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Gwere people

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Bagwere

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: 

        NAME OF CLAN LEADER                                CLAN

• Mubbala Kinyu Samuku Balamu Balalaka-Bengoma • Tazenya Henry Kamu Bakomolo-Nkobyokobyo • Kiore George William Bangwere • Kagino Obadia Bakaligwoko-Banamei • Tawonia Wilson Bapalama • Maiso Jonathan Kwiri Badeuke • Mulaiguli J. Samson Bakatikoko-Katikati • Mutono Eriamu Balunde • Wanzige Abel Balocho • Namoni Nathan Balalaka-Bakomba • Kirya Badru Babulanga • Gabbengere Christopher Balemeri (Nkembo) • Mwereza Gastavas Bakabweri • Kirya Geoffrey Bakaligwoko-Bakituti • Wagombolya Amos Banyekero • Gwaku Yeku Esau Badaka • Padere K. Claudius Basobya • Kaali Akabu Bagolya • Mongosi Yokolamu Basikwe • Kanku Francis Bakaligwoko-Bagolo • Wasugirya Fred Bob Baikomba • Kabala Malijani Baganza • Dr. Kiryapawo Tomasi Baloki • Mwanika Kirizanto Banghole • Muwandiki Jamada Balumba • Bulolo Patrick Bakawolya • Kamusaiza Stephen Balalaka-Bayumbu • Waletelerya Abudu Badoba • Mbulambago James Bagema • Nabbola Abimereki Badukulo • Mbulakyalo Alozio Balabya • Tazenya Tomasi Bakatikoko-Bakidi • Muluga John Bosco Baigembe • Musayenka Dominic Bakyesa • Okou Danieri Bakamugewo • Guloba Peter Balefe • Abenga Kamya Abed Bakomolo-Bombo • Hajji Nfunyeku Jafali Balemeri • Kirya Felix William Banongo • Talyankona Yokosani Bawunga • Mukonge Issa Babeera • Seebe Twaha Bakyabulya • Nduga Wilson Banaminto • Kapisa Michael Bakaligwoko-Barweta • Hajji Nabwali Saibu Bafukanyi • Sisye Joram Bakalaga • Gantwase Efulaimu Baluba • Kadugala Isaa Balalaka-Bakidi • Wabwire Lala James Balala • Gole Nicholas Banamwera • Kisense Samuel Bansaka • Ochola Ben Baibere • Wadugu George Baseta • Taaya Peter Bagamole • Mugoda Ahamada Banyolo • Mivule Nimrod Balinda • Sajjabi S. Sulaiman Abengo • Wulira Abudalla Batego • Kasinyire Peter Bamango • Keni Bulasio Basobya • Mbulakyalo Geresom Baumo • Mugoya Samuel Bakoolia • Ntawo Boniface Balomi • Nakibbe Peter Bagoye • Onyait Zerubaberi Bakatikoko-Izima • Mujere Hamuzata Bakambe • Okurut Nikanoli Balalaka-Abanyana • Nabesya Jafali Banswenza • Tudde Abuneri Bakinomo • Napoma Christopher Bamesula • Onepuru Amuza Bangokho • Bonyo Talikula Stephen Bakaduka • Mukidi Moses Banyulya • Wakamba Samwiri Bakone • Wampula Rovers Bakaligwoko-Bayesi • Mudenya Sowali Baerya. • Kitebe Twaha Boluko. • Ochomo Michael Bakaligwoko-Baseta • Kamiza Abudu Basuswa-Abampiti • Yusufu Sadi Baisanga • Kidimu Bruhan Batenga • Igandi Ben Balemo • Mbulakyalo Alozio Balabya • Wenge Anthony Bayangu

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" by 86 Clans which have subscribed to the Constitution of the "OBWA IKUMBAANIA BWA BUGWERE" of 14th November 2009 . The first chief cultural leader of the Bagwere people is His Higness KINTU SAMUKU BALAMU.

The Basimba Leopard Clan is one minority Clan among the Bagwere tribe which traces its ancestry roots to Buddu in Masaka, Busere, Ukala, Ukerewe District in Mwanza Region Northern Tanzania, Luapula Valley in Northern Zambia and Buluba in Congo.The Basimba among the Haya tribe in Bukoba Tanzania share the same ancestors with the Basimba Leopard Clan and Bashimba Leopard Clan in Luapula Valley in Northern Zambia

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 very proud of their heritage, especially as they 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 , other Universities and Institutions. Some notable Bagwere personalities over the years include:

  • Professor George Kirya, Chairman, Uganda Health Services Commission, former Vice Chancellor Makerere University and former High Commissioner to UK
  • William Mukama, the renowned teacher and politician
  • Jennifer Namuyangu, former State Minister for Water Resources (2006–2011) & former MP for Pallisa District Women's Representative (2001–2011)
  • Dr. Jeremiah Twatwa - Physician & politician, the elected Member of Parliament for "Iki-Iki County", Budaka District (2011–2016)
  • Nduga Ambrose Kagaire,[Budaka district,Kakule sub county],heavenly talented creative writer for poetry,screen plays and a professional micro finance specialist who has done vivid research and written on Islamic banking in his book THE BASICS IN ISLAMIC BANKING,a book recommended by Mr Omeke Micheal a senior micro finance lecturer at Kyambogo University.
  • Mzee Zerubabel Kengo|Renown Teacher
  • Dr. Asahel Namwoyo Tukei consultant ophthalmologist at ministry of health, Uganda. Currently consultant Regional ophthalmologist (Teso and Karamoja sub region), based at Soroti Regional Referral hospital
  • Katunku Edith Mary , (Budaka District, Nabaoa Sub-County)(Agriculturalist) the first Woman in Bugwere to graduate in Agriculture at Bukalasa (1967) & (Politician), the first Woman Resistance Council IV representative for Budaka at Tororo Resistance Council (1988-1989).
  • Wasugirya Fredrick Boaz, (Kibuku District,Kabweri Sub-County)(graduated at Makerere University Scientist 1974) (Politician) the elected (Resistance Council IV representative for Budaka at Tororo Resistance Council (1988-1989), [Chairman Local Council IV (Pallisa District) (2002–2007)( Resident District Commissioner Abim District) (2007-2012)

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:

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:

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

  1. ^ Intermarriage within Any Clan is Prohibited
  2. ^ Economic Activities in Pallisa District

Tanganyika Notes and Records - Issues 38-50 - Page 167 https://books.google.co.ug/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 ... Tanzania Notes and Records - Issues 42-45 - Page 54 https://books.google.co.ug/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 ...

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