Buganda totems now tool for wildlife preservation

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) has adopted Buganda’s totem system to supplement the conservation effort, an official has said. UWEC Executive Director Andrew Seguya said, “People have forgotten this but during the old times, the Baganda knew that it was a taboo to kill your totem or even to eat your totem. If we re-invent this, it may be a useful tool in our conservation.”

Dr Seguya was briefing the Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, about UWEC’s activities during the Buganda Tourism Expo 2010 yesterday. Prof Bukenya officially opened the exhibition, now an annual event.

Deep feeling
Traditionally, a totem was an animal that represented a clan or familial group in order to distinguish them from other clans and thus prevent inbreeding or incest, and help one to monitor the kinship.

Dr Seguya said the cultural attachment to some of the animals helped in their conservation as Baganda held those animals sacred. Last month alone, Dr Seguya said, five lions had been poisoned by unknown people in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the wild cats are now an endangered species.
UWEC exhibited a lion, a crested crane, an ostrich, pythons, fishing eagles and parrots among others.

The crane, Dr Seguya said ,was also facing extinction. Prof. Bukenya promised to become an ambassador for the bird’s conservation efforts. He said he was interested in the crane, which is a national bird.

“I am interested in getting a male and a female crane,” Prof. Bukenya requested. Dr Seguya said they would consider Prof. Bukenya’s request. “It is our concern that this bird (the crane) is getting extinct,” Dr Seguya added.

Baganda challenged
Earlier on, the Vice President commissioned a museum within the Lubiri to house Buganda’s artifacts. Prof. Bukenya challenged Buganda to move with the times ‘by going into small and medium scale industries’.

“I appeal to the people in Buganda to make money. If you can no longer farm do something else that brings in money.” He said cultural tourism was one of the ways to effect development and conservation of culture was a priority.

The Vice President called for efforts to restore the disappearing plant species for medicinal and other purposes. The exhibition runs up to Sunday. Among the exhibitors are herbalists, artists, artisans and event service providers.