By Aaron Ainomugisha (A Ugandan Journalist & News Anchor).

Centre of Focus: Banyankole Tribe.

The Banyankole who are known to be the majority in western Uganda,are divided into three major patrilineal clans: Abahinda (royal people), Abashambo, and Abagahe.

Each clan traditionally had one or more totems.

There are two main types of unilineal descent systems: patrilineal and matrilineal.

Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual’s family membership derives from and is recorded through his or her father’s lineage.

Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother’s lineage – and which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles.

In Clans, we follow Patrilinearity.

1. Abahinda. Abahinda have different totems – mainly 3: Nkima — a small black-faced monkey. There’s another theory of Bahinda’s relationship with a crested crane (Entuuha n’omuhinda). Abahinda are 2; Abayangwe (omuziro ni enkyende nyabayangwe). The origin of this totem is when a monkey tried to “take” a baby who was sleeping as parents were in the garden. When the father tried to spear the monkey, he accidentally speared and killed the baby. Another Bahinda are the Ones whose totem is Ekyengyere (omwonyo gw’ente gutsigaire aha kinimba) & obusito (ente eri kweema,eri kuhaka). Long long ago, ente yobusito ekarya omwonyo gw’ekyengyere, bagirya baafa. All Bahinda are Bachwezi.

Oburo totem is a theory that’s not common — millet that is unhusked and uncooked.

The Abahinda are not allowed to engage in magic or medicine or eat unhusked and uncooked millet. Clan exogamy was widely practiced.

The three clans are broken down into numerous subdivisions, each of which has a function.

Among the Abahinda there were warriors, herdsmen, guards, princes, those who purified and painted the king with white clay, royal shoemakers, carriers of the royal spear, milkers, and those who bathed the king during coronation ceremonies.

However, marriage within the clan is acceptable if the couple had second or third totems that were different from each other.

Those who belong to the same totem contribute to the well-being of one another by helping those who are sick, burying the dead, bailing out those in debt, and hunting down those who murder a clan member.
Abahinda was/is the royal clan it was to this clan that the princes 
belonged and from it the rulers came. In Karagwe, as in 
Ankole, princes were Bahinda, in Mpororo and Rwanda they 
were Bashambo, while in Bunyoro, Toro, Koki and Kiziba, they 
were Babito. The members of the Abahinda clan are not 
allowed to work magic or to make medicines. The second 
totem is the unhusked raw grain only; when husked and 
cooked it might be eaten. It is said that one chief when 
hungry had, as was then the habit of the agricultural people, 
taken raw grain in the ear and eaten some of it, which was 
breaking a custom, for he should not have eaten vegetable food 
but have waited until he could obtain milk. Later, his wife 
drew his attention to a husk which had clung to his beard 
and this annoyed him so much that he made a vow never to 
eat unprepared millet again. From that time this was the 
second totem of the clan.
2. Abashambo. These have their primary totem epwa,meaning a girl with no breasts.

The second totem of this clan is a house burnt down; 
no member of the clan might eat food or salt taken from a 
burning house, no vessels taken from such a house might be 
used, and they might not tread upon its site or touch the dust 
of it. A man from the original stock of the 
Bashambo who had epwa totem was sent one day to 
bring out salt and butter from a burning house. Before he 
got out the roof fell on him and he was burned to death. From 
this event the clan took their secondary totem.

3. Abagahe. A cow with different colors known as Ente Ngoobe.

This clan is known to have beautiful girls,Strong women and men, warriors, and its members are rarely seen.

The above main clans have subdivisions as mixed below.

 Abanga (Part of Bahinda) – Nkima noBulo.

Abatahunga

Abazozo

Nkalanga

 Abalwanyi

Abamwango

Abazugu

Abatagweramu

Abatukula maisho

Abayangwe (part of Bahinda).

The members of this clan had the task of purifying the Mugabe 
and painting him with white clay.

Abaitira. – known for nursing female children.
Abakimbira.

Abasonga.

Abaikizi.

Abafuma.

Abatalaka.

Abungela.

Abafwana.

Abaigara.

Abaswaswi – They carried the royal spear,Nyamiringa.

Abaitweno.

Abakungu.
Abamijwa. 
Abahangwe.

 
Sub-divisions of the Abagahe Clan are:

1.Abalisa

2.Abasinga

3.Abagina

4.Abazigaba

5.Abangwi

6. Abatorogo

7. Abasita

8. Abakibiza

9. Abalega

10. Abasegi

11. Abamoli

12. Ababito

13. Abenebiraro

14. Abanyigana

15. Abenekiimba

16. Abakurungo

17. Abanyara

18. Abenemakuma

19. Abayanzi

20. Abaziro

21. Abataya

22. Abanuma

23. Abanyakafunzo

24. Abamigwa

25. Abarura

26. Abanyimbi

27. Abenyitaka

28. Ababuga

29. Abayanja

30. Abaisanza

The author is Aaron Ainomugisha, A journalist,News Anchor with FM 91.2 www.croozefm.com  Mbarara , But Also, Founder/Manager Rise Against Poverty Organization (RAP UGANDA) ‘’Be Confident’’.

July 31, 2019.

Feedback is greatly welcome.

To get more information, go to Facebook, search for or type any clan, go to search posts, you’ll see posts about different clans I put separately (especially btn 2018-2021).

Tel 0754253916, 0784043745

Email aaronainomugsha7@gmail.com

Twitter @AaronAinomugis3

Western Uganda – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday evening,July 30,2019 ordered for the arrest of tour operators in Kigezi Sub Region and Uganda at large who are conning tourists to rob off them their money.

President Museveni was addressing the media at the Kabale State Lodge on Makanga hill in Kabale Municipality after meeting leaders from Kigezi sub region districts in Kabale town,on his national wealth creation tour that started in May 2019,Kigezi is second last.

His comments came after a journalist revealed to him that there are tour
guides who sign contacts with tourists to drive them but before they
complete the work, they abandon them while others take off with their belongings,including money.

Then President Museveni said that such tour operators whom he termed
as fake said that they should be arrested because they are enemies of
the country.

Early this week, the Tourism Police Commander-in-charge of Kigezi
region Emmanuel Tinka said that his office has received complaint from
5 tourists who are accusing Richard Tusasibwe,the Chief Executive Director of Gatatu
Safaris Limited a tour company in Kigezi,for
allegedly conning them.

Tusasibwe is alleged to have signed a contract worth 7.9 million
shillings with five tourists from United States of America last week
that included picking the tourists from Entebbe International Airport
and driving them to Kisoro town. The contract also required Tusasibwe to
book them a hotel and five Chimpanzee and Gorilla trekking permits
after he was paid part of the money to help him effectively conduct
bookings.

However, when the tourists reached Kisoro town, Tusasibwe abandoned
the tourists at Chameleon Hill Hotel, switched off his phones and
disappeared.
In February 2019, Didan Atukunda a tour operator from Mamba Gorilla
Safari was arrested after he failed to refund 99 million shillings
that was mistakenly sent to his account by a Dutch tourist for a
gorilla trekking trip.

The Sultan of Sokoko Caliphate in Nigeria, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar is in Uganda as the chief guest at Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s 26th coronation anniversary,with the main celebrations underway at Nkumba University.

The two will today  Wednesday,July 31,2019,hold a meeting at Katabi Upcountry Camping Palace before proceeding to the venue of main coronation anniversary celebrations.

Sultan Abubaker who is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto in northern Nigeria added his voice on Kabaka’s,rooting for a beneficial relationship between Uganda and Nigeria,traditional and political.

 He heads Jama’atu Nasril Islam (Society for the Support of Islam) and president-general of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II, is now 64 years old, the 36^th Kabaka of Buganda,since July 31,1993.

The High court in Kampala has today July 30, 2019, granted bail to Agaba Patrick, the Prime Suspect in the gruesome murder of Susan Magara, after the State did not object to his temporary release.

Justice Yasin Nyanzi however ordered  Agaba to deposit his passport and  a pledge deed with government against  his land at Lower Mawanga Village Urban Council  1 Buziga Parish in Makindye Division, which is also his permanent residence, before leaving custody.

While his sureties who included his father Christopher Kasaija and his paternal uncle Richard Kagoro were ordered to execute a noncash bond of 20mshs.

Agaba was also ordered not to leave the country without permission of Court, but has to report to court every first week of the month beginning August, then keep reporting to Kabalagala police station once every month, and if he jumps bail it is his property that will be attached.

Justice Nyanzi also released Pato basing on the fact that he is not yet committed to the High court for trial, has been in prison custody both in South Africa and Uganda since March/2018, and Prosecution’s Joanita Tumwikirize didn’t have any objection to regain his temporary freedom.

Agaba’s Lawyer- Robert Mackay filed the bail application on 2nd this month on grounds that wanted to be released on bail, so that he can take care of his wife and two children to which he is the bread winner;  and that the offence with which he is charged needs adequate time and opportunity to prepare for his defence.

He added that he needs regular and unlimited access to his lawyers which he will not be able to get if he remains on remand.

He mantained that he is a law abiding citizen of good character with no previous criminal record, and will respect as well as comply with the bail terms as will be set by court.

Agaba was in May/this year extradited from South Africa to Uganda to be committed to the High court for trial over the alleged kidnap and murder of Susan Magara in February/2018.

However he was taken to Makindye Chief Magistrate court and faced charges of kidnapping a one Alupo Joan Cora with intent to procure a ransom or benefit for her liberation from the danger of being murdered.

He is alleged to have committed this offence on 1st/May/2013 at Muyenga ‘A’ Kironde road in Kampala District.

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The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Okoth Martin Ochola has tasked the director Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) Grace Akullo to send teams to Kasese and Butambala as part of investigations into the double murder of cyclists in Kasese the districts respectively.

The police spokesperson Fred Enanga says 19 suspects have so far been arrested, and 45 motorcycles recovered.

He has urged boda boda cyclist to be vigilant and not ride to distant areas during late hours, and try to network with their colleagues on different stages.

Makerere University Researcher Dr. Stella Nyanzi has asked the High court in Kampala to order for a retrial of her cyber Harassment case against President Museveni and his late mother Esteri Kokundeka , before another judicial officer, saying Buganda road court Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu has not given her a fair hearing.

Dr. Stella Nyanzi who is currently on remand at Luzira prison after refusing bail, on Wednesday July  29,2019 appeared before high court Justice Jane Francis Abodo seeking to block Buganda road court judgment scheduled for 1^st August, and have the entire proceedings of the lower court revised.

Through a team of Lawyers led by Julius Garisonga and John Isabirye; Dr. Stella Nyanzi contends that she was not accorded an opportunity of giving her defence by way of presenting her witnesses, because Buganda road court did not duly serve them as required under the law.

However in reply Prosecution’s Timothy Amerit said that there is no irregular way Magistrate Kamasanyu handled Nyanzi’s case, rather it is the intention of  Nyanzi and his first Lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde to frustrate the delivery of the pending judgment.

Amerit then asked Justice Abodo to dismiss Nyanzi’s application for being defective and refer the case file back for judgment, maintaining that what Nyanzi  is challenging is not the final order of  Buganda road court.

Justice Abodo said she will deliver her ruling tomorrow on Wednesday 31^st July 2019.

Nyanzi is accused of disturbing the peace and privacy of the person of the President and his late mother Esteri Kokundeka in September 2018 through offensive communication she allegedly committed under the Computer Misuse Act,when she posted on her face book page.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has cleared 19 generals for retirement and they will today Monday July,29,2019 be awarded certificates for their contribution to the UPDF and the country at large,at State House, Nakasero Kampala.

President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni,who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, will preside over the function before hosting the retired generals to dinner.

They include Gen. Joram Mugume the chairman of the board of directors of the National Enterprise Corporation, the business arm of the UPDF,as appointed to the position by the Uganda Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, on 20 February 2018, and other Generals.

Sources say although they applied for retirement,Gen. David Sejusa aka Tinyefunza,the former coordinator of intelligence services and former Inspector General of Police,Gen. Kale Kayihura,are not among the retiring generals.

Central Uganda – Authorities at Namirembe Hillside School in Kitetika, Gayaza, Wakiso district have resolved to suspend classes for one month, untill September 16,2019,following a fire that gutted the boys dormitory on Thursday,July 25,2019,at around 10 am this week.

Students have been left in tears after this accident that destroyed property worth millions of shillings.
“At around 10 am, we received distress phone calls from the school director and the area LCI chairman reporting a fire outbreak at Namirembe Hillside High School in Kitetika, Gayaza. Our fire brigade responded quickly and was able to contain the fire from spreading to other blocks. The most affected parts is the second and third floors of the boy’s dormitory,” Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson Mr Patrick Onyango said after the fire gutted the dormitory.

United Nations – Violence and disease have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the threat of new clashes is stopping civilians from going back to their homes, a United Nations official has warned.

Leila Zerrougui, head of MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping force in the country, described on Wednesday “simultaneous emergency situations” including outbreaks of Ebola and measles, interethnic bloodshed and rampaging militias.

Zerrougui blasted “spoilers” in Ituri Province for “seeking to play on ethnic tensions” between Lendu farmers and Hema herders that have resulted in violent clashes and forced more than 350,000 people from their homes.

“The deterioration of the security situation is interrupting the return process that had been gradually taking place since 2018,” she told the UN Security Council.