New Ankore prince after late John Barigye

Charles Aryaija Rwebishengye has been  installed as the heir to the late Ankore  Prince, John Barigye.

Ankore Kingdom's late Prince Barigye and his wife at the Toro Kingdom fundraising at the Nile Hotel in Kampala

Rwebishengye  has vowed to take on his father’s campaign and advocate for the restoration of Ankole Kingdom.

I thank all those who accorded my father a decent burial. Culturally, I was not allowed to attend the burial.I want to thank Banyankore for the vigour you have showed that you need the restoration of Ankore Kingdom. I assure you that I will continue with the same campaign to make sure the Kingdom of Ankore is restored, which is what my father would have loved to see. I ask for your advice, he said. 

Ankore Kingdom's new young prince, Charles Rwebishengye installation

The function was held at Barigye’s Muhabura palace in Kariro parish, Rubindi sub-county in Mbarara district.It attracted many people from different clans mainly members of the Ankole Cultural Trust.

Aryaija sat on his father’s stool and put on his father’s sandals made of brown cow skin. He also wore his father’s coat and a cream Kanzu. Later Aryaija was given instruments of power including the spear to lead and protect his father’s family. He was also given a bark cloth and a milk pot.

The function of installing Aryaija was led by Razio Tumusiime, who according to Prof.Joshua Muvumba is responsible for leading such a function in Ankole. 

Aryaija urged  elders in the kingdom to always advise him. William Katatumba, prime minister for Ankore Cultural Trust, explained that, Aryaija was crowned as the heir and not a king. Aryaija is aged 20. He is a first year student at Uganda Christian University, Mukono pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Social Administration.

Installation of Omugabe Ntare VI Rutashijuuka. November 21, 1993

His installation comes a day after the body of his father- Prince John Patrick Barigye was laid to rest at the kingdom royal tombs in Nkokonjeru Mbarara municipality.

Nkore Games >Okutchumita Enziga

I'm convinced that if we get all the traditions of the Bahima before they are forgotten, the next generations will stand to benefit a great lot. Now there was this game, which we used to play in the land when we were little. Our play time was always when we were out taking the cows or calves to 
graze.

This spectacular game was called "Okutchumita Enziga". Enziga is basically a wheel, curved from young flexible branch-lets. This game was played with two items:- Enziga and Orubango/Embango (when prural). We specifically used a famous tree called Omukoma or Emikoma to make the circular-ring wheel because of its nice-straight flexible twig-lets.


One player threw the wheel at his full strength, so that it rolled very fast on a clear stretch of land.
If you can visualise a detached car tyre/wheel without rims, rolling at high speed, thats the same idea. So the thrower set it rolling...


The rest of the players, it could be one, two, three or any open number available, had to make a score by throwing (okurekyera) a spear-like stick called Orubango. This was a straight stick sharpened at both ends, to successfully go through the rolling wheel and pin it down. The player who pinned it down was considered the winner. It was like throwing a dart and hitting the bull's eye; chanting and excitement was always present when we went out to Kutchumita Enziga.... cant wait to do it again at the farm

More On Ankore Folklore - Okwiita Ebiito

"Okwiita ebiito" is another Ankore tradition that we used to do a lot of, growing up, now in my twenties we dont do much of it anymore, except I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my facebook friends post in her status "Shaku-shanku, nakutera akatakweba?". This reminded me a lot of those childhood times. Whenever we met with other neighborhood children, if it was not to play outdoor games, it was sitting down and exchanging these folk-lore-ish games, which involved questioning each other spontaneously, to see if the rest knew what it meant. In fact, the questions and the answers to them were simply passed on from previous generations, I cant say I know exactly what they meant in details. Take an example of the above question from facebook; literally translated it could mean "I have slapped you a spell you will never forget". And the answer to that, or at least one of the answers to that was always - "N'akahoro k'oyerariize", literary meaning -it is

If you failed to answer right, the asking person would then ask for a cow to tell you the answer, by saying "Mp'ente yangye" -give me my cow; Of course this was just a game, not real cow was given -but if you asked the hardest ones and carried the day with the most 'cows', then you'd earn a reputation in the neighborhood and would be called upon whenever the game was on.

So there were many of such questions -hundreds, if not thousands or tens of thousands. I want to try and update myself and this page with those legendary questions or "Ebiito". Here are a few I remeber, and the likely answers; some of them have more than one answer

1. Nakuteera akatakweeba

• N'akahoro k'oyerariize,
• 
  
• 
  

2. Nyabwengye n'obwengye bwe

• N'ente kwinika amabeere, etaate mate,
• 
  

3. Akeinika omukama (literary meaning what would make a king bend)

• N'akabaare k'omunkeito
• 
  

4. Kaayera Ns'eeri

• N'akeika k'Abatabaazi
• 
  

5.

Okutarama >Late tales of epic stories

Okutarama -The Silent Power of Cultures

When I was growing up as a little boy, there was this interesting tradition that used to run in my society -telling epic folk stories, called "Ebigano" and "Ebyevugo". I was around people who knew and told these folk stories, recited ebyevugo (epic poetry). I spent a significant part of my boyhood listening to these stories.

Family members, workers and sometimes neighbours used to gather in her house after dinner to sing folk songs and share riddles – in Runyankore they call it okutarama, or ugutarama in Kinyarwanda. I consider myself lucky that my formative years were spent this way and not in front of a television screen. Later in life, these experiences were to be very influential as far as my artistic sensibilities are concerned.

Carrying a Calf home on your shoulders -Omuriisa

As young boys,we used to tend to herds of cattle - as a tradition. We call this "Okuriisa" in Runyankore culture. I remembered one interesting part that came with this tradition. If a cow gave birth while the shepherd were in the wilderness, and the rest of the cows were on the move, you had to carry the new born calf on your shoulders to make sure it gets home. If it stayed in the wilderness and wild animals like lions or leopards ate it, you would not be able to forgive yourself. So you had to do everything to get the new born calf home safely. You lifted it and placed it upon your shoulders and moved with the rest of the cows -the mother coming up close and mowing behind you, following its young one. I just remembered this legendary activity of Omuriisa -the one who tended to the cows.

Omuriisa n'ente ze

Kya kya Ruzaara Kantu >Ekyevugo

We were taught "Okwevuga" when we were small boys, by the more grown ones who had learnt many of the  "Ebyevugo" or even composed some of them. I knew a guy back then who composed some and one particular one -Ekyevugo kinabeire nyevuga omubwana;

Ekyevugo: "Kyakya Ruzaara Kantu"

Kyakya ruzaara kantu nkataahira omwirembo ry'agati; Eeeeee....Rugwisa kagwe nk'eita omuntu bakubire Rwabutiiti Rutahembya

Omubuhangwa bwabanyankore, namunonga Abahima, haka habamu ebintu nka;

1. Ebyevugo 
2. Ebigano -Fairy Tales
3. Ebirahiro
4. Okugamba Ente
5. Okwikiriza Ente

Its hard to find a group of Banyankore especially the young generation that remembers these things. I think the one up there would fit more into the category of  "Ekirahiro" than Ekyevugo, because it is quite short -two lines, compared to a full blown "Kyevugo" which could last hours of recitation and chanting

Mp'enkoni Engarama Zeizire >Ekyevugo

Mp'enkoni Mp'enkoni Mp'enkoni,

Mp'enkoni engarama zeizire,

Zeizire nitchunda ebinwa,

Ebinwa ebyabutendegyere,

Butendegyere enkuba emuteere,

Emuterere aheiguru mpariya,

Aheiguru mpariya hariho obwiitiri,

Obwiitiri obuzaarwa n'Enkura,

Enkura eshoroma etegire,

Etegire akaara k'Embogo,

Akaara k'Embogo karuga Nsharira 

Nshariira omunda y'Engoma

Loosely translated:
Give me my stick, since invaders from Ngarama have arrived, shaking their big mouths like Butendegyere. Only thunder may strike Rutendegyere, striking from above where there is abundance, that helps the Rhinoceros to thrive. The Rhinoceros "Enkura" feeds but reamins ready for the Buffalo "Embogo" attack. The Buffalo, whose meat is salty. Like the salt that comes from Nsharira, Nsharira deep inside the kingdom. 

Naatema Akati Kaarara - A Runyankore Poem

I had almost forgotten the lines of these legendary poems we used to do (recite) as kids but thanks to president Museveni who recently recorded it in a rap, singing out these same lines (which became a big hit for supporters in the region), I can now put the lines together.

The Poem "Natema Akati Kaarara", goes like this

Natema Akati kaarara

Kaarara nikaha Igara

Igara owa Ntambiko

Ntambiko y'ampa Akasyo

Akasyo nakaha Abagyesi

Abagyesi bampa Oruro

Oruro naruha Warukoko

Warukoko yampa Ihuri

Ihuri narihereza Abaana

Abaana bamp'emgyeyo

Engyeyo n'agiha Omukama

Omukama yampa Kasa

Kasa nagishwerera Omukazi

Omukazi yazaara Omwana

Namweeta Mugarura\Yagarura eby'Oweishe ne'Ishenkuru

Quick Translation: I cut a stick "Enkoni", stick for herding cattle - and it strayed into Igara where Ntambiko reigns. Ntambiko gave me a knife which I gave to millet harvesters, who gave me millet. I gave the millet to a hen, which gave me an egg, that I gave to children who gave me a monkey that I gave to the king, who gave me a cow. I gave the cow to marry a wife. The wife gave me a child, whom I named Mugarura - he raided back what belonged to his father and grand fathers.

Okuteera Oruhoko -Bahima love games

Okuteera oruhoko describes the practice that takes place when a girl refuses to marry, or when a particular girl had rejected a particular boy who wanted to marry her. The boy could force the girl to marry him using this practice.

 The offending boy had to be fined by paying huge bride wealth.

The Bahima have three ways in which the okuteera oruhoko was  done:

1. The boy has to put a tethering rope around the girl´s neck and then pronounce in public to the community that the girl had done it herself.
2. The second one was to put a plant known as orwiihura onto the girl’s head.- 
3. The third one was that the boy has to sprinkle milk on the girl’s face while the girl is milking.

This practice was only possible if the girl and the boy were from different clans.

Enfumu zeira n'eira

• Ihano t'oribuuza mukuru....oribuuza orarireebire
• Enimi erikwenda kufa.... Erigatsa empango
• Rufu eba etagizire nshoni....omuziiki abwerabwera
• Kwogambira owanyu kujwarira empaari yayanga ......oza omubashekyi osheka
• Embabazi z'omwana.........ziriga ahakiinyi kyanyina
• Kwobeherera orisiize kwataasya ozahi?
• Ogamba n'owasho..... owanyoko kubura
• Akati kukakutera omurisho kati hweeza
• Oine omuze.... tazinduka
• Omukazi oine iba.... taba mugara
• Omukazi taba mugyenyi
• Omushaki agumibwa eki ayekoreire
• Ekitaine mukira tikyeteera nshishera
• Oteine ruganda akiinga kare emihingo
• Tihariho mufu atarogyirwe
•  Enyin'emwe irwana nizoorekana ebiina
•  Obushoberwa bushweeza kambe nkwiine

Enfumu n'Ebiito: Nkore Proverbs & Sayings

Enfumu / Proverbs

• Obuturi aha tweena tujunzire ebibunu: N'emiganda!

Ebiito 

Kayera Nseeri

1. N’akeika k’abatabaazi
2. N’akapapa k’enyangyi

Shedding off my culture, or Not!

The Bahima culture still holds me hostage to its most informal types on a number of foods, which, apparently, I cannot  eat because something bad might happen to the cows back home. Okay -I don't exactly believe anything can happen to the cows due to my eating these foods, but still i don't eat them, so i don't know why i dont eat them.
Most Ankole mythical explanations always end with talk about what might happen to the cows!

But that is all history for me, my friend. What I've been eating in the just concluded week has reversed all that history of preservation and am happy to announce that you can now count me as equals in the no-foods-barred community. If you mash up anything and make it look like cherry fries, I'll gobble it!

It started at Protea hotel Kampala on 5th Feb, during the function of the exhibition of the software projects [we'd been doing at National Software Incubation Center] to the media and public. During cocktail time at sun down, a nice maid was passing yummy looking, brown fries around. When she reached by, i picked two of the niceties, and, without asking, shoved the
top end off one in my mouth and chewed into it, shutting my eyes for a sec to get at it properly.
I was about to shove up the next half, when the bite from the last chunk returned some unfamiliar after taste in my mouth. That's when i asked!
The pretty maid gave me the good news that I'd just downed a fish finger! I didn't want to put on the betrayed look to alarm friends, so I nodded my approvals and kutamirad the last of it, nodding nicely like this was my favorite! That is how I ate my first thing off a fish!

Later on Friday same week, I arranged with a friend in a face book chat, to do a pizza and tea after work at either Nandos or Dominos to catch up on recent events.
She got at Dominos before me and called to ask if she should make the order, since the pizza would take some time to come on the table- I said yes!
When I got there, a few minutes the pizza arrived, looking yummy and big and hot and all spiced up. On impulse I took a slice off and sunk my front teeth into it, yanking off a chunk you could imagine I'd been starving all day -in fact I was! Later on, into the talk and eating, well into my second slice, I noticed some thin cuts of a fresh looking thing! Very nice little cuts of an object covered in a little cheese and ingrdient.
Cathy narrated the good news that she'd ordered, among the toppings, a good supply of bacon on the top, which is like her ideal pizza. I said what? She also said what?..but you said I should order, and order I did...I didn't know you.." i will save you the story of how absolutely right she was. She asked why i didn't eat bacon when am not even a Muslim and I run short on explanations. I didn't consider narrating my cultural barrier stories to be an answer. So I finished the slice, without spoiling any toppings or crust, and picked up another one, and hammered it properly! That as how I ate my first pig.
Now, I assure you, there is no going back, esp on on pizza with the bacon toppings!

The Marriage Custom

Despite modernity, many people in Africa today still desire a marriage which reflects on their heritage. The Bahima people of Ankore kingdom fit snugly into this description. The marriage traditions in Ankore are surrounded with cultural norms and tales that make it different from other sub cultures in the Ugandan context. Lets hear it from Prince John Barigye himself, the uncrowned king of Ankole, written (Ankore), as he explains the kingdom’s marriage traditions.

The Bride's give-away ceremony, called Okuhingira in Runyankore.

John Barigye

"First the groom's family would send an emissary to deliver the 'tough' message to the bride's family. This messenger was known as Kyebembera or Kateerarume,... It had to be someone fond to both families. If the message was received well, the boy's family would deposit some cows at the girl's home to ensure that no other prospecting suitor takes her.

"These cows were known as Enkwatarugo (or literary "cows to keep the kraal").

This is an ancient custom with Abahima or Bahima traditions.

After this, both families would start negotiations on the bride price. On reaching an agreement, the bride's family would choose the date on which to pick their cows agreed upon. On that day, the bride's people would go and hand pick the best cows from the groom's or his family's herd. However, Out of fear of loosing their best, some families would hide the healthiest cows, although if the girl's people were smarter, they would have sent spies earlier, to identify the best cows.

Omugamba Ebyanzi

On taking the cows home, there would be a small function of 'eating for the cows' (okurira ente). The bride's sister would light a small fire for the cows [added: okuhembera] - cows like fire since it keeps away flies and ticks. There would be recital of poems, called Ebyevugo. It was after that, that a date for the give-away ceremony, called Okuhingira, would be set.

"The give-away was the last festival- the actual marriage, after which the couple would be husband and wife. The bride would get several gifts from her family, to start her off in her new home; it was the duty of the girl's father to get these items."The most important gift was the omugamba -a form of stick on which several cultural gifts could be suspended. And on this would be milk vessels (ebyanzi). The number of vessels would normally correspond with the cows that were given to the bride's family. There would also be a watering can [added:icuba/akarobo], some beauty ointment, a clay pot[ekicunga], one for perfume, another for water.

Poems would be recited by the groom's relatives in gratitude, followed by speeches and feasting. Some parents could choose to return a few cows to the couple. The bride would leave the following morning, with a number of escorts, among them her paternal aunt to teach her some things about marriage. And if the bride was a virgin, the aunt would return with a bull.

In the original context, there would be no prior meetings between the bride and the groom.The groom would visit the family, bearing gifts to establish friendship (okugamba obugyenyi). But the girl's family would use delay tactics and generally make it a little harder, especially if they were wealthy.The groom would deposit some cows to keep rivals at bay.

"History is full of examples where the deposit was over rode by someone else, the men were always competing, the powerful had more cattle,".

A father in law of integrity would say no to the second competitor, but the world doesn't have many of such people anymore.Then it would be time to agree on how many cows to pay as bride price. The number of cows given depended on the wealth of the groom's family.

For example, when the Prince of Igara (a county in east Ankole) Rwakibogo was marrying Magwende, the sister of Ntare, the fifth king of Ankole, he gave 1,000 head of cattle. That was around 1880. Because this was a marriage between two wealthy families, their son, Kesironi Karututu is the only known Munyankole, who has owned 10,000 heads of cattle in the 20th century.

On settling the number of cows, a date would be set to pick the cows and on that day, a team from the bride's family would go and choose from the herd. There would be no festivities; it was a sad time for the groom's family, which was loosing cows. Afterwards a date for the give-away ceremony (okuhingira) would be set.

On the D-day, the groom would come with his people, including poets who would chant, as the festivities got warmer. Every Muhiima boy was supposed to have a poem, about a topic of his interest. These poems were delivered in a rapid, musical style. At this ceremony, the bride's father would give the couple gifts. The gifts would include:
A yoke (omugamba). This was a pole, on which they would tie things to transport. The yoke would have milk vessels (ebyanzi) made of wood, a wooden pail used for watering cows (eicuba).
Huge gourds for storing milk and churning butter (ebishaabo n'ebirere) and brushes for cattle made out of sisal (enkuyo).

An urn for water and several other pots for perfume, and another to fumigate the milk vessels.
A huge basket-like item (ekigagara) on which they would drape items like bark cloth and animal skins for perfuming by placing burning essence under it.
The next morning would be a moment of sadness; the girl would be cry as she left her family, escorted by close relatives but the main escort would be her paternal aunt (eishenkazi).

The journey to the groom’s home would start in the morning. On arrival, the first ritual was of the bride sitting on the father-in-law's laps. This meant she was his wife too; after all, the cows that brought her in were his. The following day the bride's relatives would go home, save for the aunt who would stay behind for about four days to give the girl some tips on sex and marriage. Some people would come to pick the aunt (okwiha amuhanda). She would be given a bull if the girl was a virgin.

About three months after the wedding, the couple would go to visit the bride's family (okutatsya ekihara). This visit would be characterised by lavish entertainments and if the girl was already pregnant, the better. At the end of the visit, they would be given a cow to take home with them and this was the last custom.

For the modern Munyankole girl, getting married is no longer as lengthy as it used to be. Ms Carol Kanyoonza Rutega is the general manager of Executive Events, an event managing company in Kampala. She married Mr Simon Rutega in 1996. Obviously, she and her husband-to-be had already met, courted and agreed to marry. Then a messenger went to her home. Her family agreed and they fixed the date for the introduction ceremony. This has been adopted from the Baganda way of marriage.
After that, it was the occasion of going for cows (okujuga).

"My brothers and cousins went to the man's home and actually chose the cows." But she would not reveal how many her family got. When the cows arrived, there was another celebration - of bringing the cows (okureeta ente).

Preparations for the give-away got underway. "I sent out invitation cards, to friends and relatives," says Rutega. On that day, the groom and his people arrived - the important guests of the day. When the guests sat, the bride came out of the house, accompanied by her sisters and friends. They were all covered. The bride's face is not supposed to be seen, and Rutega stuck to that old rule.In her give-away gifts was the omugamba. Her’s had milk vessels, gourds, clay pots, brushes and a few household items and were mostly given by her father. And like Rutega, modern couples go through only three steps - the introduction, the give-away and the church wedding. Today, the mobile phone has made it easier, as families can conclude negotiations over the phone. And most grooms would rather pay a cash equivalent of cows. But one thing strongly remains, and it featured in all the three give away ceremonies of Museveni's daughters. That is the omugamba. Also, depending on the wealth of the bride's father, there can be washing machines, sideboards, fridges, cookers, and beddings.

[This story was adapted, [and refined by me] from Sunday Monitor Lifestyle May 22 - 28, 2005]

The Sentimental Value of Cows

The Sentimental Value of Cows to the Bahima

Loss of cattle to a Munyankore is not just an economical loss; cattle have great sentimental value to the Banyankore -Bahima people. Being one, I realised this while growing up.

Let me first talk about the economic loss. Say, a leopard killed a calf, and this happened many times at our farm. The lost value depends on size and sex, but one calf, although they're rarely sold calves, can range from Ugx 50,000- 250,000 (USD 30-100). This is in a country where average income is Ugx 540,000 (USD 300) per year, so the loss is quite significant. The price of cattle also depends on size and sex, but it is on higher side. One cow can range from Ugx 270,000 – 500,000 (USD 150 - 280). This is the price for the endemic Ankole cattle. Other breeds such as Sahiwal (dual milk-meat breed) or Boran (beef) is much more expensive, where one bull costs up to Ugx 1500,000 (USD 800) and most cattle farmers buy the Sahiwal and Boran from the Eats African region (adding transport cost). Cattle is an asset in this community.

How about the sentimental value of cattle? It is hard for any one anywhere to fully understand the banyankore sentiment towards their cattle. Maybe comparing cattle to another commodity might allow you to understand better. The closest thing I can compare a bull to is a luxury automobile, something like Ferrari. Banyankore men are very proud of their prized bulls. When one buys a bull, especially a long horned big Ankole bull, Sahiwal or Boran for modern ones, he can even stop you on the road and asks you to come take a look at his new bull. He will walk around his bull and explain to you that his bull has got a nice horn shape, good configuration, how heavy it is, where and how much he spent purchasing this bull. He meticulously dips or sprays his prized bull, deworms it, at all cost.
The man may not willingly give food allowance to his family (unless too much to wives’ complaints), but he would not have second thoughts when he buys drugs for his bull. In the morning, a man might spend time staring at his bull before it goes out to herding, appreciating every aspect of his amazing bull. Simply staring at his prized bull brings joy in the man’s heart. He feels like showing off his bull to the entire community, even to a muzungu (white) vet.
When his prized bull gets killed by wild carnivore or some disease, a feeling of devastation and anger is equivalent to that of having your new Ferrari smashed when you night parked it in the city... story under construction

The Traditional Ankore Kingdom

Ankole, which is locally referred to as Nkore, is one of four traditional kingdoms in Uganda. The kingdom is located in the southwestern Uganda, east of Lake Edward. It was ruled by a monarch known as the Mugabe or Omugabe of Ankole. On October 25, 1901, the Kingdom of Nkore was incorporated into the British protectorate of Uganda by the signing of the Ankole agreement.

It was formally abolished in 1967, and is still not officially restored.

Due to the rearranging of the country by Idi Amin, Ankole does no longer exist as an administrative unit. It is divided into six districts: Bushenyi, Ntungamo Mbarara, Kiruhura, Ibanda and Isingiro.

The flag of Ankole shows two spears in saltire, two royal drums and a lion passant guardant, all in white rendering on a green field. It is not known when this flag was actually adopted.