Prime
Bakenyi seek cultural king to save them from extinction
Members of the national committee which is spearheading the creation of the Bakenyi cultural institution. Photo | Courtesy
What you need to know:
- The Bakenyi, a Bantu ethnic group, originated from central Buganda and have since settled around Lake Kyoga shores in Teso, Lango and Busoga, while others remain settled in parts of Buganda.
The Bakenyi people are seeking government approval for a kingdom to preserve their tribe's identity and prevent assimilation into other cultures.
The Bakenyi, a Bantu ethnic group, originated from central Buganda and have since settled around Lake Kyoga shores in Teso, Lango and Busoga, while others remain settled in parts of Buganda.
Their population has decreased significantly, from over 1 million in 2004 to an estimated 99,880 in 2014, putting their cultural heritage at risk.
Mr George William Wabwire, the community spokesperson, emphasized the urgent need for a unifying cultural leader to prevent the community's extinction and preserve their cultural beliefs.
He highlighted that the lack of a cultural king has led to the assimilation of Bakenyi people into other tribes, especially during the political turmoil in Teso in the 1980s.
“We have woken up to the belief that if we don’t do something to have a unifying figure in the name of cultural king, we risk not having the posterity of our tribe as the Bakenyi community. People are getting assimilated into other tribes because we don’t have a dominion,” Mr Wabwire said.
The community is advocating for proper enumeration to accurately assess their population across the country.
They also aim to establish a Bakenyi education fund to empower their community with the necessary skills to compete in the job market, which is currently dominated by majority tribes.
Mr Geoffrey Luganda Sekiganda, the legal chair for the initiative, emphasized the importance of having a distinct cultural leader to maintain the Bakenyi community's identity and prevent confusion with other cultural heads.
“We are being referred to as fish and potato lovers, outside that there is nothing good that is being tagged on us,” he explained.
He said that all cultural heads of the Bakenyi community will constitute the Electoral College which will elect the overall Bakenyi cultural leader.
The quest for a cultural leader has garnered support from Mr Waira Kyewalabye Majegere (former MP for Bunya East Constituency), and Mr Michael Kanaku, the Buyende District chairperson.
