Bagwere
Encyclopedia
The Gwere people, or Bagwere, are a Bantu ethnic group in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

. The Bagwere constitute an estimated 4% of Uganda's population.

Location

They live in the eastern Uganda, mostly in Budaka District
Budaka District
Budaka District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after Budaka, its 'chief town', where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

, Pallisa District
Pallisa District
Pallisa District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its chief town, Pallisa, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

 and Kibuku District
Kibuku District
Kibuku District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after its 'chief town', Kibuku, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

, 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
Jopadhola
The Adhola people, also known as Jopadhola or Badama, are an ethnic group of Uganda. They live Tororo District in southeastern Uganda and comprise about two percent of the country's total population. They speak Dhopadhola , which belongs to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language...

 (Badama) as their neighbors. The city of Mbale
Mbale
Mbale is a city in Eastern Uganda. It is the main municiplal, administrative and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region. The district is named after the town.-Location:...

, 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
Pallisa
Pallisa is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Pallisa District. The district is named after the town.-Location:Pallisa is located approximately , by road, west of Mbale, the largest city in the sub-region...

, Budaka
Budaka town
Budaka is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Budaka District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town-Location:...

, Kibuku
Kibuku
Kibuku is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the chief municipal, administrative and commercial center of Kibuku District.-Location:Kibuku is located approximately , by road, west of Mbale, the largest city in the sub-region. This location is approximately , by road, northeast of Kampala, the capital...

, Kagumu, Kamonkoli, Kadama, Iki-Iki, Bulangira, Kaderuna, Tirinyi, Butebo and Kakoro.

The Bagwere are said to have emigrated to their present area from Bunyoro
Bunyoro
Bunyoro is a kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in East Africa from the 16th to the 19th century. It is ruled by the Omukama of Bunyoro...

 and Toro, and travelled along Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...

, 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
Lugwere
‎Gwere, or Lugwere, is the language spoken by the Gwere people , a Bantu people found in the eastern part of Uganda. It has a close dialectical resemblance to Soga and Ganda, which neighbhour the Gwere....

. It widely spoken in Pallisa District and in Pallisa town. The language is very similar to Lunyole and to Lusamia.

Cultural structure

The Bagwere have many clans including the following:
  • Bagema Clan
  • Baloki Clan
  • Balalaka Clan
  • Baikomba Clan
  • Bakomolo Clan
  • Balangira Clan
  • Baganza Clan
  • Badaka Clan
  • Baumo Clan
  • Banaminto Clan
  • Bapalama Clan
  • Banyekero Clan
  • Batoloyi Clan
  • Bambirwe Clan


Intermarriage among members of the same clan is prohibited, as is the custom in most Bantu cultures.

Music

Their traditional music is called Tongoli, a five stringed hand held instrument, modeled along a one string instrument elsewhere in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 known as the Kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...

. The Bagwere are also identified with Namadu, a set of seven (7) drums as one of the famous traditional musical instruments.

Education

The Bagwere are very proud of their heritage especially as they are few in number but are very well educated. Over fifty (50) of them hold either PhD or Masters degrees from world class reputable universities. Their most prominent son is the late Balaki Kebba Kirya, one of the founding members of Independent Uganda who died in 1994. Some notable Bagwere personalities over the years include:
  • Gwanyi
  • Yoswa Kirya
  • Kabazi
  • Kageni
  • Isaac Kichodo
  • Professor Jovan Kiryabwire R.I.P., Africa
    Africa
    Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

    's first black neurosurgeon
  • Colonel Paul Babula, an Israeli-trained Mig Fighter Pilot. He also served as the presidential pilot for the following Ugandan presidents: Idi Amin
    Idi Amin
    Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...

    , Godfrey Binaisa
    Godfrey Binaisa
    Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa QC was a Ugandan lawyer who was Attorney General of Uganda from 1962 to 1968 and later served as President of Uganda from June 1979 to May 1980. At his death he was Uganda's only surviving former president....

    , Obote II
    Milton Obote
    Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...

    , Tito Okello
    Tito Okello
    General Tito Lutwa Okello , was a Ugandan Military officer and politician. He was the President of Uganda from 29 July 1985 until 26 January 1986.-Background:Tito Okello was born in 1914 in Kitgum District...

     and Yoweri Museveni
    Yoweri Museveni
    Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...

  • Ambassador Edward M K Wakida, one time Vice President of ICAO in Montreal
    Montreal
    Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

    , Canada
    Canada
    Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

  • Philip Wabulya, Director and Head Treasury & Global Markets, Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited
  • Engineer Albert Dihson Rafiki Muloiti Director of Multiplan Consulting Engineers
  • Engineer Johnathan Mwedde
  • Professor George Kirya
    George Kirya
    George B. Kirya is a Ugandan physician, academic, microbiologist, politician and diplomat. He is the current Chairman of the Uganda Health Services Commission. He has served in that capacity since 2007.-Education:...

    , Chairman, Uganda Health Services Commission, former Vice Chancellor Makerere University
    Makerere University
    Makerere University , Uganda's largest and second-oldest higher institution of learning, , was first established as a technical school in 1922. In 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees from the University of London...

     and former High Commissioner
    High Commissioner
    High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...

     to UK
  • Engineer Kabanda, once a principal private secretary to the President of Uganda
  • Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, the youngest judge of the High Court of Uganda
  • Ambassador Dr. Tomasi Sisye Kiryapawo, former High Commissioner to the UK. Currently, a member of Uganda's Electoral Commission
    Election management body
    An election management body or EMB is the authority in a nation charged with administering the electoral process. EMBs can be independent, mixed, judicial or governmental. The EMB may also be responsible for electoral boundary delimitation...

    .
  • Professor Ruth Mukama
  • Ambassador Mr. Taliwaku R.I.P
  • Ambassador Mrs. Taliwaku
  • William Mukama
    William Mukama
    William Mukama , was a Ugandan teacher and politician and founding member of the Ninth October Movement. Mukama was also a member of the Uganda Peoples Congress , the ruling party and government of Uganda both before and after the Idi Amin dictatorship.Mukama is believed to have been born in 1951,...

    , the renowned teacher
    Teacher
    A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

     and politician
    Politician
    A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

  • Professor Phillip Wabulya
  • Juliet Rainer Kafire, once Vice President of the Democratic Party
    Democratic Party (Uganda)
    The Democratic Party is a moderate conservative political party in Uganda currently led by Norbert Mao. DP was led by Paul Ssemogerere for 25 years until his retirement in November 2005...

     and a remarkable woman said to have built many schools in Uganda
  • Bishop Emeritus Alpakusad Gonahasa, Assistant Archbishop of the Church of Uganda
    Church of Uganda
    The Church of the Province of Uganda is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 34 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop....

  • Jennifer Namuyangu
    Jennifer Namuyangu
    Jennifer Namuyangu Byakatonda, sometimes spelled as Jenipher Namuyangu, but commonly known as Jennifer Namuyangu, is a Ugandan politician. She was the State Minister for Water Resources in the Ugandan Cabinet, from 01 June 2006 until 27 May 2011. In the Cabinet reshuffle on 27 May 2011, she was...

    , former State Minister for Water Resources
    Water
    Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

     (2006 - 2011) & former MP for Pallisa District Women's Representative
    Pallisa District
    Pallisa District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its chief town, Pallisa, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

     (2001 - 2011)
  • Dr. Laban Kirya, District Chairman, Pallisa District
    Pallisa District
    Pallisa District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its chief town, Pallisa, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

  • Dr. Kalebbo, Principal of Uganda Management Institute
    Uganda Management Institute
    Uganda Management Institute is a government- owned national center for training, research and consultancy in the field of management and administration in Uganda.-Location:...

  • Dr. Allan Kwabe, a computer engineer in the UK
  • Edmund Wakida, an Attorney
  • Dr. Talisuna  of the Uganda Ministry of Health
    Uganda Ministry of Health
    The Uganda Health Ministry, commonly known as the Uganda Ministry of Health, is a government department in Uganda. The ministry is headed by three cabinet members; one Minister of Health and two State Ministers of Health.-Location:...

  • Mr. Swaya  of the Ministry of Finance
  • Bob Wasugirya
  • Dr. Mutono of the Lodoi Foundation
  • Dr. Anthony Kebba, a renowned AIDS
    AIDS
    Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

     vaccine researcher for the World Health Organisation
  • Dr.Sam Lyomoki the Workers Representative in Parliament and Secretary General of the Uganda Trade Union Federation ( Central Organization of Free Trade Unions)
  • Engineer Wilson Mulebeke, one of the few meteorological engineers in Uganda
  • Professor ABCD Kweri
  • Dr. Jeremiah Twatwa - Physician
    Physician
    A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

     & politician
    Politician
    A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

    , the elected Member of Parliament for "Iki-Iki County", Budaka District
    Budaka District
    Budaka District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after Budaka, its 'chief town', where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...

     (2011 - 2016)
  • Dr. Basima Mpandey, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University
    Kyambogo University
    Kyambogo University , is a public university in Uganda. It was established in 2001 as the third public university in Uganda.-Location:...

     and brother to Professor ABCD Kweri
  • Professor Yoswa Dambisya of Limpompo University in South Africa
    South Africa
    The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

    .
  • Dr. Isaac Magoola, a lecturer at Makerere University Business School
    Makerere University Business School
    Makerere University Business School is the school of business of Makerere University, Uganda's oldest university. MUBS is the leading institution in providing business and management education at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels and a benchmark for other institutions...

  • Dr. Dan Wagaine
  • Dr. Kawuuta, a Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture
  • Dr. Wilson K. Kasolo, a board member of the National Forestry Authority and the Principal of Nyabyeya Forestry College
  • Moses Mugombesya, an Accounts Expert currently working with lweza Clays
  • Grace Nakirya, a Prominent Child Activist with Child Fund International, Uganda
  • Dr. Kinani, one time Permanent Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Health
  • Professor Vinand Nantulya, who resides in Switzerland
    Switzerland
    Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

  • Esther Baluka, a Management & Information Systems Analyst working with Stanbic Bank Uganda
    Stanbic Bank (Uganda) Limited
    Stanbic Bank Limited is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:...

  • Fred Tabiruka Sabakaki, a Management & Information Systems Developer working with Appliance world ltd LG Distributors in Sales and I.T stand in.
  • Mr. Mulekwa Eriakimu Namooni, an academician at Makerere University, an upcoming politician and Director of Youth Awaken Organization, a local charitable non-profit organisation
  • Michael Daka an Infrastructure Consulting Engineer and a Member of the Panel of Experts for the Daily Monitor Newspaper.
  • Francis W. Balya, a Computer Systems Expert and son to the late Edward M.K. Wakida
  • Bob Mubaala, the Bagwere's Paramount Cultural Leader, referred to as Ikumbania.
  • Eleazar John Waana Musannyana, an Educationalist.
  • Nathan Namooni, the Clan Head of the Balalaka Bakomba Clan
  • Samson Gwali, a plant taxonomist and research scientist with the National Agriculture Research Organisation
  • Dr. Charles Musannyana Waana, a Physicist
    Physicist
    A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...

     and IT Professional working in Canada
    Canada
    Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

     and son to the late Eleazar John Waana Musannyana, a noted Educator
  • Daniel Francis Mbulaiteye RIP son of Musana (Mumbirwe) and Nabejja (Mulalaka)and grandson of Mwiidu. Prominent Forester. Responsible for Planting and Maintainance of Forests in Uganda 1950s-1970s. Ancestral home in Kibuku Bumiiza and other established homes in Kadama and Kamonkoli.
  • Mrs Elizabeth Sarah Mbulaiteye Retired Senior Instructor Min of Culture & Comm dev. First female representative of Bugwere in Local District Colonial Legislature. Actively promoted adult literacy and women empowerment. Former Chairperson Widows and Orphan Association, Tororo District. Nowdays an active member of Isa Masiya christian believers.

Some of the prominent Chidren of Mbulaiteye:
  • Dr Margaret Saimo Mbulaiteye First female veterinary graduate Makerere University 1975. Alumini of Brunel Uni London, Wagenigen Netherlands, Lecturer, MUK, Local NGO Activist on Women Issues.
  • Fiora Mbulaiteye Abe old girl Gayaza High School, Fresno College USA. Former vice president Bank of America. Entrepreneur and founding member UNAA. Resident Texas USA.
  • Engineer Stephen Kirya Mbulaiteye old boy Budaka, Masaba SS, Teso College Aloet. Alumini MUK, Kumasi Inst of Tech, Laghborough UK. Electrical Engineer. Based in Ghana.
  • Dr Fred Musana Mbulaiteye old boy Kibuku, Busoga College Mwiri. Alumini MUK. Senior Anaesthetist. based in Mbale, Uganda.
  • Engineer Bernard Mbulaiteye Kamya old boy Kamonkoli Mixed, Busoga College Mwiri. Alumini MUK, Dundee Uni, RGU Scotland. Chartered civil & Structural Engineer. Director Kamya Consulting. Based in Scotland UK.
  • Dr Sam Mwiidu Mbulaiteye Old boy Kamonkoli Mixed, Manjasi High sch, Kisubi College. Alumini MUK, Cambridge. Former Chairperson of Uganda Medical students. Specialist in Cancer & HIV. Active researcher with widespread publications. Based in Maryland USA.
  • Fred Musana RIP Former Lt UPDF. Head of Bambirwe Clan.

Economic activities

The main economic activity of the Bagwere is subsistence crop agriculture and animal husbandry. To a lesser extent, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, fish farming
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...

 and bee keeping are increasingly practiced in Pallisa District. The major crops include:
  • Cassava
    Cassava
    Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...

  • Millet
    Millet
    The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...

  • Sorghum
    Sorghum
    Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...

  • Maize
    Maize
    Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

  • Groundnuts
  • Beans
  • Peas
    PEAS
    P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Rice
    Rice
    Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

  • Cotton
    Cotton
    Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

  • Sunflower
    Sunflower
    Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...

  • Soybeans
  • Bananas
  • Matooke


Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

, goats, sheep, poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...

, pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...

, 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
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...

 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:
  • Carp
    Carp
    Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...

  • Oreochromis niloticus
    Oreochromis niloticus
    The Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus is a relatively large cichlid fish, which is native to Africa from Egypt south to East and Central Africa, and as far west as Gambia. It is also native to Israel, and numerous introduced populations exist outside its natural range.It is also commercially...

  • Clarias spp.
    Clarias
    Clarias is a genus of catfishes of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water....


External links

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