Gisu people explained

The Gisu people, or Bamasaba people of Elgon, are a Bantu tribe^[1] and Bantu-speaking ethnic group of the Masaba people in eastern Uganda, closely related to the Bukusu people of Kenya. Bamasaba live mainly in the Mbale District of Uganda on the slopes of Mount Elgon. The Bagisu are estimated to be about 1,646,904 people making up 4.9% of the total population according to the 2014 National Census of Uganda.^{[2] [3]}

Religion

The majority of the Bagisu people are Christians mainly Anglican (Church of Uganda) estimated at 45.7% while a significant percentage are Roman Catholic estimated at 29.1%. Around 14% of the Bagisu people follow Islam according to the 2002 Census of Uganda and 5.3% are Pentecostal.^[4]

Ancestor

The Masaba, Bukusu and Luhya people believed that their ancestors were Mundu and Sera.^[5] The people of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Highlands have no name for Kundu, except that it is a mountain peak in Oromiya.

The Bamasaba ancestor, Masaba 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 Masaba to marry their daughter he had to undergo their rite of circumcision. He agreed to do so.

Culture

Circumcision in Africa is an old culture as practiced by the Bamasaaba in Eastern Uganda.The culture of circumcision was adopted by the Bamasaba from their in-laws the Maasai people. The men among the Bagisu tribe undergo initiation ceremonies known as Imbalu.^[6] The initiation ceremonies among the Bamasaaba are held every two years during August.

Banana is the staple food for the Gisu people. Its commonly referred to as "Matoke"^[7]

The Bamasaaba ancestors lived on bamboo shoots also known as Malewa in the Lumasaba language. These bamboo shoots are collected from bamboo trees on top of Mt. Elgon.^[8]

Origin of the name Bagisu

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. Masawahaba failed to pronounce the nickname of Nkisu meaning a bull in Maasai language, given to his son his uncle and he pronounced it as Mugisu.The name Bagisu originated from the nickname Nkisu given to Mwambu by Maswababa's Maasai Brother-in-law.^{[9] [10]}

The Bamasaba speak a dialect of the Lumasaba language called Lumasaba, which is fully understandable by other dialects, and is also understood by the Bukusu. The Bamasaba share a lot of things with the Bukusu from Kenya. They share culture and according to the Bukusu the Bamasaba are their real brothers its only the border that divides them.^{[11] [12]}

Economy

The Bagisu communities are agriculturalists. Those who stay as far as 5000 ft above sea-level grow Arabica coffee, the biggest portion of it being sold to Bugisu Co-operative Union.They also grow other crops like cotton and tobacco, maize, beans, millet, sorghum, yams and cassava.

See also

• Buganda People
• Ugandan Folklore
• Samia Tribe

References

Bibliography

• Book: Mwakikagile, Godfrey . Ethnicity and National Identity in Uganda: The Land and Its People . New Africa Press . 2009 . 9789987930876.

Further reading

• Imbalu: Initiation Ritual Among the Bamasaba of Uganda, 2000
• Mayegu, Andrea Kauka, (1952). The Bamasaba Tribal History
• Transafrican Journal of History, 1982, Volumes 11-13 - Page 190
• Placid, John & Wotsuna Khamalwa, (2004). Identity, power, and culture: Imbalu: Initiation ritual among the ...
• Deuxième Colloque International Folklore en Afrique D'aujourd'hui, 1984
• Godfrey Mwakikagile, (1969), Safari, Volume 1, Page 28
• Kenya Historical Review, 1974, Volume 2, Page 44
• Were, Gideon S., (1967). A history of the Abaluyia of western Kenya: c. 1500-1930, Page 43
• Dipio, Dominica & Stuart Sillars, (2014). Performing Wisdom: Proverbial Lore in Modern Ugandan Society
• Nwaogwugwu, Cletus Chukwuemeka, (2011). Ancestor Christology: a Christian Evaluation of the Ancestral Cult in the Traditional Religion of the Sub-Saharan Africa
• Heald, Suzette, (1989). Controlling Anger: The Sociology of Gisu Violence, Page x
• Paul Nakitare. I Shall Walk Alone, Page 107
• Solomon, Thomas, (2015). African Musics in Context: Institutions, Culture, Identity, Page 314
• Kyeyune, Pastor Stephen, (2012). Shaping The Society Christianity And Culture: Special Reference to ...
• Nannyonga-Tamusuza, Sylvia A. & Thomas Solomon, (2012). Ethnomusicology in East Africa: Perspectives from Uganda and Beyond
• Kyewalyanga, Francis-Xavier Sserufusa, (1976). Traditional Religion, Custom, and Christianity in Uganda: As ...
• Else, David, (1998). Trekking in East Africa, Page 270
• Abuso, Paul Asaka, (1980). A Traditional History of the Abakuria: C.A.D. 1400-1914, Page 27
• e Uganda Journal, 1980, Page 46
• Tripp, Aili Mari. Women and Politics in Uganda, Page 127
• Fleisch, Axel& Rhiannon Stephens, (2016). Doing Conceptual History in Africa, Page 133
• Library of Congress Subject Headings, 2012, Page B-41
• May, Elizabeth, (1983). Musics of Many Cultures: An Introduction, Page 189
• Bender, John B. & David E. Wellbery, (1991). Chronotypes: The Construction of Time, Page 251
• Cohen, David William, (1994). The Combing of History, Page 218
• Souchon, Duncan & Michael Walton, (2007). Mountains of Africa, Page 125
• Small, Christopher, (2011). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening
• The Sphere: An Illustrated Newspaper for the Home, 1906

Notes and References

1. Mwakikagile p. 194.
2. Web site: Uganda Bureau of Statistics . National Population and Housing Census 2014 - Main Report .
3. Web site: AFRICA 101 Last Tribes - Bagisu people . 2024-02-04 . www.101lasttribes.com.
4. Web site: Population Composition. ubos.org. 7 August 2023.
5. Book: Peoples and Cultures of Uganda. Fountain Publishers. 2011. 9789970250349. Kampala, Uganda. 100.
6. Web site: 2022-06-04 . Imbalu fete: Why boys face the knife in Bugisu . 2024-01-07 . Monitor . en.
7. Web site: Writer . ITKT Featured . 2023-02-10 . Living Quite Local in Mbale, Uganda . 2024-01-16 . In the Know Traveler . en-US.
8. Web site: 2023-02-24 . Wabule gives malewa fresh touch . 2024-01-07 . Monitor . en.
9. Web site: gorillatrekking . 2019-05-18 . The Bagisu uganda tribes uganda cultural tours uganda cultures . 2024-02-04 . Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris . en-US.
10. Web site: bwindigorilla . 2024-01-13 . Gisu People, The Bagisu People, Bamasaba of eastern Uganda . 2024-02-04 . Bwindi Forest National Park . en-US.
11. Web site: petnah . 2020-04-23 . The Bagisu / Bamasaba of Uganda - uganda tribes and culture . 2024-01-07 . petnah . en-US.
12. Web site: Bagisu People. Bamasaba People. Mount Elgon National Park . 2024-01-07 . Inside Mount Elgon National Park . en-US.