Clans of Baganda


Every Muganda person must belong to one of the more than 52 clans of Baganda. A Muganda is therefore expected to know his or her paternal clan as well has his or her mother's clan. As part of one's formal introduction or greeting, one must be able to say their last name, their father's surname, their paternal grandfather's name, their mother's clan, their clan Totem and clan motto or slogan and finally their lineage in terms of the Akasolya, Ssiga, Mutuba, Lunyiriri and Nnyumba or Nju. This is generally called okutambula ng'Omuganda.

Organization

The clans are social units and in the past were political units as well.
The Baganda are organized around roughly 50 clans with the Kabaka being the head of the clan heads. Each clan has a hierarchical structure. The top of this clan hierarchy is called Akasolya. So the Baganda are organized around the roughly 50 roofs. Akasolya is the singular form of Obusolya. The person who heads the clan is called Ow'akasolya. Below each roof are several units called amasiga, headed by Ow'essiga. Essiga is singular form of Amasiga. Under each ssiga are several units called ennyiriri, headed by Ow'olunyiriri. Olunyiriri is the singular form of ennyiriri. Below the lunyiriri are several units called emituba, headed by Ow'omutuba. Omutuba is singular form of Emituba. Below each mutuba are several units called enzigya, headed by Ow'oluggya. Oluggya is singular form of Enzigya. The Luggya is the level of the paternal grandfather. Below the luggya are several units called ennyumba or enju, headed by Ow'ennyumba. The House is essentially the nuclear family and is headed by a father or if he is dead, then it's headed by his heir. For instance, the members of Mr. Nsubuga's nuclear family would be called ab'enju ya Mwami Nsubuga if he is alive or Ab'enju y'Omugenzi Nsubuga if he's deceased. Omugenzi is the Luganda word for "The Late".

Political Unit

Represented at Kabaka's. Location of the clan's seat and/or land. Responsibilities of the clan at the Kabaka's palace.

Social Unit

Represented in Lukiiko. Clan head

Culture

Totems

Primary Totem and Secondary Totem

Names

Every Muganda must belong to a clan.
This is usually his or her father's clan. The only exception to this is the Kabaka who belongs to his mother's clan. This ensures that every clan has a chance to produce the next Kabaka. The names of the Baganda vary depending on one's biological gender.
Therefore, each clan will have a list of at least 20 boys' surnames and 20 girls' surnames from which one can pick a surname. Therefore, one's surname will give a clue to which clan they belong as well as their biological gender. The exceptions to this are a woman's married name as well as unique names given to twins and their immediate siblings or Royals.
For instance, the name Nsubuga is given to a male from the Mmamba Gabunga clan and the name Nansubuga is given to a female from the Mmamba Gabunga clan.
Also a "naturalized" Muganda person must pick a clan to belong to and therefore a surname or last name belonging to that clan.

Marriage

All members of a clan are believed to have a common ancestor. This means that they are siblings if they are from the same generation or can be considered parents or children if they are from different generations, and so it's taboo for them to marry each other. They are therefore expected to marry someone from another clan, clan Exogamy,. This has even been held up in a court of law in the famous case of Bruno L. Kiwawu vs Ivan Serunkuma and Juliet Namazzi in May 2007. All three people involved, the girl's father, Kiwawu, the "boy", Sserunkuuma and the "girl", Namazzi belong to the same clan, the Ndiga clan. A few exceptions exist especially among the members of the large Mmamba clan. On occasion, these have been known to intermarry. This taboo on marrying someone who belongs to the same clan as you normally supersedes religious, national and international marriage laws.

Inheritance

The heir is a cultural head not economic head and so for instance, in a household headed by a single mother or a widow, the family property is not owned by the cultural heir. Among the Baganda, an heiress is a biological female who inherits the cultural position of a deceased woman. In ancient times, this heiress, if she were single, could become the widower's wife as it was assumed that she would love her deceased sister's children as if they were her own.

Cultural Taboos

This list is limited to cultural taboos related to the clan.
  1. The members of a clan cannot eat or harm their totem animal, plant or thing. So a member of the Mmamba clan is forbidden from consuming a Lungfish. However, members of other clans do eat Lungfish.
  2. Members of the same clan cannot marry each other. So a male from the Ffumbe clan cannot marry a female from the Ffumbe clan.

    Legal Issues

A cultural court called Ekkooti ya Kisekwa, handles disputes including those among the clans or member of the clan. For instance, disputes related to who becomes the next clan head when the previous one dies or becomes incapacitated. The title of the head of this court is Kisekwa.
If someone is not satisfied with the court's ruling, then they can appeal all the way up to the Kabaka who is the final arbiter of cases coming out of this court.
Below Kisekwa's court are usually courts at the Ssiga and at times Lunyiriri and Mutuba levels. At each one of these levels a cultural court's decision can be appealed to the higher level.
Although these courts have some power. Ultimate judicial power lies with the Judiciary of the country. In Uganda's case, that would be the Magistrate's court, High court, etc. From time to time, one who is not satisfied by the cultural courts will sue in a national high court.

List of Clans of Baganda

The clans are:
  1. Abalangira
  2. Babiito b'e Kooki
  3. Babiito b'e Kiziba
  4. Babiito b'e Kibulala
  5. Butiko
  6. Ffumbe
  7. Kasanke
  8. Kasimba
  9. Kayozi
  10. Kibe
  11. Kibuba
  12. Kinyomo
  13. Kiwere
  14. Kkobe
  15. Lugave
  16. Lukato
  17. Mazzi ga Kisasi
  18. Mbogo
  19. Mbuzi
  20. Mbwa
  21. Mmamba Gabunga
  22. Mmamba Kakoboza
  23. Mpeewo
  24. Mpindi
  25. Mpologoma
  26. Musu
  27. Mutima Musagi
  28. Mutima Muyanja
  29. Nnakinsige
  30. Ndiga
  31. Ndiisa
  32. Ngabi Nnyunga
  33. Ngabi Nsamba
  34. Ngeye
  35. Ngo
  36. Njaza
  37. Njobe
  38. Njovu
  39. Nkebuka
  40. Nkejje
  41. Nkerebwe
  42. Nkima
  43. Nkula
  44. Nkusu
  45. Nnamuŋŋoona
  46. Nnyonyi Nnyange
  47. Nseenene
  48. Nsuma
  49. Nsunu
  50. Nswaswa
  51. Ntalaganya
  52. Nte
  53. Nvubu
  54. Nvuma
  55. Ŋŋaali
  56. Ŋŋonge

    Nnansangwa (Original Clans)

The oldest clans trace their lineage to Bakiranze Kivebulaya, who is supposed to have ruled in the region from about 400 AD until about 1300 AD. These seven clans are referred to as the Nansangwa, or the indigenous:
  1. Lugave
  2. Mmamba
  3. Ngeye
  4. Njaza
  5. Ennyange
  6. Fumbe
  7. Ngonge
  8. Mpindi
  9. Ngabi Ennyunga

    Kintu migration

The Abalasangeye dynasty came to power through the conquests of Kabaka of Buganda ssekabaka Kintu, which are estimated to have occurred sometime between 1200 and 1400 AD.
Thirteen clans that are believed to have come with Kintu:
  1. Ekkobe
  2. Mbwa
  3. Mpeewo
  4. Mpologoma
  5. Namuŋoona
  6. Ngo
  7. Ŋonge
  8. Nte
  9. Nkejje
  10. Nkima
  11. Ntalaganya
  12. Nvubu
  13. Nvuma
The descendants of the Basimba people which is a Bisa and Ambo nickname of the Clan of the leopards, the bena Ngo in Zambia, who settled at Mpogo, Sironko District, are among the Ngo Clan group that come along with Kabaka Kato Kintu in his immigration.

Kato Kimera migration

Around 1370 AD another wave of immigration began, assisted by Kabaka Kimera, who was the son of Omulangira Kalemeera. Kabaka Kimera was born in Kibulala, and returned to Buganda with Jjumba of the Nkima clan and other Buganda elders.
These eleven clans are:
  1. Bugeme
  2. Butiko
  3. Kasimba
  4. Kayozi
  5. Kibe
  6. Mbogo
  7. Musu/Omusu
  8. Ngabi Ensamba
  9. Nkerebwe
  10. Nsuma
  11. Nseenene