Busoga Kingdom - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Busoga is one of Uganda's ancient kingdoms belonging to Bantu ethnic group,and it is the third largest ethnic group.The term Busoga means ans area where Basoga people stay.Some history about Busoga states that they originated from Baisengobi clan,who are said to come from Bunyoro.

Busoga Court of Arms

Origin of Busoga
Busoga's origin was around the 16th century when Prince Mukama Namutukula from Babiito clan left Bunyoro and moved Eastwards across Lake Kyoga along with his wife called Nawudo.They left Bunyoro with few servants, a dog,few arms and settled in the northern Busoga at a place called Lyingo (presently called Kamuli district).

At the new found land,Prince Mukama was admired by everyone because of his skills in hunting and his sharpness when it came to decision making.Apart from hunting,he also took part in blacksmithing,hoe making,and spear making.
The prince and his wife gave birth to several children and among these,only 5 boys survived.Time came when prince Mukama wanted to go back to Bunyoro and he allocated areas to his 5 sons to control and oversee.
Wakoli was his first son and he was given to oversee Bukooli,Zibondo had to control Bulamogi,Ngobi had Kigulu Kitimbo had Bugabula and Tabingwa was to oversee Luuka.

Time escalated and on realizing by the 5 sons that their father might not come back,they decided to regard themselves as the legitimate rulers over their respective areas.They continued to rule their respective areas till the 19th century when the colonialists persuaded them into some form of federation.The federation resulted into a regional Busoga council known as Busoga Lukiiko.
This led to a new beginning for Busoga and unlike their neighbour (Baganda),Busoga did not have a central figurehead (King &Queen).It was 1906 that Busoga was influenced by Bunyoro and Buganda and got one leader among the 5 chiefs.

Current Busoga

Kisoga Dance

Presently,Busoga has no official king due to the the wrangles in the kingdom.Their way of choosing a king among the 5 chiefs is the main reason for this.Every chief wants to be a king and therefore it has led to conflicts in the kingdom.
This method of selecting a king was first used in 1949 for the subsequent elections of the Isebantu Kyabazinga wa Busoga.

The biggest town in Busoga is Jinja which was Uganda's number one industrial town before 1972,when the then president of Uganda (Idi Amin),chased away the Indians from the country.
The town lost its glory and pride and it has not yet gained it's glory even with the current return of some Indians.
The kingdom's headquaters are found at Bugembe hill,a few kilometers from Jinja.

The Ankole culture - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

There are two things that comes into a Ugandan's mind when you mention the name "Ankole",one is grazing cattle and the other is tiling land.These two activities are identical with the Banyankole people.
Ankole tribe belongs to the Bantu ethnic group and People from Ankole are known as Banyankole.
The Ankole kingdom is found in southwestern Uganda in the east of Lake Edward.

The leader of the Ankole is known as Omugabe of Ankole and he is given maximum respect by his people.
In 1967,the kingdom was abolished by the government of President Milton Obote and up to date,it has not been officially restored.

The Bahima ( cattle herders)
According to the Ankole history,these Ankole cows were originally reared by demi-gods known as the Bachwezi. These

The long-horned Ankole cattle

 gods were said to live in the underground-dark caves.They moved  for very long distances in search for people with compassion and warmth until when they settled in the caves.
It was one time that one of the princes that had gone to fetch water got struck by an elegant handsome man whom she fell in love with and later got married.
After some time,the couple decided to come back on earth and the elders gave them gifts including the long-horned cows.They settled in the southwest of Uganda,and when the local people saw these cows,they decided to call them the Ankole cows.

People who normally keep these cows are called the Bahima and they strongly depend on them for survival.They get milk and meat from the cows that is consumed and sometimes sold.
The cows are milked wit bare hands and after milking,the cows are taken to the field for grazing.

Today the Bahima also use these cows to pay bride price during the marriage ceremony.

The Cultivators
Among the Ankole tribe,there is a group of people called the cultivators.These basically dig in order to get food.This activity is mainly carried out by women as men take park in income generating activities.

In the morning when you go to Ankole land,you can meet women carrying hoes on their backs making their way to the garden.Digging is mainly done in the early morning hours before the sun's heat increases.

The men are rare to find carrying out this activity with their wives in Ankole.Instead they carry out trade from urban centers in order to raise money for their families.The women are left to provide food for the family through digging.

Customs among the Banyankole people
Marriage:

A marriage ceremony of Banyankole people

When it comes to marriage,a typical Buhima who is non-schooling marries at an age of 17 years.The father of the boy chooses a girl for his son and then engage in negotiations with the bride'd family.
There are several ceremonies carried out once the bride's parents agree and later dowry is paid.In the early days,the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other and in some cases don't know each other until the marriage day.

Among the Ankole people,they mainly use cows as dowry and this is why some men decide to be polygamous so as to be considered as rich men.

Housing:
The typical traditional design of a Munyankole hut is very simple with African style of construction.These huts mainly have 2 spacious rooms,1 used as a bedroom and the other used for other businesses.

 Language:
The Banyankore speak a language known as Runyankore.One special feature about the language is that it has no letter "I" in its alphabet but its repalecd by "r".

Making a cultural visit to this "land of milk"is one of those things that you  can't miss.

Great wonders about Baganda (the largest ethnic group in Uganda) - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

The Baganda people carrying the Kabaka

Buganda is the largest ethnic group found in the south-central region of Uganda occupying about 16.9% of the total population.The kingdom is in the heart of Africa,astride the equator and source of the Nile.A person from Buganda group is known as a Muganda and if referring to plural,Baganda and the language is called Luganda

Mostly known for their loyalty to the King,the Baganda people were the first organised ethnic group in Uganda with a "Kabaka" as their leader.The king is extremely respected by his people and this is evidenced by the bowing down of the men before him.

History about Buganda
The most believed history about Buganda origin is that originally,there was a man known as Kintu who came from the Eastern direction of Mount Elgon,and he is believed to be the first man according to Ganda mythology.Kintu got married to Nambi (the daughter of the creator deity Ggulu).
Some people believe that Ganda people came from east or north and are part of Luo people from Sudan.

Kintu moved from the east of Mount Elgon and moved through Busoga , reached Kibiro and later reached Kyadondo currently known as Wakiso district and formed Buganda there.

Another history says that Buganda was found by a different Kato Kintu,a fleeing prince for the then collapsing Bunyoro-Kitara empire.He is said to have founded Buganda and became its first king.After becoming the king,he expanded the Kingdom to different areas of Uganda.
By the 18th century,Buganda had grown and it had dominated Bunyoro kingdom which was later eclipsed by Bugada. This explains why currently,the Ganda kingdom is the largest in Uganda.

Culture and social structure of Buganda
Buganda is the most centralized & organised tribe in Uganda due to the people's loyalty to the kabaka.
The kingdom is divided into clans ( a group of related lineages to the ancestor) and each has a leader.Clan leaders can summon a council meeting of lineage heads in case of any issue to be discussed.In Buganda,lineage is passed down along patrilineal lines.
Members from the same clan refer to themselves as brothers and sisters regardless of how far removed from one another in terms of blood ties.
When introducing a Muganda man,you must talk about his names,both his father and paternal grandfather,and this is accompanied by a description of his clan.Some of the clans in Buganda include;Abalangira,Babiito-Kooti,Babiito-Kiziba,Babiito-Kibulala,Butiko,Ffumbe,Kasimba,Kayozi,Kibe,Kayozi,Kiwere,KinyomoLugave,Mbwa,Mpeewo,Ndiga,Ngeye,Njaza,Njobe and many more.
No one is supposed to eat the totem he/she belongs to.

The clan spirit among the Baganda is evidenced in the naming of children in that a Kiganda name only belongs to one clan and its not used by any other tribe.

 Buganda is also well known for its Kiganda dance that is soo interesting.This is done on beats from drums.Its played on different cultural ceremonies in Buganda.

The Kiganda dance

Young boys and girls from the kingdom are taught this dance by their elders.

Marriage
When it comes to marriage in Buganda,one is not supposed to marry  into one's clan or that of one's mother.This is to prevent incest in the kingdom.Another thing is that once people are married,no one is allowed to eat a totem of the other.



Kingship
After Buganda's agreement to follow Kintu's style of governance,the kingdom had to follow the hierarchical system of getting a king and this is still in practice.The clan leaders are expected to help the king in the governing of the kingdom. The clan leaders are also entrusted with powers to settle disputes among their people and frequently report to the king.


The kingdom has numerous tourist attraction and a visit to Buganda is one of those adventurous journeys that can never be forgotten.

Cultural Safari in Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked country found in East Africa. The Country is bordered by Kenya in the east,Tanzania in the South,Rwanda in the south-west,Democratic Republic of Congo in the west and Sudan in the north.

Also referred to as "the Pearl of Africa",Uganda is composed of numerous cultures due to the presence of a diverse range of ethnic groups.Some of the unique ethnic groups in Uganda include;

-The Bantu speaking people.These basically dominate the East,south and central Africa.In Uganda,the Bantu people include;Baganda,Banyankore,Bassoga,Bagishu,Bakiga and very many others.

-The Lango People.These are found in Northern Uganda and they speke Nilotic languages.

-The Acholi.Also found in the North of Uganda and speke Nilotic Languages.

- The Iteso  are found in the Eastern Uganda and they speak Nilotic Language.

-Karamojongs speak Nilotic Language and are fount in the North-east of Uganda.

-Other unique people in Uganda are the Pygmies who live in Uganda's rain forests found in the west.

Below are the different Ethnic groups in Uganda and their coverage about the total population;
1.Baganda-16.9%
2.Banyankole-9.5%
3.Basoga-8.4%
4.Bakiga-6.9%
5.Iteso-6.4%
6.Langi-6.1%
7.Acholi-4.7%
8.Bagisu-4.6%
9.Lugbara-4.2%
10.Bunyoro-2.7%
11.other 29.6%

The main Religions in Uganda include the Catholic,Protestant (Anglican),Muslim and others.