polical organization
The Bagisu people are organised in clans clans and each clan has a clan leader known as Umwami wa Sikoka (meaning the leader of the clan).Age is the main factor that is considered when choosing a clan leader since old men are considered wiser than the young men.Another factor considered is wealth.They believe that a rich man will help the poor people and therefore he is more suitable for the clan leadership.

Imbalu(circumcision) in Bugisu

Boys lined up for Circumcision

Circumcision is the leading unique social custom of the Bagisu people and when you mention the word Imbalu in Uganda,the first thing that comes into the mind of a Uganda is the Bagisu culture.This cultural practice has no specific origin and there are many stories about its origin.One of them states that it originated from the demand by the Bampa who forced a young Mugisu man to get circumcised before taking their daughter.Another belief states that the prractice was used by the ancensters to punish wrong doers in the tribe.This practice continued till now.




The practice is done so as to initiate boys into men.If a man is not circumcised,he is taken to be a cowered and he is not allowed to marry any girl from this tribe.It is after circumcision that someone is called a true man.This practice is a way of cleaning the boys who are considered to be unclean.

This cultural activity is seasonal and it is mainly done in August.


Other rituals carried out by the Bagisu are;
If someone gives birth to twins,the gods must be surmoned and fowl is given to them by the medicine man.This is to beg the gods to keep the twins safe and alive.After the ritual ( after 2 days),the twins' heads are shaved  and their finger nails trimmed.
Another ritual is done if a one murders another.The murderer has to slaughter a goat and smear its blood on his chest.

Marriage
In Bugisu,no man is allowed to marry a girl from the same clan.To avoid confusion,girls starting from the age of 12 are supposed to mark foreheads with keloids to show their clan.
The bride is supposed to pay dowry to the girl's parents before he is allowed to take the groom.
It is after paying all the requirements that the bride can take his groom to their new home.

There is no doubt the Bugisu has the most adventurous culture that will put a wondering look to the face of any visitor, and so you need to come to Uganda and see these enchanting people.

Acholi culture - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Located in the northern part of Uganda,the Acholi people are believed to have come about due to the intermarriages between the Luo and Madi.The Acholi culture is one of the pldest cultures in Uganda as it existed before the war and it is about 4.7% of Uganda's population.They speak Luo language and are closely related to the Alur people of west Nile ,Jaluo of  Kenya and Japadhola found in the East of Uganda.
This unique culture of Uganda is basically found in the districts of Kitgum and Gulu,and these districts are also referred to as Acholi districts.

Brief history about the Acholi People
The most common history about the Acholi Origin is that there was a man called Luo who never had human parents but his father was called Jok (meaning God) and his mother was said to bet the earth.
Legends say that Luo's son Jipit grew up had had a daughter known as Kilak.Kilak took long to get married because she had a bad impression about men.
It was when she got lost in the bush that she immerged out with a male child.Because of her negative attitudes towards men,people concluded that the boy's father was the devil called Lubanga.When she presented the boy to the elders,he was given a name,Lubongo.

When this elegant boy grew up,he got married and had a son.His son was named Labongo and became the first in the line of Rwots chiefs of Rukidi.They stayed at a place called Bukoba that is near Pakwach.
Labongo had great hunting skills and this made him win favours from the people and he was later persuaded to become their leader.This led to the beginning of the Acholi culture.

Leadership in Acholi
The return of peace in the northern Uganda has led to the revival of the Acholi culture which had completely collapsed.In the past,this culture was one of Uganda's stateless socieaties but still it had a centralized system of government.The Kingdom was divided into chiefdoms each with its own leader called Rwot.This leader was hereditary and was highly respected by his people.Hw had the overall judicial powers in his chiefdom.
This system continued until when the war started in the northern region.

Way of life
The Acholi people mainly practice mixed farming,rear goats,cattle, fowls and sheep.The main food crops grown include;millet,sorghum,simsim and different types of beans.They supplement these activities with hunting.
Hunting is an activity that Acholi people enjoy mostly during the dry season when the gardens were clear without grass.They chase the animal with their spears and arrows until when they pounce on it.Alternatively,they use traps to catch those animals that cannot easily be got by running after.

Acholi dances

Acholi people enjoying the Otti dance

Acholi people mostly do communal singing and dancing and they like singing about every day incidents.Some of the unique dances that these people enjoy include;lalobaloba dance,bwola dance,otti dance,apiti dance,myei awai dance,atira dance and wanga dance.

Some dances like the lalobaloba dance are done without any tune from a drum.The ladies form an inner ring while the men form the outer ring,the man is the first to take  a step by putting the girl's hand at his head in a rhythmic manner.
The most interesting dance is the otti dance where the male dancers carry the spears and shields that is accompanied by repeated jumping.This dance has it's specific songs that are war-like.


"Come to Uganda has have a close look at this culture with all its historical objects".

Langi culture - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

The Langi people are mainly found in the Northern Uganda and they take 6.1% of Uganda's population,making them one of the most populated ethnic group  in Uganda.
In Uganda,these Nilo-Hamites are found in the districts of;Lira,Otuke,Amplatar,Alebtong,Apac,Kole and Dokolo.
Also known for their superior ,highly moral-sensible characteristics,the Lango people are brave are venturous warriors with a hardworking individualistic mentality.
The Langi people are said to have a relatively common background with the Karimojongs,Iteso,Kakwa and Kumam,and this because they all originated from the Northeast (from Ethiopia).
The Langi people are mainly pastoralists and they greatly survive on milk and meat.

Langi girls performing Naleyo dance 

History about the Lango people
History has it that these unique people of Uganda moved from the southeastern direction from Shilluk area and temporarily settled at a place known as Otuke hills.At this place,they met the Ateker and Luo people before reaching their destinations.
This led to several wars and raids amongst these groups because everyone wanted to be the leader of the other.But also,there were inter marriages among them especially the Luo warriors married many of the Langi girls.
This all together led to the duplication of the Langi language and by the time they reached their present home,they were already speaking a language close to Luo.
They established themselves in the northern Uganda and started farming and cattle keeping.They multiplied in number and a time went on,they became one of the strongly established ethnic groups in the country.

Social lifestyle 
The Langi people are well organised and they mainly construct huts as their houses.A Langi village has more than 100 huts that are built following a specific pattern.Since they are farmers,they always put up granaries just outside their huts to keep their harvested crops safe.
The Langi people are calm and they are inviting to any visitor and this explains why many cultural tourists prefer this unique part of Uganda.
 People in this ethnic group are divided into clans and each clan has a clan leader known as a chief.These clan leaders are supposed to report to the King about what is happening in their clans.

Cultural dressing-In the past,the Langi people never used to put on clothes but had their unique personal adornments.As for men,they used to walk completely naked while the women used to wear ajoo (bark cloth),and this was when they still lived with the Karimojongs.
This lifestyle changed when they came into contact with the Acholi during the Luo migration who were by then used to wear some clothes.They adopted this Acholi system and started wearing clothes.


Dance-Naleyo Dance:The Langi people are know for their good performances of this dance.The dance involves a men striking the breasts of the standing women in a line,all jumping and stamping the ground.

Marriage:In Lango,lineage  is the key factor in choosing a partner and a boy is supposed to meet the term and conditions set by the girl's family.The commonly used item as dowry is cattle.

Kingship
Just like the Baganda or Banyoro,Langi people also have an hereditary King who is respected by all his people including the chiefs.
Initially,Langi Kingdom did not have a king but had various chiefs who could lead a specified part of the kingdom.These chiefs would be elected by the people of their respective clans.
It was of late that Lango Kingdom decided to have one hereditary King who heads the whole Kingdom.

Food eaten by the Langi people
These people mainly eat Akaro (food made from a combination of millet,cassava flour and sorghum,mingled in a proportionate quantity of water.

The Iteso people of Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

The Iteso people are part of the Nilotic peoples and they are believed to have come from Ethiopia into Uganda.They mainly occupy the eastern part of uganda and they are also known as the "wise men from the East".

The king (Emorimori) of Teso

Iteso means people of Teso,an ethnic group in Eastern Uganda,while as Teso and Ateso mean a homeland for Iteso people and their language respectively.

The king of Teso is known as an Emorimori.









In Uganda these people are found in the districts of Amuria,Soroti,Katakwi,Kumi,Ngora,Pallisa,Serere,Kaberamaido,Bukedea and some parts of Busia and Tororo. They are about 4.2 million in number and this about 6.4% of Uganda's population.

History
There are various histories about this ethnic group (Iteso) but the most reliable one is that they originated from the now known Ethiopia in the early days and migrated to the west.They are part of the Nilotics people who are said to have originated from Sudan.Part of this group formed small sub-divided groups called the Karamojong Cluster.This later split to give rise to Jie,Karamojong,Turkana and Teso.

The Iteso people moved to Uganda and found north-eastern Uganda favorable place to stay because of their lifestyle.This was around the mid-18th century.
From then,these "wise men" have continued to stay in this location of Uganda.

Social organization
The Iteso people are organised in clans and people of the same clan share similar elements.In the past,Iteso women used to wear barkcloth while the girls used to wear bead-decorated itibire.This kind of clothing was coped from the neighboring Basoga and the Karimojongs.

Marriage in Teso

An Iteso man playing an African-styled instrument

Unlike today where young boys and girls are allowed to choose their own partners,in the past,parents used to choose partners for their children especially for a boy.The father would choose a girl for his son and then talks to her parents for an agreement.
If the girl's parents accept,then the date is set when the boy is expected to come for an introduction at the girl's home.He is supposed to come with dowry and offer it to the girl's parents.The most common dowry used are cows.
After all the proceedings,the marriage is then formalized and the by leaves with his girl.
In Teso,a boy is not supposed to marry a girl from the same clan as his.

Foods eaten by Iteso people
Iteso people eat various types of foods but they mainly feed on millet as their stable food.Other foods eaten by Iteso people include;pumpkins,milk,wild berries,fish and butter.

Cultural dances
In Uganda Iteso people have one of the most adorable dances that are hard-to copy unless trained.Some of the dances include;
-

Toto Idwe dance: This is done when a woman gives birth to twins.People gather around and dance to beats from the drum and they move in circles.
-Akembe dance:This dance was performed with an aim of invoking the ancestors for consultation.Drums would be sound and people would dance to their tunes.It involved shaking the rattles.

The Bakiga (Kiga) people of Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Also known as the "people of the mountain",Bakiga people live in the districts of Kabale and part of Rukungiri in the South-west of Uganda.These agro-pastoralists people belong to Rukiga-Bantu ethnic group and they are sometimes called the Kiga or Chiga while the singular form is Omukiga.They are the fourth largest ethnic group in Uganda covering about 8% of the total population.

Students enjoying the Ekizino dance

History about this proud ethnic group is way back between 1600 and 1700,when the Bakiga arrived in Uganda and Rwanda.Initially,a large number of Bakiga were living in Rwanda and very few were in Uganda but after the colonialism time,Many of them moved to Uganda and settled in the highlands in the southwest of Uganda.
Today the Bakiga are surrounded by Bafumbira in the west,Banyankolre in the East,Bahorooro in the north and Banyarwanda in the South.With their way of living,today they might have increased in the number and percentage but this is not possible because of their neutralisation in other ethnic groups of Uganda including;Buganda,Bunyoro,Toro,Northern Tanzania and Eastern Rwanda.

 Another history about the Bakiga people is that they migrated from Bunyoro during the old days when Bunyoro was invaded by the Luo.After the invasion,some Banyoro people (current Banyoro) are said to have moved from Tanzania to Uganda and settled in the southwest.

Today,the Bakiga are one of the most educated people in Uganda and this has led to a slight change in their way of living to some of them.The western culture is seen in some of their current activities though this is not the case with the "die-hards" of the tribe.The western mentality is evidenced during local meetings in that instead of speaking Lukiga,members resort to speaking English.
The reign of the academic history of Bakiga started when the tribe produced the first African Flight director for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Currently,Uganda's prime minister (Hon.Amama Mbabazi),Shaka-Ssali- a popular radio and TV prenent,Dr.Kizza Besigye-Ugandan opposition Politician,Dr.Ruhakana Rugunda-Uganda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Emmanuel Mutebile Tumusiime-governor of Bank Of Uganda,are some of the sounding Bakiga in Uganda.

Facts about Lukiga
Lukigs is Bakiga's language and it is one of the most spoken languages in Uganda.The language is part of the Bantu languages and there are some words that are shared with other ethnic groups.Some of the key nouns in Rukiga are;
.ru-meaning a language,for example Rukiga
.ba-meaning people,e.g Bakiga
.mu-meaning one person,e.g Mukiga
.ki-meaning traditions or customs,e.g Kikiga

How Bakiga are organized
Bakiga people are organized into clans each with several lineages that have one leader known as Omukuru w'omuryango.
Just like most Bantu groups,Bakiga are not supposed to marry for their clans and this according to the elders it's an abomination.
When a Mukiga man dies,his sons share his wealth and on rear occasions,daughters would be given some portion of the wealth.But with the current move by the government of promoting equality between both men and women,some of the Kikiga cultural beliefs have been modified,in that today daughter can have an equal share of their father's wealth.

Marriage

Kikiga Marriage ceremony

Bakiga people are known for respecting marriage and in the past,a girl was supposed to be a virgin in order to get a blessed marriage.A girl who got pregnant before marriage was taken as an outcast and she would be thrown in the forest for the wild animals to feast on or dumped on Lake Bunyonyi's highland.
Marriage is organised by the groom's parents and he is supposed to pay a bride price before taking the bride.Some of the traditional things accepted as pride price include;cows,hoes and goats,plus money.
Though on a reducing trend,polygamous families still dominate Bakiga land and this has led to an increase in their number.

Bakiga music and dance
The Bakiga are most known for Ekizino dance mainly done by Bakiga from Kigezi. Kigezi is a beautiful place with highland and cool weather and this resulted to a nickname of "Africa's Switzerland".
This dance is dance on specific Kikiga songs and it is sometimes done to simply warm up since Kigezi s a highly-cold place.This vigorous dance is done by stamping the ground while jumping and it needs one to have strength and stamina.While jumping,the arms are spread wide following the tune that is played.

Housing
A traditional Kikiga homestead has a main house or hut,a kraal,kitchen, granaries and sanitation facilities.All these are enclosed in a fence with a main gate.The secret behind the fencing of the home is to protect the members against wild animals that always roam about the whole Kikiga land.