THE BAKONZO TRIBE

Who are the Bakonzo? 

The Bakonzo are a Bantu-speaking people who live on the mountain slopes of the magnificent Rwenzori (Mountains of the Moon), western Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda they are concentrated in Kasese, Kabarole and Bundibugyo districts.

They are sometimes called Bayiira or Banande. There are approximately 5 million.

The Bakonzo culture is adapted to the steep slopes and climate of Rwenzori, which they share with the Baamba. The Baamba, mostly found in neighboring Bundibugyo district, are the closest in lineage and culture to the Bakonzo.

The Bakonjo cultivate cassava for food and coffee as a cash crop. They also graze goats as their equivalent of the cattle in other tribes.

Governance 

The Bakonzo and Baamba maintained forms of government based on councils of elders. These were answerable to the king called “omusinga” and were a link between the people and the royal family. They were custodians of peace and instituting of justice.  

Norms

1. Circumcision 

You are not a man among the Bakonzo if you are not circumcised. The Bakonzo have circumcision as one of their most entrenched cultural practices. But unlike other tribes who hold an annual circumcision ceremony (Imbalu), the Bakozo's circumcision is done without pomp and celebration.

The culture of circumcision is deeply rooted in the Bakonjo's way of life and although they don't mobilize people for circumcision like the Bagisu do, almost every Mukonzo male is circumcised. Many Bakonzo have grown up knowing only too well that society will not let a man grow up comfortably in their midst while uncircumcised.

2. Marriage 

Before the influence of education and modernization on most African traditions, when a woman gave birth to a girl child among the Bakonzo, the fathers with sons came with gifts for the parents. The parents of the girl child paid special attention to the gifts being brought. Reason: It is from these gifts that the parents decided which family would take their daughter for marriage.

In other words, the gifts were a symbol of interest in the newborn by the different fathers in a given locality on behalf for their sons. The parents of the girl based on the gifts to choose their future in-laws. The gifts brought to the girl's parents would determine a financially potential family, with a background of a good reputation in the community.

3. No courtship with partner 

All marriages were arranged by parents. All the scouting and bargaining was done by the parents of the girl and the boy in the early years. Polygamy, which was for those who could afford it, was a chance for men to choose their own spouses.

While a family with a good reputation had a hard task of choosing a suitor for their daughter from among the various contenders, it was hard for the unpopular families to betroth their children. Physical beauty was not an issue of consideration at all. Such daughters provided second wives for the wealthy to choose.

"If a family was reputed for having badly mannered members, no parent gave them their children or even came to book their daughters. It is daughters from such families that provided second wives for the wealthy to choose.

Today though this peculiar marriage tradition of betrothing has died out, marriage among the Bakonzo is still used to strengthen family friendships.

4. After birth rituals 

When a woman gave birth, she did not sleep on her marital bed until the bleeding stopped. "She was considered unclean for her marital bed.

Things are more complicated however when she gives birth to twins. The birth of “Abahasa”, the twins, meant that their mother, the “Nyabahasa” would have to sleep with one of her husband's nephews when she announced that she was ready to go back to her marital bed. The public looked forward to this ceremony, which is referred “Olhuhasa”.

The Isebahasa, would begin to pass on news in his socializing and drinking groups of the upcoming Olhuhasa from the time his wife says she is healed. At the same time, a hut was built in the middle of the man's compound where the event is to occur.

With a big congregation amidst jubilation, the Isebahasa's oldest nephew was taken to the hut to have sexual intercourse with the Nyabahasa.

Because of fear and the knowledge of a big crowd outside the hut, some nephews would not get an erection for long. Yet the cultural practice had to be accomplished. Otherwise, it was believed that the twins would die. If one nephew completely failed, another one was brought to do the ritual and the failure of many nephews became a laughing stock. Finally when the Nyabahasa appeared from the hut with her successful nephew in law, there was jubilation and lots of feasting.

The Isebahasa does not mind, in fact he is among the jubilating crowd. This is the only way to ensure that his twins are going to live.

This is as far as the nephew and his aunt went concerning their sexual intimacy. In fact a spouse had a lot of explaining to do if the Bahasa cried a lot. This was believed to mean that one of their parents had committed adultery.

This cultural belief was to signify that the twins' parents could get away with anything. It is for such traditions, that we are grateful to education and modernization. The possibility of HIV infection, alongside education and modernization, traditions like Olhuhasa have died out. But like all cultures, not everything dies out at once, especially among the Bakonzo famous for clinging to their cultures and traditions.

5. Bakonzo Names 

One of the cultural attributes that belong exclusively to the Bakonzo is the way they name their children, almost automatically if you like.

The criteria the Bakonzo follow in naming their children is unique only to them alone in Uganda. Though they have clans, these will not be evidenced in their names like most other tribes. That the child be accorded a name depending on the events surrounding their birth is also an option rarely chosen, unlike in other Ugandan tribes.

The most Bakonjo you have come across have probably had one of these names:

Baluku/Mumbere, Bwambale, Masereka, Kule, Thembo or Mbusa for males and Masika/Musoki, Biira, Kabugho, Mbambu, Ithungu, Kyakimwa and Nziabake for females.

These names are given basing on the position of birth.

The Bakonzo began as a small cultural sect but it has full grown into a strong kingdom with a centralized system of Government. They are currently referred to as the great Rwenzururu Kingdom.

Source: http://www.rwenzururu.or.ug

By Bwambale Deus

Holy Cross