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".