Tribes, Clans and Totems of People in Kigezi

Tribes, Clans, and Totems of People in Kigezi, the name Kigezi is derived from a place called Kagezi in Kisoro. When Europeans came a political officer called Captain Coote built his residence in 1910 and called Kigezi.

This was the address used when he wrote to his friends in Kampala and England, and it came to be generally applied to the whole district. The name applies to a lake hemmed in by the Murambi and Kagungu hills in Gomborora Nyakabande about 44 miles from Kabale on the right side to Kisoro.

Tribes, Clans and Totems of People in Kigezi.

The 1st Banyakigezi or people of Kigezi arrived in Kigezi around 1500AD. (Abantu bokubanza kwija omuri Kigezi bakaija omu omwaka gwa 1500 Yesu aherize kuzaarwa). They came during the reign of Yuhi II Gahima of Rwanda and were running away from civil strife and wars.

Kigezi people came mainly from the Rwandan Communes or Districts of Byumba and Ruhengeri.
By the time of arrival, they found parts of Kigezi occupied by the pastoral Bahima who later left with their cows and settled in other parts of Mpororo in Kigezi and others in Nkore. There are 3 major tribes in Kigezi – Bakiga, Bahororo, and Bafumbira /Banyarwanda – and 3 minor ones – Banyabutumbi, Bahunde and Batwa.

Among all these tribes is where u find large and small clans or Enganda. The clans of Kigezi are named after the woman believed to be a remote mother of the people that belong to that particular clan. Each clan has a totem or omuziro which is usually an animal or plant for which members of that clan are forbidden to eat.

In addition, every clan has an animal for which members are believed to be associated or related with as their kin locally known as enyamaishwa mwene woruganda.
Despite clans originating from women and being named after women, it’s quite paradoxical that when it came to inheriting, every person in Kigezi irrespective of gender takes on the clan of a father not that of the mother. This is patrilinial inheritance.

You will note that in Kigezi there are some sub-clans or emiryango yenganda which are similar to those in Ankore. This is probably due to linkages of origin, intermarriage, and migrations. Several people migrated from Kigezi and settled in Ankore. Some of those migrants retained their clans while others abandoned their Kikiga clans and acquired Kinyankore ones for disguising and ease of integration.

The list of clans in Kigezi is as indicated below:

1. Ba Mungwe – This means they originate from a remote woman or mother called Mungwe. Their totem or omuziro is Engabi or Antelope and enyamaishwa mwene waabo nengwe eyi bakubize Rukankama.

2. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Mungwe are Abazigaaba, Abaruuru, Abagabira, Abahindura, Abantindura, Abasaakuru, Abasaasira, Abajara, Abanyangabo, Abanaku, Abareegi, Abahoozi, Abareegi, Abajumbi, Abatare, Abatendura, Abagoma, Abakoko.

3. Ba Kinyagiro Nibazira ente engoobe (dark and stripped cow) eyi bateezariize, enyamaishwa mwene waabo nekyanira (variant type of eagle). Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Kinyagiro include: Abagahe, Abaheesi, Abacucu, Ababanda, Abayundo, Abanyakaaju, Abakwikwi, Abahurwa, Abaramba, Abashanja, Abanyonyi, Abasiiga.

4. Ba Musigi Naabo nibazira ente engoobe, enyamaishwa mwene waabo nempungu mareere (variant type of eagle). Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Musigi include: Abasigi, Abagina, Abagyeri, Abashaaki, Abashogye, Abarundo, Abahundu, Abanyabatumbi, Abatimbo, Abakongoro, Abashamure.

5. Ba Mugiri nibazira enkaanda it’s an type of animal that is rare. Enyamaishwa mwene waabo nekikoona or crow. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Mugiri include: Abahimba, Abajingwe, Abakoora, Abagiri, Abakimbiri, Abazimuura, Abakwegi, Abahunde, Abahungu, Abeega.

6. Ba Mugyesera Their totem or omuziro is Epa ( omwishiki oteine mabeere) . This totem originates from an extinct animal called Epo which did not have breasts. Enyamaishwa mwene waabo ni Kaanyamunyu. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Mugyesera include: Abagyesera, Abazoobiki, Abanzira, Abagyeyo, Abaishikatwa, Abagunga.

7. Ba Muhutu Their totem or omuziro is Amashereka. Enyamaishwa mwene waabo nefunzi. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Muhutu include: Abaitira, Abainika, Abungura, Abasasira, Abanigane, Abashaka, Abahumbu, Abanyabugyeza, Abatebwe, Abanyarushambya.

8. Ba Mwisya Their totem or omuziro is ente engoobe and enyamaishwa mwene waabo is not known. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Mwisya include Abakongwe, Abakoma, Abarengye, Abashaaru, Abareere, Abagaro, Abatabarwa.

9. Ba Mugara Their totem or omuziro is Oburunga which are wild and inedible cereals similar in looks to millet and sorghum when seen from afar. Enyamaishwa mwene waabo nembeba. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Mugara include: Abatsyaaba, Abagara, Abanyama, Abariitu, Abashonde.

10. Ba Karobwa Their totem is ente engoobe and enyamaishwa mwene waabo is chameleon nainga enyaruju which they named Rukotooka. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Karobwa include: Abarihira ba Muyebe, Abarimba, Abahiiga, Ababiga, Abashoma, Abateete, Abaryoriho, Abakokora, Abafungurira.

11. Ba Muyangwe Their totem is Enkyende or Rhesus Monkey and enyamaishwa mwene waabo nentuuha or crested crane. Sub-clans or emiryango under Ba Muyangwe include: Abahinda royals of Nkore who know themselves as Abatukuramaisho, Abairagura-ngino descendants of Ruhinda son of last Muchwezi but Wamara and Njunaki, Abayangwe, Abagoboka, Abaikizi, Beenekahaya, Abafaana, Abafeera-ngoma, Abebisharara.