Uganda&culture

Uganda is occupied by over 50 different tribes with each having unique foods, dress codes, folk songs, and dances. This can be a potential attraction in the tourism industry. A large percentage of the tourists visiting Uganda are mainly interested in animals in the national parks completely ignoring the many colourful cultures and norms of the Ugandan community. There are various interesting cultural practices which if brought to light, can earn income to benefit the community, for example the famous Imbalu practiced by the Bagisu in Eastern Uganda where a boy is publicly circumcised during a ceremony in order to undergo a transition to manhood.

Bwola dance perfomed by Acholi men

Uganda has different unique dance and music instruments like the drums, adungu (Eight stringed African guitar) and the Lukeme, a thump piano which is very common in Northern Uganda. Slowly by slowly, these instruments and dances are dying and fading away mostly because of the influence of the western culture in this current generation United Nations Educational Scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO) and the ministry of culture are putting an effort in conserving and protecting them. The ministry recently announced that it had received an amount of 540million from UNESCO to compile a documentary on culturs that are on the verge of extinction if not jealously protected like the IK, which is the smallest tribe in Uganda, the Tereit Ndoboros, the Acholi in northen Uganda and the basongora in kasese. According to the minister of culture, Ms Rukia Nakadama, the exercise will bring together knowlegable elders from these affected cultures and also archaeologists who will work hand in hand to devise means of how best they can preserve these cultures.

The ministry is moving in the right direction although much work is still needed for example improving infrastructures like roads, accommodation and most importantly security.