Bakiga Tribe In Uganda : The Bakiga are under Bantu ethnic group, they are as well known as Abakiga which means mountain climbing people. These are believed to be descendants of Kashyiga who was as well known as Kakiga son of Mbogo from a small kingdom of Bumbogo in Rwanda, they were a one family based on clans, lineages, and households not a kingdom. The Bakiga are said to have migrated from Rwanda and settled in the fertile hills of Kigezi, where they put/established a thriving community.
Kigezi region/districts are located in the South Western Uganda and it gives Uganda a distinctive character because of its hilly and mountainous beauty, it is commonly known as the Switzerland of Africa.
They are basically settled in the Kigezi districts of Rukungiri, Kabale, Kanungu, Rukiga. These areas officially became part of Uganda in 1910 through the Anglo -German agreement which formalised the British rule in the above mentioned in Uganda and some migrated to other areas like Kamwenge.
Before the introduction of Islam and Christianity, the Bakiga believed in a single God called Ruhanga who neither was a female nor male. God could also be referred to through his attributes to them. He was referred to as Mukama because he was the supreme leader elder and ruler of their land and today most of the bakiga people are Christians with the catholic and Anglicans churches being the most dominant.
The Bakiga are subdivided in clans even in their history for example Bamungura the royal clan, the Basigi the clan responsible for defending the king, the Bamungwe, BaMuhutu, Bamugyesera, Bamugiri and others.
The Bakiga are known for their strong agricultural methods and commitment.
Their basic language is Rukiga which is almost like the Runyankore but differ.
Characteristics of the Bakiga
-They live in the hilly places and environments. the structure of the environment they live in has made Bakiga renowned for industriousness and resourcefulness
– The Bakiga have strong agricultural, methods, tradition and commitment to community welfare are hallmarks of their identity like terracing which is a mitigation against severe soil erosion
-The Bakiga are also known for being very hardworking and have a warrior character. the worrier character of the Bakiga make it difficult for outsiders to penetrate their culture even colonialists did fail to convince the Bakiga. they are strong and energetic so they handle most of the chores.
-The Bakiga’s staple foods are sorghum, beans, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, beans and peas, these are supplemented with pumpkins, yams, and a variety of green vegetables.
Tourist attractions in the Bakiga communities /districts.
There a different natural tourist attraction in the districts where Bakiga basically reside and dominate for example Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga forest national park, Lake Bunyonyi,Kisiizi falls among others
Tourism activities around the bakiga tribe.
The cultural tours: These tours allow tourists to explore the ancient Bakiga traditional households which act as the local museums showcasing the cultural tools that are significance to the Bakiga.
Granaries: tourists get to see where the Bakiga keep their food after harvests.
Local brewery: Tourists witness the process of making and production local juice, gin and local wine from banana.
Community tours: the tourists get a chance to interact with the bakiga locals, enjoy the cultural dances, the Bakiga folk dances, sing the songs that celebrate life, sacrifices, marriages plus other events, also learn how to prepare their local /traditional dishes like millet bread roasted meet and they also dine with the locals, enjoy the Bakiga story telling of their ancient history by the elders in a local camping setting.
Local medicine: tourists get to meet a local doctor who uses traditional medicine for healing, offering insights in local practices and visitors are always shocked about this.
Trekking: tourists do both gorilla and golden monkey trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga national park which are located in the districts of Kabale and Kisoro and they get one hour of spending time with the gorillas and golden monkeys.
Nature walks and hikes: tourists get to explore to explore and hike in the terraced hills of kabale and Kisoro and do the nature, community walks.
In Conclusion, the Bakiga tribe is interesting and they total to more than 2 million Bakiga population and it is one of the strongest and significant tribes in Uganda .
