The ethnic group
Locals speak Rukiga, a Bantu language, and the ethnic group is that of
Bakiga, a tribe that came here from today's Rwanda centuries ago. They were
farmers mainly devoted to the cultivation of sorghum, peas, beans and millet.
They distilled local beers from sorghum. The women took care of the work in the
fields, while men cleaned the bush for agriculture and built the typical grass
thatched huts. They were wearing skins of goat or cow. The Bakiga were
described by other Ugandan tribes as "tough hard-working people." A
marriage was a real contract between two families and the groom's family had to
pay a dowry to the bride. In their culture, virginity before marriage was
essential. Unmarried women who became pregnant were left in the forest at the
mercy of wild animals, thrown in the lake from a cliff or abandoned on the tiny
island of Akampene, also called Punishment Island.
Polygamy was the norm. Men who could afford the bride price could take
as many wives as they wanted. On the other hand, it seems that both men and
women were free to divorce. The Bakiga were organized in clans, which
represented the highest authority. The leaders of the different lineages
discussed the most important issues and when they could not solve disputes
through dialogue, they passed to fighting, in which they showed to be fierce warriors
(Edirisa, 2007).
Today 1.7 million of Bakiga in the region accounts for 7% of the total
population of Uganda. They are Christians, divided between Catholics and
Protestants. Muslims are a small percentage.
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