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Uganda Banyoro
Bunyoro lies in the plateau of western Uganda. The
Banyoro
(people of Bunyoro; sing., Munyoro; adj. Nyoro) constitute
roughly 3 percent of the population. Their economy is
primarily
agricultural, with many small farms of two or three
hectares.
Many people also keep goats, sheep, and chickens. People
often
say that the Banyoro once possessed large herds of cattle,
but
their herds were reduced by disease and warfare. Cattle
raising
is still a prestigious occupation, generally reserved for
people
of Hima descent. The traditional staple is millet, and
sweet
potatoes, cassava, and legumes of various kinds are also
grown.
Bananas are used for making beer and occasionally as a
staple
food. Cotton and tobacco are important cash crops.
Nyoro homesteads typically consist of one or two
mud-and-
wattle houses built around a central courtyard, surrounded
by
banana trees and gardens. Homesteads are not gathered into
compact villages; rather, they form clustered settlements
separated from each other by uninhabited areas. Each
Munyoro
belongs to a clan, or large kinship group based on descent
through the male line. A woman retains her membership in
her clan
of birth after marriage, even though she lives in her
husband's
home. Adult men usually live near, but not in, their
father's
homestead. Men of the same clan are also dispersed
throughout
Bunyoro, as a result of generations of population
migration based
on interpersonal loyalties and the demand for farmland.
The traditional government of Bunyoro consisted of a
hereditary ruler, or king (omukama), who was
advised by
his appointed council consisting of a prime minister,
chief
justice, and treasurer. The omukama occupied the
apex of a
graded hierarchy of territorial chiefs, of whom the most
important were four county chiefs. Below them in authority
were
subcounty chiefs, parish chiefs, and village heads.
The Nyoro omukama was believed to be descended
from
the first ruler, Kintu, whose three sons were tested to
determine
the relationship that would endure among their
descendants. As a
result of a series of trials, the oldest son became a
servant and
cultivator, the second became a herder, and the third son
became
the ruler over all the people. This tale served to
legitimize
social distinctions in Nyoro society that viewed pastoral
lifestyles as more prestigious than peasant agriculture and to
emphasize the belief that socioeconomic roles were
divinely
ordained.
During colonial times, the king was a member of the
Bito
clan. Bito clan members, especially those closest to the
king,
were considered members of royalty, based on their
putative
descent from Kintu's youngest son, who was chosen to rule.
The
pastoralist Hima were believed to be descended from
Kintu's
second son, and the Iru, or peasant cultivators, were said
to be
descended from Kintu's eldest son, the cultivator. Even
during
the twentieth century, when many Banyoro departed from
their
traditional occupations, these putative lines of descent
served
to justify some instances of social behavior.
Among the most important of the omukama's
advisers
were his "official brother" (okwiri) and "official
sister"
(kalyota), who represented his authority within the
royal
clan, effectively removing the king from the demands of
his
family. The kalyota was forbidden to marry or bear
children, protecting the king against challenges from her
offspring. The king's mother, too, was a powerful
relative, with
her own property, court, and advisers. The king had
numerous
other retainers, including custodians of royal graves,
drums,
weapons, stools, and other regalia, as well as cooks,
musicians,
potters, and other attendants. Most of these were his
close
relatives and were given land as a symbol of their
royalty; a few
palace advisers were salaried.
Almost all Nyoro political power derived from the king,
who
appointed territorial chiefs at all levels. High-ranking
chiefs
were known as the "king's men" and were obligated to live
in the
royal homestead, or capital. The chief's advisers,
messengers,
and delegates administered his territory according to his
dictates. During colonial times, the three highest ranks
of
chiefs were assigned county, subcounty, and parish-level
responsibilities to conform with the system British
officials
used in Buganda. Most kings appointed important Hima
cattle
farmers to be chiefs. People provided the chiefs with
tribute--
usually grain, beer, and cattle--most of which was
supposed to be
delivered to the king. Failure to provide generous tribute
weakened a man's standing before the throne and
jeopardized his
family's security.
Data as of December 1990
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