Kiga People - African Culture Under Surface

African Culture Under Surface

However, African culture has not been wiped out. Behind the white facade, there is much to be found. No matter how staunch a Christian would claim to be, a part of traditional African beliefs will stay with her or him. If the energetic dance of The Bakiga was once discouraged as Satanic, it is now coming back. The favourite food of the Bakiga is, more or less, what it has been for centuries as a plant-based vegetarian diet consisting of beans, peas, potatoes, sorghum based and vegetables. Influences from Europe and India have had little effect. Eating with hands remains the rule. Moreover, many Bakiga have travelled far and wide true to their enterprising sipirit. Even this wide travel has not eroded their traditional values. It is not uncommon to find Bakiga in the United States or Britain enjoying their traditional foods and drinks and even dancing their Kikiga dance. To further nurture their culture and sense of unity, Bakiga have formed an international organization called the Abanyakigezi that holds a convention every year. Members of this organization are world-class professionals working all over the world but they still feel very much connected to their home-land Kigezi.

With increasing modernization and migration from the rural to urban areas, many Bakiga have moved to other parts of Uganda including Kampala, the capital city. When they arrive in these parts of Uganda they quickly adapt to the existing cultures and learn the local language, intermarry and acquire land and settle. After a few years of settling in these new places, it is hard at times to tell whether they are Bakiga, since their second generation descendants will have forgotten Rukiga. Those who are very educated, immediately adopt English in addition to the local language. Parts of Uganda that are home to many Bakiga are: Toro, Hoima, Kamwengye, Kibaale, Kagadi, Kyaka, Kabarole, Mbarara, Kasese, Masaka, Mpigi, Jinja, Entebbe, Mukono, Bulemezi, and many other places. Due to the cultural and linguistic proximity between the Haya of Bukoba in Tanzania, many Bakiga have also settled in Bukoba. Given this wide spread and the high birth rate of the Bakiga, they could well number about 4 million.