Buganda kingdom culture to experience on a Cultural Uganda safari

The Buganda Kingdom is found in the central region and holds Uganda’s capital. People in Buganda Kingdom are called the Baganda ruled by a king, who is given a title of Kabaka. The Baganda speak Luganda as their local language. Today Buganda Kingdom has people from all corners of the country and foreigners due to their hospitality and not forgetting that it holds Kampala city.

Lifestyle in Buganda Kingdom

The baganda have an organised government with the king (Ronald Muwenda Mutebi) as the leader and his subjects, its parliament is found in Kampala at “bulange emengo´´. The baganda have different clans (ebika) each with a totem(omuziro) which are animals, plants and water and a clan head (Omukulu wekika) and his subjects to rule his people, all these people report to the King. These clans dignify different people in Buganda with a totem as a symbol to represent the clan and each clan has a responsibility assigned by the kabaka in the Buganda kingdom.

The baganda live in counties called amasaza, each with a head from the kingdom. Their king lives in a palace (lubiri), each king has a different palace, that is every king coroneted is given a new palace, these palaces have traditional values and practices that are attractive which anyone could never miss out when in Buganada. The kasubi tombs found in Kampala give a full picture and view of the Buganda Kingdom, it has the typical Baganda women and men who walk you through everything Buganda holds. Every year Buganda and all the well-wishers come together to celebrate the coronation ceremony of its king, on this ceremony there are different and amazing cultural performances like the dances, drums, artists and the process of the coronation itself.

When it comes to work, Baganda engage in different activities, farming is mostly done, they grow food and cash crops, and also rare animals along that, fishing is also practiced by those who stay near fresh waters and also crafts like baskets, clothes and jewelry. Other activities are practiced in this modern day society like professional jobs and many more.

Family and marriage in Buganda kingdom

A typical muganda family is extended with the father as its head, the family lives in harmony with young children as the flowers of the house, mothers always have their hut with their young children, the father has his own hut and the youths always put up their huts as they learn to be independent. these families are found in a typical village setting during village walks in the upcountry. During their free time, all the family members come up together and elderlies could tell them educative but interesting stories, riddles and sometimes children entertain them with a dance.

In Buganda when children grow up, parents start preparing them for marriage, a girl is sent to her paternal aunt who mentors her about handling marriage and a son is sent to his maternal uncle who molds him up to be a man. When a man and woman meet, they first visit a woman’s aunt who asks his brother to set a date and also ask for dowry (omutwalo), when the man is set then they communicate back and the woman’s side sets for the ceremony. The introduction ceremony in Buganda is so amazing, right from the dressing, cultural rituals performed, food, dances list endless. This traditional marriage called kwanjula (introduction ceremony) husband accompanied by his relatives and friends visit the wife’s home to perform the rituals for the ceremony. The husband takes a gift (omutwalo) to his father-in-law and a gift (nkoko yo muko) to the brother-in-law. Virginity is highly valued in Buganda kingdom, a woman found virgin is given a goat as it shows pride and respect for herself on the introduction ceremony.

Marriage within the same clan is prohibited in Buganda that is; a man and woman from the same clan must not marry and also if the mother of the woman is of the same clan as the man and vice versa. Bagandas also do not eat their totems.

Food for the Baganda

Once you in Buganda kingdom, you can’t miss their special cuisine, the Luwombo which is prepared by putting sauce of your choice like meat, chicken, fish or nut paste, in a young banana leaf smoked well so that it doesn’t have any split in it, ingredients to fit the favorable taste are added, then it’s well tied with a fiber leaf, put in a saucepan, add water and put on a fire. The aroma from this special dish is irresistible and it’s so tasty, its served with bananas (matooke) the staple food for baganda, sweet potatoes (lumonde), cassava (muwogo), Rice and yams (mayuni)).

Dress code for the baganda

The Baganda dress in special suits called kanzu for men and busuuti (also referred to as gomesi) for women. These clothes can be made from backcloth which was the first form of dressing for the baganda. This dressing shows respect for a muganda, it’s a dress  code for ceremonies like marriage, coronation and other functions prepared by the king or his men.