The Bagwe people are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group that live mostly in Southeastern Uganda (particularly Samia-Bugwe County in Busia District) with a few scattered in Western Kenya. They are composed of several clans and their ancient economic activities include fishing (owunaabi) in Lake Victoria and other rivers, crop farming (owulimi), and animal farming (owutuki).[1] They were recognised in the 1995 Ugandan Constitution as one of the 56 identified tribes of Uganda.[2][3] At the time of the 2014 Census, 99,884 respondents identified as Bagwe.[4][5][6]

The Bagwe speak Lugwe.

Political setup

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The political setup of Bagwe was loose and segmentary. They did not have chieftainships. Every village was under the jurisdiction of an elder called the Nalundiho who was also a rainmaker. He administered law and order and he was responsible for settlement of disputes and he was the most influential person in the village and his position was hereditary[7]

Marriage

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Marriage has of recent changed but during the old times, if the parents of the boy and the girl were friendly, they could arrange the marriage without the boy and the girl being actively involved but cases of this nature were rare. The usual method was that the boy would seduce the girl first and the girl was not to show concrete response even though she was interested. Thereafter the boy would come with a spear and plant it in front of the hut of the girl's mother and if the girl had consented to marriage, she would remove the spear and take it inside the mother's hut. thereafter bride wealth negotiations would start. There was no fixed bride wealth for each girl one was charged according to their status. Upon payment of the bride wealth further arrangements were made to take the girl to her husband.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "THE BASAMIA –BAGWE. | Uganda Travel Guide". Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  2. ^ Emmanuel Sunlight Kirunda (28 February 2011). The Fourth Republic: A Possible Future for the Uganda Nation. AuthorHouse. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-4567-3781-8.
  3. ^ "People and Culture: The Basamia – Bagwe – Deep End Safaris". Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  4. ^ "The National Population and Housing Census 2014 – Main Report" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  5. ^ Makanga, Samuel (2015-05-11). "Basamia Bagwe". Guide To Uganda. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  6. ^ Yakan, Mohamad (30 November 2017). Almanac of African Peoples and Nations. Online: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781351289306. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. ^ Nzita, Richard; Mbaga-Niwampa (1993). Peoples and cultures of Uganda. Uganda Martyrs University Library: Fountain Pub Ltd. p. 73. ISBN 9970020315. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  8. ^ Tumusiime, James (2011). Peoples and cultures of Uganda (Fourth ed.). Uganda Martyrs University Library: Fountain Pub Ltd. p. 90. ISBN 9789970250349. Retrieved 4 June 2021.