The Bagisu-Bamasaba | Mount Elgon’s People & Imbalu Rite

The Bagisu / Bamasaba  of Uganda are a tribe inhabiting the slopes of Mount Elgon covering the eastern districts of Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa, Bulambuli and Bududa with Mbale being the center of Bugisu civilization. It is also a major town in Uganda.

Origin Of Bagisu / Bamasaba People

The Bagisu, Bamasaba, Babukusu and Baluhyia people believe that their ancestors were Mundu and Seera. The Bagisu /Bamasaba ancestor Maswahaba migrated from the Ethiopian Mountains traveling via Lake Turkana to Sironko and settled around Bududa where he fell in love with a Maasai girl who was known as Nabarwa. The family of Nabarwa demanded that in order for Maswahaba to marry their daughter he had to undergo their rite of circumcision to which he agreed. 

Maswahaba’s first son with Nabarwa was Mwambu who was nicknamed Nkisu by his Maasai uncles who had stolen his father’s cows from him. Maswahaba failed to pronounce the nickname of Nkisu which means a bull in Maasai language and pronounced it as Mugisu hence the pronoun Bagisu referring to these people today.

Language/ Dialect of the Bagisu or Bamasaba

The Bagisu speak a language which is mutually intelligible with the dialects of the Bamasaba, Babukusu and Baluyiah. About 752,000 people in Uganda speak this language and over 2m across the Kenyan districts of Bungoma, Trans-Nzioa, Suam, Malaba and across the border to Lwakhakha.

Lugisu is spoken by the Bagisu people while Lumasaba is spoken by the Bamasaba. Both Bagisu and Bamasaba are found on the Western slopes of Mt. Masaba (Mt. Elgon) while the Babukusu and Baluhyiah are found on the eastern slopes of Mount Sion (Mt. Elgon) named after the Biblical Middle East Zion which they believed was a dwelling place for their god Were Khakaba and only those who are holy could reach its apex and in their history only one person in the name of Masinde Elijah ever reached there.

Historical  accounts have it  that Mubukusu (the  eponymous founder of  babukusu), Mugisu (the eponymous founder of Bagisu) and Masaba (the eponymous founder of Bamasaba) were brothers and sons of Mundu, who lived fifteen generations ago. The fact that Bagisu, Bamasaba, Baluhyiah and Babukusu were originally a united community implies that they should not only share ancestry but also a language.

Political set up of the Bagisu / Bamasaba people

The Bagisu or Bamasaba had a loose structure where elders known as Umami we sikoka (chief of the clan) were selected to rule every clan. They were chosen on the basis of age and wealth. These were responsible for maintaining law, order, unity and the continuity of the clan.

They were also responsible for keeping and maintaining the cultural values of the clan and for making sacrifices to the ancestral spirits. Often, stronger chiefs would extend their influence to other clans but no chief managed to subdue other clans into one single political entity. Other important figures in Bugisu included the rainmakers, sorcerers and oral artists locally known as “Baswena Kimise”who are experts in history and  migration.

Circumcision Culture of the Bagisu / Bamasaba 

The Bagisu or Bamasaba are a highly superstitious tribe who have a unique male initiation culture called ‘’Imbalu’’ this is believed to initiate boys (Musinde) into men (Mutsetsa)

This culture of circumcision was adopted by the Bagisu / Bamasaba from their in-laws, the Maasai people. The initiation ceremonies among the Bagisu /Bamasaba are held every two years during August.

Before circumcision, the eligible male candidates aged 16-25 years are given a certain herb, ‘’ityanyi’’ for arousal. The herb is either tied on the candidate’s toe or placed on the ground where he jumps over it without knowing. Any male that absconds is hunted down and forcefully circumcised. The boys are smeared with flour and paint from malwa-yeast, they then dance and sing (kadodi) in the community accompanied by girls and relatives to celebrate the pre-stage of being initiated into manhood. The dancing takes place for three days and the circumcision is done fast and openly. The boys show their strength by standing strong whilst the outer skin of their penis is stripped off. 

After circumcision, the initiate is wrapped with a piece of cloth and taken to his father’s house where he rotates it a couple of times before entering. For three days, the initiate is not allowed to eat using his hands since he is not yet fully a man so he is fed by his family members. After the three days, the circumciser comes to wash the hands of the candidate and only then is he considered a man. He is then guided on the ways of a man and how to be a man.

After healing, a ritual (Inemba) is performed where all initiates in the community are expected to attend. Members of the community are also allowed to attend and celebrate the journey of transforming into a man by the successful candidates.

Bagisu / Bamasaba economic activities

The Bagisu / Bamasaba mainly practice farming as a way of life. They live on ‘Malewa’ which is a delicacy made from bamboo shoots that grows at the top of Mount Elgon. They also grow bananas primarily for food and sell them to supplement the income earned from coffee, cotton and tobacco.  The Bagisu/ Bamasaba also grow maize, beans, millet, sorghum, yams and cassava for subsistence.

The Bamasaba/Bagisu are the main producers of Arabica coffee which is one of the major exports of Uganda. They have a farmers’ union called the Bugisu Cooperative Union that helps in price stabilisation of the coffee.

Apart from farming, there is also tourism carried out in Bugisu land which provides employment opportunities to the locals both directly and indirectly. The tourism activities carried out here include hiking to Wagagi peak at the top of Mount Elgon which is the world’s largest caldera, wildlife viewing at Mount Elgon National Park, coffee making experience, bull fights as well as the famous Imbalu. This circumcision ritual is now considered a tourism product by the Uganda Tourism Board.

Infrastructural development in Bugisu

The growth of Mbale as a major town in eastern Uganda as a result of general business and tourism  activities has seen the emergence of quite a number of accommodation facilities for tourists who visit Bugisu land. 

These include Mount Elgon hotel, Wash and wills hotel, Mbale resort hotel, Palm hotel, Elgon heights motel, Pretoria hotel Mbale, Crown suites Limited among many others.

The roads have been tarmacked to enable transportation of goods and services in this region and beyond as one goes northwards. This has also led to the growth and development of many businesses locally owned by the indegenious Bagisu / Bamasaba and those from the neighbouring districts or towns like Tororo and Soroti to mention but a few.

Visit Bugisu to experience the beautiful culture of the Bamasaba / Bagisu.