Gwere people
The Gwere people, or Bagwere, are a Bantu ethnic group in Uganda.
Location
They live in the eastern Uganda, mostly in Budaka District, Pallisa District and Kibuku District, where they make up over 80% of the population. They have the Bagisu, the Basoga, the Balamogi and the Iteso, the Banyole and the Jopadhola (Badama) as their neighbors. The city of Mbale, one time reputed to be the cleanest city in Uganda is home to some Bagwere. Bagwere are also found in the following towns in Eastern Uganda: Pallisa, Budaka, Kibuku, Kagumu, Kamonkoli, Kadama, Kabweri, Iki-Iki, Bulangira, Kaderuna, Tirinyi, Butebo, Kakoro and kanginima,[kadama],[mugiti],[naboa].
The Bagwere are said to have emigrated to their present area from Bunyoro and Toro, and travelled along Lake Kyoga, crossing River Mpologoma. For this reason all the tribes that settled along the shores Kyoga like; Baluli, Bakenye, Balamogi have a similar language to Lugwere. Their initial area of settlement has shrunk considerably as the Iteso and the Bagisu have pushed the Bagwere's frontiers inwards.
Language
The language of the Bagwere is Lugwere. It is the unifying language spoken by People of different Clans from different tribes livng together in Pallisa,Budaka and Kibuku Districts. The language is very similar to Lulamogi, Lusoga, Bagungu and other tribes found in Western Uganda.
Cultural structure
The Bagwere have many clans originating from different tribes including the following:
•Mubbala Kinyu Samuku Balamu Balalaka-Bengoma Clan •Tazenya Henry Kamu Bakomolo-Nkobyokobyo Clan •Kiore George William Bangwere Clan •Kagino Obadia Bakaligwoko-Banamei Clan •Tawonia Wilson Bapalama Clan •Maiso Jonathan Kwiri Badeuke Clan •Mulaiguli J. Samson Bakatikoko-Katikati Clan •Mutono Eriamu Balunde Clan •Wanzige Abel Balocho Clan •Namoni Nathan Balalaka-Bakomba Clan •Kirya Badru Babulanga Clan •Gabbengere Christopher Balemeri (Nkembo) Clan •Mwereza Gastavas Bakabweri Clan •Kirya Geoffrey Bakaligwoko-Bakituti Clan •Wagombolya Amos Banyekero Clan •Gwaku Yeku Esau Badaka Clan •Padere K. Claudius Basobya Clan •Kaali Akabu Bagolya Clan •Mongosi Yokolamu Basikwe Clan •Kanku Francis Bakaligwoko-Bagolo Clan •Wasugirya Fred Bob Baikomba Clan •Kabala Malijani Baganza Clan •Dr. Kiryapawo Tomasi Baloki Clan •Mwanika Kirizanto Banghole Clan •Muwandiki Jamada Balumba Clan •Bulolo Patrick Bakawolya Clan •Kamusaiza Stephen Balalaka-Bayumbu Clan •Waletelerya Abudu Badoba Clan •Mbulambago James Bagema Clan •Nabbola Abimereki Badukulo Clan •Mbulakyalo Alozio Balabya Clan •Tazenya Tomasi Bakatikoko-Bakidi Clan •Muluga John Bosco Baigembe Clan •Musayenka Dominic Bakyesa Clan •Okou Danieri Bakamugewo Clan •Guloba Peter Balefe Clan •Abenga Kamya Abed Bakomolo-Bombo Clan •Hajji Nfunyeku Jafali Balemeri Clan •Kirya Felix William Banongo Clan •Talyankona Yokosani Bawunga Clan •Mukonge Issa Babeera Clan •Seebe Twaha Bakyabulya Clan •Nduga Wilson Banaminto Clan •Kapisa Michael Bakaligwoko-Barweta Clan •Hajji Nabwali Saibu Bafukanyi Clan •Sisye Joram Bakalaga Clan •Gantwase Efulaimu Baluba Clan •Kadugala Isaa Balalaka-Bakidi Clan •Wabwire Lala James Balala Clan •Gole Nicholas Banamwera Clan •Kisense Samuel Bansaka Clan •Ochola Ben Baibere Clan •Wadugu George Baseta Clan •Taaya Peter Bagamole Clan •Mugoda Ahamada Banyolo Clan •Mivule Nimrod Balinda Clan •Sajjabi S. Sulaiman Abengo Clan •Wulira Abudalla Batego Clan •Kasinyire Peter Bamango Clan •Keni Bulasio Basobya Clan •Mbulakyalo Geresom Baumo Clan •Mugoya Samuel Bakoolia Clan •Ntawo Boniface Balomi Clan •Nakibbe Peter Bagoye Clan •Onyait Zerubaberi Bakatikoko-Izima Clan •Mujere Hamuzata Bakambe Clan •Okurut Nikanoli Balalaka-Abanyana Clan •Nabesya Jafali Banswenza Clan •Tudde Abuneri Bakinomo Clan •Napoma Christopher Bamesula Clan •Onepuru Amuza Bangokho Clan •Bonyo Talikula Stephen Bakaduka Clan •Mukidi Moses Banyulya Clan •Wakamba Samwiri Bakone Clan •Wampula Rovers Bakaligwoko-Bayesi Clan •Mudenya Sowali Baerya Clan •Kitebe Twaha Boluko Clan •Ochomo Michael Bakaligwoko-Baseta Clan •Kamiza Abudu Basuswa-Abampiti Clan •Yusufu Sadi Baisanga Clan •Kidimu Bruhan Batenga Clan •Igandi Ben Balemo Clan •Mbulakyalo Alozio Balabya Clan •Wenge Anthony Bayangu Clan
All clans of Bagwere are headed by a clan leader or the chief and one of the clan leaders is elected to be the "IKUMBANIA" and 86 Clans leaders of Bugwere subscribed to the Constitution of the "OBWA IKUMBAANIA BWA BUGWERE" of 14 November 2009 and elected the first chief cultural leader of the Bagwere His Highness KINTU SAMUKU BALAMU.
The Basimba Leopard Clan is a minority Clan whose members live among the Bagwere tribe who trace their ancestry roots to Buddu in Masaka then to Busere, Ukala, Ukerewe District in Mwanza Region Northern Tanzania and Luapula Valley in Northern Zambia up to Buluba in Congo.The Basimba Clan members living among the Haya tribe in Bukoba Tanzania are collateral consanguinity with the Basimba Leopard Clan of Lupada, Naboa and the Bashimba Leopard Clan of Luapula Valley in Northern Zambia and those of Northern Zimbabwe.
Intermarriage among members of the same clan is prohibited, as is the custom in most Bantu cultures.[1]
Music
Their traditional music is called Namadu,a set of seven drums as one of the famous traditional musical instruments. The Bagwere are also identified with Tongoli, a five-stringed handheld instrument, modeled along a twenty one-string instrument,elsewhere in Africa known as the Kora. However, with the modernisation of the music industry, there are young upcoming artists in Bugwere who are manoeuvring to break through to the top like AREA *B* , Juliewex (kidumbulu) and waikere, who have really tried to bring up the bagwere on the music scene.
Education
The Bagwere are few in number but many are very well educated. Over fifty of them hold either PhD or master's degrees, degrees and diplomas from world-class reputable universities and other universities and institutions. Some notable Bagwere personalities over the years include:
- George Kirya, chairman, Uganda Health Services Commission, former vice chancellor of Makerere University, and former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
- William Mukama, teacher and politician
- Jennifer Namuyangu, former State Minister for Water Resources (2006–2011) & former MP for Pallisa District Women's Representative (2001–2011)
- Jeremiah Twatwa - Physician & politician, the elected Member of Parliament for "Iki-Iki County", Budaka District (2011–2016)
Economic activities
The main economic activity of the Bagwere is subsistence crop agriculture and animal husbandry. To a lesser extent, fishing, fish farming and bee keeping are increasingly practiced in Pallisa District.[2] The major crops include:
- Cassava
- Millet
- Sorghum
- Maize
- Groundnuts
- Beans
- Peas
- Sweet potatoes
- Rice
- Cotton
- Sunflower
- Soybeans
- Bananas
- Matooke
Cattle, goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, are some of the animals raised in the district. The district is further blessed with nine (9) minor lakes that comprise part of the Lake Kyoga system. The following are the nine lakes:
- Lake Lemwa
- Lake Kawi
- Lake Nakwa
- Lake Meito
- Lake Geme
- Lake Omunuo
- Lake Nyanzala
- Lake Nyaguo
There are nine (9) stocked fish farms in the district. Fish farming offers a big potential to increase the supply of fish for the population and hence improve on the nutrition of the population. Fish species include:
See also
References
The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia: Custom and History in ... https://books.google.com/books?id=eXi7AAAAIAAJ Ian George Cunnison - 1959 - Bwili The Leopard and Goat clans are paired because leopards eat goats. ... personal prefix as in MuShimba, BaShimba, a Leopard clansman, and Leopard Clan.
history of the shila people - Mabila Ceremony mabilaceremonyzambia.com/Files/History%20Detailed.pdf Bashimba (Leopard) clan from Buluba was Kasongo's brother. Whether he was also involved in the succession disputes is not known by the informants.
hristianity in the Luangwa Valley - fenza www.fenza.org/docs/ben/christianity_in_the_luangwa_valley__light_.pdf by B Udelhoven - 2006 - Cited by 3 - Related articles became wene Zimba, which sounds similar to the bashimba (leopards) which is the Bisa
Banditry, Rebellion and Social Protest in Africa https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0852550057 Donald Crummey - 1986 - History Luapula (in what is now northern Zambia) attracted caravan commerce, and ... Lusinga requested the assistance of warriors of the Leopard Clan to combat ...
Customary Law of the Haya Tribe, Tanganyika Territory - Page 287 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0714624764 Hans Cory, M. M. Hartnoll - 1945 - Preview - More editions For example, the omugurusi of the Basimba clan is Mauwe. On the day of his birth a dog had puppies. The dog of ten washed the child by licking it. Mauwe later, out of gratitude, ordered his descendants to consider the dog as their friend, and ...
Tanzania Notes and Records - Issues 42-45 - Page 54 https://books.google.com/books?id=xxIOAQAAMAAJ 1956 - Snippet view - More editions According to local tradition the original inhabitants were a clan called the Basimba who lived in the area of Busere on the south-east of the island, but it is not known what language they spoke and there are none of their descendants surviving ...
Tanganyika Notes and Records - Issues 38-50 - Page 167 https://books.google.com/books?id=rKsaAQAAMAAJ 1955 - Snippet view - More editions According to local tradition the original inhabitants were a clan called the Basimba who lived in the area of Busere on the south-east of the island, but it is not known what language they spoke and there are none of their descendants surviving ...
Origins of Kingship Traditions and Symbolism in the Great Lakes ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9155472958 Birgitta Farelius - 2008 - Snippet view - More editions Many clans still recount this etymological devise. Cory and Hartnoll note with surprise that although every clan has its totem in Buhaya (and Karagwe) and there are many clans, ... For example, the omugurusi of the basimba clan is Mauwe.
History of the Bukoba District - Page 101 https://books.google.com/books?id=PZcMAQAAIAAJ Hans Cory - 1959 - Snippet view Local tradition about the origin of this feature does not exist except that it goes back sometimes to the omuguruzi who adopted a secondary totem on account of certain events in his life. For instance; the secondary totem of the Basimba clan is ...
Die Rückkehr der Könige von Uganda: Politische Kultur und Moderne in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn... - Translate this page Raphaela von Weichs - 2014 - Preview - More editions Bakurungu war der Oberbegriff für einen Clan, der sich in einige Untergruppe aufgeteilt hatte. In Kibiro (‚Wald') nannten die Bakurungu sich Basimba (kusimba: ‚den Speer in den Boden pflanzen'), nachdem sie dort Salzfelder entdeckt und ...
Insurance Against Poverty - Page 201 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0199276838 Stefan Dercon, World Institute for Development Economics Research - 2005 - Preview - More editions There are 26 clans in Nyakatoke. The Bayango form the biggest clan (23 members), followed by the Basimba (20 members), the Bahimba (12 members), and the Bahunga (10 members). There are 10 clans which have only one household in ...
Histoire sociale de l'Afrique de l'Est (XIXe-XXe siècle): actes du ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn... - Translate this page Université du Burundi. Département d'histoire - 1991 - Preview - More editions Dans l'ancien royaume du Buganda qui possédait une quarantine de clans, Semakula Kiwanuka nous montre toute l'importance de ceux-ci dans l'histoire et la ... Kyanja — Basimba — Tambourinaires à la nouvelle lune Lungfish (mamba) 2.
Church, Clan, and the World - Page 22 https://books.google.com/books?id=SsEOAQAAIAAJ Josiah Kibira - 1974 - Snippet view Settlement of a clan member in a new area keeping contact with his stay-at-home relatives becoming the head of this new ... Cory gives the following eight as typical examples: Batundu Bahunga Bagombe Banyuma Baihuzi Basimba Basaizi ...
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822323664 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999 - Preview - More editions ... living in scattered, uneasy forest settlements as BaSimba fought battles in their midst. 39. People could tell me exactly how many such ngbaka there used to be per "clan" (bokulu) and the name of the big men who originally constructed them.
Ethnographic survey of Africa; East Central Africa https://books.google.com/books?id=gtaAAAAAMAAJ Cyril Daryll Forde - 1953 - Snippet view - More editions Each clan has a totem (muziro) and some clans in the past also had a secondary totem. ... Baruwani, Bashasha, Bashozi, Bashonde, Basimba (indigenous), Bashamulo, Basigu, Batongele, Batuku, Batundu (indigenous), Batarara, Batagarwa, ...
Ethnographic Survey of Africa - Volume 2, Issue 13 - Page 137 https://books.google.com/books?id=IYZRAQAAIAAJ 1962 - Snippet view - More editions One clan, the ruling Bahinda, is not exogamous, None of these groups are localized, corporate groups today. ... Bashozi, Bashonde, Basimba (indigenous), Bashamulo, Basigu, Batongele, Batuku, Batundu (indigenous), Batarara, Batagarwa, ...
Parcours d'un noir africain - Page 63 https://books.google.com/books?isbn... - Translate this page Preview Ceux-ci s'habituaient très bien et savaient l'accueillir lors de son retour à la maison, parfois même en dehors de la propriété. Son attachement aux chats s'expliquait par le fait qu'il était du clan de « BASIMBA », c'est-à-dire les défenseurs de la ...
Sukuma Labor Songs from Western Tanzania: We Never Sleep, We Dream ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9004184686 Frank D. Gunderson - 2010 - Preview ... (Ukwitawala Twitawalile) 287 'We have received electricity' (Twapandika bumeme) 134 'We of the Jijabu clan' (Abise ... tough weeds' (Bise basimba ngobi) 280 'We will never be ruled by multiparties' (Tututawalagwa na vyama vingi) 312 ...
Peuples et rois de l'Afrique des lacs: le Burundi et les royaumes ... https://books.google.com/books?id... - Translate this page Émile Mworoha - 1977 - Snippet view D'autres recherches portant de façon systématique sur ce problème des « clans » interlacustres seraient nécessaires. Mais, vu ... Ihangiro — Bayango (iru) — Clan régnant — Conseillers à la cour 1. Kyanja — Basimba — Tambourinaires à ...
The Book of History: Unites States - Page 6543 https://books.google.com/books?id=aHImAQAAIAAJ Viscount James Bryce Bryce, Holland Thompson, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie - 1915 - Snippet view - More editions 379), monastic reforms, 28 8 3 Bas'Hns D'genls Acritus, 2920 Basimba (Clmbebas), people, 322 Easkaks, Mongol ... 1269, mo Bangash, Pathan clan, 1523 Bangkok, capital of Siam, U00, 1405 Bangwaketse, African people, 2303 Bamas, ...
The Earth and Its Inhabitants: The Universal Geography https://books.google.com/books?id=TTEMAAAAIAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - Snippet view - More editions ... 165 Ba-Senga, 270 Bashee River, 174 Bashiikulompo, 262 Ba-SUika, 165 Ba-Simba, 26 Ba-Soetla, 206 Ba-Songa, ... 214 Christianity in Madagascar, 449 South Africa, 117 Chuambo, 280 Cimbeba, 26, 448 Clan william, 130 Climate of ...
Harmsworth History of the World: America. The triumph of the mind of ... https://books.google.com/books?id=_P9LAQAAMAAJ 1909 - Snippet view ... 1270 Bangash, Pathan clan, 1523 Bangkok, capital of Siam, 1400, 1405 Bangkok, treaty (1909), 6356 Bangwaketse, .... 379), monastic reforms, s Basilius o: Acritus, 2920 Basimba (Cimbebas), people, 323 Baskaks, "Mongol tax-collectors, ...
The Earth and Its Inhabitants ...: South and east Africa - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=JGdGAQAAMAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1895 - Snippet view - More editions ... many other tribal names figure on the maps, which must be regarded either as the designations of mere clans, castes, ... The Wa-Zimbas may perhaps be kinsmen of the Ba-Simba or Cimbeba people on the west coast of Africa, about the ...
South & East Africa p. 289-496, Australasia p. 1-32 - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=Xh9GAQAAMAAJ Elise e Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1882 - Snippet view ... many other tribal names figure on the maps, which must be regarded either as the designations of mere clans, castes, ... The Wa-Zimbas may perhaps be kinsmen of the Ba-Simba or Cimbeba people on the west coast of Africa,
External links
The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia: Custom and History in ...
Ian George Cunnison - 1959 - Bwili The Leopard and Goat clans are paired because leopards eat goats. ... personal prefix as in MuShimba, BaShimba, a Leopard clansman, and Leopard Clan.