HISTORY OF BAKONZO

The bakonzo some times called bayira or banande are Bantu speaking group of people settled in western Uganda and eastern democratic republic of Congo or Zaire. In Uganda they are concentrated in kasese kabarole and bundibugyo districts.

They are approximately 5m.

The bakonzo bayire are said to be short and staut which can be evidenced by their physical look today through they have lost their original structure. This change in their nature has been due to migrations and interactions other people intermarriages is the main cause of loss of original nature. The banande as they are called in kivu province in Congo are generally proud of their society.

They tend to belief in their culture as supreme as it is put that the Rwenzori Mountains belong to them. The mountains are jealously protected by the konzo who live deep in the hills.

It is noted that the original name of the mountain was rwenzururu but due to difficulty in pronouncing the word, foreigner named it rwenzori which has been accepted widely in the region.

The profix Ba is attacked to donate/ mean 'people belonging to' while rwenzururu means snows.

Not only the rwenzori mountains is not only mountainous a symbol of culture that defines the existence of the bakonzo banande.

 

Origins

The origin of the bakonzo is told through traditions which contradict each other 

One asserts that the bakonzo are indigenous of rwenzururu mountains who were created from there .those who support this assertion, say that the rwenzoris belong to them as the Garden of Eden was to Adam and eve.

After the advent of the Toro government, the bayira gradually settled on the low lands.

The mountain was blessed with reliable rainfall and creator lakes as natural storage tanks to supply water to both man and wildlife.

The area was ideal for agriculture both crops and live stock. So it is believed the ancestors of the bakonzo emerged from one caves of tm rwenzori and produced the rest of the bakonzo.

During the expeditions from Egypt through Ethiopian mtns, the Egyptian king Ptolemy is said to have reported the existence of short physically strong men and women who stayed on the mtn of rwenzori.in his recordings he mentions that these people used to circumcise and put on apiece of bark cloth around their waists.

It is further added that Ptolemy named these mountains the mountains of the moon, a name still used today in modern times.

Another tradition asserts that the bakonzo banande came from near Lake Nalubale (Victoria).some of the works of art in kasubi tombs (baganda cultural heritage site) near Kampala city indicate that two clans escaped from the region to the rwenzori mountains and formed the konzo community. 

The above theory is supported by the sayings of one writer that the konzo escaped from Buganda region after a tough clash with the GAnda after they had made a clay boat for the kabaka that broke on the water and left many dead. Reason that pushed them away.

 

Marriage;

It was of a great cultural social concern. Aman was reorganized unless was married with children. Women were not respected until she beared children .the more women aman had the great the respect he would bear. Therefore the konzo were polygamous as for as long as aman had the capacity to care for them.

Families booked spouses for their sons early in life. Often the booking would be done when a boy went through initianceremony of adult hood. a father would choose a husband for his daughter who had no choice for the husband. It was common for old men to marry young girls to rejuvenate themselves.

Marriage was socially reorganized when bride wealth was settled. twelve goats, hoe or  a digging stick and an animal skin all known as ''omukagha'' the digging stick (a hoe) symbolized the replacement of girls lost labour while the skin known as'' engobi'' replaced was the girl used when still young. In modern times a blanket has the skin. Tonto a brewed booze from ripe bananas mixed with sorghum was beer that accompanied the bride wealth.

The purpose of this beer called tonto among the bayira was unifying element of men .beer was required at every gathering like a party, weeding, funerals and communal work. It was common that if some one brewed tonto in an area he would reserve for other men’s assign of good neighbourhood.this tonto was called ''omuthekyo''.

 

Divorce.

It was not common among the bayira mis understanding in family btn husband and wife was a matter of society. Couples were taught by elder’s especially paternal uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters before or during marriage. Most issues taught at home centered at keeping a home.

Successful man in society was one who looked properly at his family. Every body protected marriage institution.

Divorce was reached after a number of meetings by brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and finally parents.

In case of divorce, aman was to give some property as assign of separation by the wife’s family commonly called '' engomoro'' it would be astool, agoat or apiece of bark cloth.

At this stage the women was fie and girl’s family would arrange to pay back all the bride price /wealth. If not able would wait until the girl marries.

Among the konzo divorce was caused by adulty on the side of woman, witchery, intolerable behaviour, impotence, barreness, or dangerous disease such as leprosy. Epilepsy.

Birth 

Among the bakonzo birth was highly respected event in families. Man would marry for the purpose of bearing children and expand afamily.awoman that stayed long before, signs of pregnancy; elders would look for herbs and if it failed that woman would divorce.

During labour period the woman was kept indoor with local birth attendants with other women who are relative, friends or neighbors while the husband kept out to wait for response.

Immediately laughter’s they checked for sex. In case of a baby boy his reproductive organ was first ereited, cries and cut umbilical cord.

The husband was alerted all b'me happy. on the third day while indoors, gifts and make a feast after slaughtering agoat.this ceremony was commonly called'' omuhulhuko'' .if there was failure in birth the husband would climb to the top of the house and pick a spear grass. Another ceremony was the women relatives organized food both cooked and UN cooked to the mans relatives. Goat was slaughtered and part of it was taken to the woman’s parents. This is commonly called ''orekukundulha omulemba''.

In case of twins one who comes out was the elder called KATO and the other was called UGURU. Whoever touches them parents a gift. If one of them died the mother was not allowed to cry. The death of a twin was called '' erihulhuka''if this happens before sowing season; the mother was to plant on the upper side of the house to prevent poor yields. Parents of the twins weren’t supposed to pick quarrel, when they are breast feed.

If twins pick quarrel do not stop or separate them, they turn against you.

In most cases names were depending on situation, events, seasons or weather.

 

Name due to long labour, ---NTURAMO

                                   ---- KATURAMO

 NAME DUE TO DEATH------MAKOMA

                                    BYABU

                                     MUTHAKA

                                     KYIBAYA

                                     KYITHI

ANY BORN WHILE BREWING locally----kamabu

                                                    mabu

NAME DUE TO WEATHER                  KAMBULHA

                                                                   MWISI

                                                                   NYAMWESI

                                                                   BYAMWESI

ORDERS OF NAMES

MALES                      BALUKU

                                    BWAMBALE

                                    MASEREKA

                                    KULE

                                    MBUSA

 

FEMALE                       MASIKA

                                       BIIRA

                                       KABUGHO

                                       MBAMBU

                                       ITHUNGU

                                       KYAKIMWA

                                                    NZYABAKE

                      RELIGION