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Tribes
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Today in Uganda there are 17 tribes belonging to the
Bantu and Nilotic groups. The Bantu-speaking tribes include
the Baganda from the central region and, the Batooro, Banyoro,
Bakiga, Bafumbira, Bakonjo, Bamba, Banyarwanda and Batwa from
the western region, plus the Basoga, Banyuli, Bakenye, Bagishu,
Bagwe, Bagwere from the eastern region. There are Bateso, Jopadhola
and Karimojong, Kumam. Jonam, Sebi, Pokot (Suk) and Tepeth from
the northeastern area, and the Nilotics who include the Acholi,
Alur, Langi, Lugbara, Madi, Kakwa in the north. The Lendus from
Zaire are also found across the border in Northwestern Uganda.
English is the official language. Many people outside
the office also commonly speak it. Luganda is easily the more
spoken language in most towns where business is transacted.
This is as a result of British colonial rule where the indirect
policy of rule used Baganda chiefs to oversee their business.
For many years the Luganda Bible and primer was the only available
source of education in most Bantu-speaking districts of Uganda
and could easily have become the official language but the
other districts will hear none of that. Kiswahili is spoken
but not without relative unease because of its association
with bad rule and soldiers who went on butchering people in
the bad regimes. Neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania have happily
embraced Kiswahili which is freely spoken in parliament, but
not in Uganda, where despite Government efforts to make it
a course language in primary and secondary schools parents
are reluctant to embrace it. A number of Languages like Runyakitara
and Luganda are examinable as degree courses at Makerere University.
Kiswahili has been introduced there as well.
The people and their cultures
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Uganda is a country of many cultural contrasts. For
example if you go west to Mbarara District, you will meet
the Bahima, a race of Ankole. This is an egalitarian group
of tall beautiful people who live on their cattle, milk and
ghee. They move from place to place in search of grass for
their herds. The men are agile, temperamental when confronted
and wear the elaborate shuka, a long woven cloth of rich colours
around the shoulder and a handy stick in hand to shoo cows
or fight the enemy. Their fat wives who walk in the same graceful
manner like the cows, live on milk and equally wear colourful
clothes. The women are usually of ample girth with beautiful
chocolate coloured gums and extremely white teeth. The Bahima
have strengthened their lives around cows and milk. Many of
their long-horned, graceful cows are given names to which
they respond when called. There is a rich folklore of songs
and dance among the Bahima, including some elaborate poems
and recitals which give praise to the best cows or narrate
some long journeys. Owing to the increasing shortage of cows
and land, they are slowly settling down to a more sedentary
way of life. Click
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