People and Culture in Uganda

People and Culture in Uganda Today


Uganda is a stew pot of diverse untapped culture and heritage. The country has more than 360 tribes From the diverse cultural mosaic of music, art, and hand crafts to the culture and norms, to the rituals, and regalia the diversity in Uganda’s culture is unmatched. There are 3 completely unique linguistic groups namely the nilotics, Bantu and the people from central Sudan

The Bantu speaking people dominate much of East, Central and Southern Africa. In Uganda, they include the Baganda, Banyankore, Banyoro, Batooro, Bakiga and several other tribes 



In the north, the Lango and the Acholi peoples are predominate and speak the Nilotic languages. To the east are the Iteso and Karamojong who speak a Nilotic language, the Gishu are part of the Bantu and live mainly on the slopes of Mt. Elgon and speak Lumasaba which is closely related to the Luhya of Kenya. A few Pygmies live isolated in the rainforests of western Uganda. 




The Bantu, especifically the Baganda inhabit the central region and their history is more synonymous with that of Uganda. The other Bantu tribes include Banyankore, Batooro, Bakiga, Banyoro all in the west and Basoga in Eastern Uganda.  The Northern corridor and the Eastern section of the country are predominantly inhabited by the nilotics that include Itesots, Acholis, langis and Alur among others. These tribes mainly lived a nomadic life but later adapted to farming to supplement their livelihood.



The central Sudanese people, most of who live in the north western part of the country include the lugbaras and madis, among others and have a common language and very similar cultural practices. Despite the multiple dialects, there are two languages which are widely spoken across the country; that is, English which is the official language and Swahili.
Culture everywhere is described by dance and drama as the most components of cultural ceremonies along with songs and this is exactly what you can expect to witness on your cultural trip in Uganda. There are other ceremonies and passage rites like birth rites, marriage, and initiation which are held with high regard in the different cultures and may be different in many ways.



There are several other historical, Archaeological and religious sites that offer a remarkable experience and a deep understanding of the culture and people of the country.

Religion

 

Christians make up 85.2 percent of Uganda's population. There were sizeable numbers of Sikhs and Hindus in the country until Asians were expelled in 1972 by Idi Amin. Muslims make up 12 percent of Uganda's population.

Language

Uganda is ethnologically diverse, with at least 40 languages. Luganda is the most common language. English and Swahili are the official languages of Uganda, even though only a relatively small proportion of the population speaks English. Access to economic and political power is almost impossible without having mastered that language. Swahili, the East African lingua franca, is relatively widespread as a trade language and was made an official national language in September 2005. Luganda, a language widespread in central Uganda,  has been the official vernacular language in education for central Uganda and Uganda for a long time.

Clothing

In Uganda, the kanzu is the national dress of men in the country. Women from central and eastern Uganda wear a dress with a sash tied around the waist and large exaggerated shoulders called a gomesi. Women from the west and north west drape a long cloth around their waists and shoulders called suuka. Women from the south west wear a long baggy skirt and tie a short matching cloth across their shoulders. Women also wear a floor-length dress called a busuti, which was introduced by the 19^th century by the missionaries.

Marriage, Family and Kinship

Marriage. Family prosperity in rural areas involves the acquisition of wives, which is accomplished through the exchange of bride wealth. Since the 1950s a ceiling on bride wealth has been set at five cows and a similar number of goats. The payment of bride wealth is connected to the fact that men "rule" women. Polygamous marriages have reinforced some aspects of male dominance but also have given women an arena for cooperating to oppose male dominance. A man may grant his senior wife "male" status, allowing her to behave as an equal toward men and as a superior toward his other wives. However, polygamous marriages have left some wives without legal rights to inheritance after divorce or widowhood. 



Domestic Unit. The extended family is augmented by a kin group. Men have authority in the family and household tasks are divided among women and older girls. Women are economically dependent on the male next of kin (husband, father, or brother) and dependence on men deprives women of influence in family and community matters and ties them to male relationships for sustenance and the survival of their children.
Kin Groups. For many people, clan, lineage, and marriage provide the framework of daily life and access to the most significant resources. Farming is largely a family enterprise, and land and labor are available primarily through kin.