Clans of Baganda

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All Baganda belong to a clan (ekika). A Muganda usually knows his or her father’s clan and mother’s clan, and at formal introductions you are expected to share many details about your family line, totem, clan motto, and lineage. This practice is called okutambula ng’Omuganda, “to walk like a Muganda.”

There are about 50 clans. The Kabaka (the King) is the head of the clan heads (Abataka). Each clan has a clear hierarchy:
- Akasolya (the top, or roof, of the clan) led by Ow’akasolya.
- Amasiga (pillars) led by Ow’essiga.
- Ennyiriri led by Ow’olunyiriri.
- Emituba led by Ow’omutuba.
- Enzigya led by Ow’oluggya.
- Ennyumba (Houses) led by Ow’ennyumba. The level of the paternal grandfather is called Luggya, and the nuclear family is the Enju (house).

Every clan also has a central place for its people, its land, and its duties at the Kabaka’s palace, Lubiri, and at the cultural council, Lukiiko. The clan’s principal totem (omuziro) and its secondary totem are also known.

Naming and gender
Most people’s surname reveals their clan and, in many cases, their gender. A man’s surname and a woman’s first name or married name can indicate clan. Women who marry take their husband’s clan-name, while a naturalized Muganda must choose a clan to belong to. Within a clan, all members are believed to share a common ancestor, making marriage within the same clan taboo (exogamy). There are rare exceptions, especially among the Mmamba clan.

Clans and the law
Disputes between clans or within a clan can be heard by a cultural court called Ekkooti ya Kisekwa (Kisekwa’s court). The head of this court is Kisekwa. If dissatisfied, a case can be appealed up to the Kabaka. Ultimate judicial power, in practice, lies with Uganda’s national courts (Magistrate’s court, High Court, etc.).

Heir and inheritance
The cultural head of a clan is the omusika, the heir. This position is about culture, not economics. For example, in a single-mother or widow household, property ownership follows different rules, and an heiress can inherit the cultural position.

Origins
The oldest clans trace back to early Buganda history, with stories of Bakiranze Kivebulaya ruling long ago. Other clusters trace their arrival to different periods, including groups associated with Kabaka Kintu and later waves of immigration. Over time, several clans joined the Buganda lineage, forming the diverse system seen today.