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.