Some travellers who have Uganda have had a chance to interact with some communities in the country while on their Uganda safaris and they can ably say that they culturally differ from one another. Uganda has got over 50 tribes living within her boundaries. The diversity of Ugandan tribes does not stop in their number but also in their behaviour and culture. The tribe diversity in Uganda ranges from friendly and gentle to hostile and aggressive.
Some tribes in Uganda are regarded as friendly and welcoming while others are known to be extremely hostile and this determines how they interact with others. The major distinguishing feature between these two categories is that those considered to be hostile are located in remote areas far away from the capital Kampala while friendly ones live near the central region
The friendliest tribes in Uganda include the following;
1. Baganda
The Baganda who live in central Uganda in districts around the capital Kampala are considered to be one of the most friendly and welcoming tribes in Uganda. This is based on historic records where the Baganda were one of the tribes that welcomed European visitors including explorers, missionaries and colonialists whereas other tribes had turned hostile to them. Through their king the Kabaka, the Baganda gave a warm welcome to these new comers and the good relationship between the two groups paved way for benefits like formal education and trade to the local people. Up to today the Baganda are still very friendly and welcoming with several incoming groups who come both to visit and stay in the region finding it a home away from home.
2. Batooro
The Batooro who live in the western part of Uganda in districts like Fort Portal, Hoima, Kyenjojo, and Kabarore is another tribe considered to be very friendly and welcoming. Their soft speech and gentle approach to almost everything makes them highly loved and admired by other people.
3. Banyankole
The Banyankole who live in southwestern Uganda very close to the Batooro in terms of culture wile they also speak to each other while communicating in their respective languages. Like their counterparts, the Banyankole are also gentle and soft-spoken people who are always welcoming to visitors. They are always jolly and interactive and they easily make friendship with people from other tribes. The Banyankole are commonly known for their love for cows and milk which they freely share with their guests and loved ones.
4. Basoga
The Basoga are the immediate tribe next to Baganda towards the eastern direction occupying districts like Jinja, Iganga, Kamuli, Bugiri, among others. Basoga are known to be friendly and warm people who are so welcoming to others. Basoga are also to be very entertaining people who love to exhibit their joy to visitors through their amazing traditional dance and songs.
5. Bateso
The Bateso, also found in eastern Uganda in districts like Kumi and Soroti are known to be calm and friendly people. They are also very social in their nature which makes it so easy to make new friends from wherever they are found. One of the major characteristics associated with the Bateso is their communal gathering I the evenings to share their favorite local brew known as “Kwete.”
On the other hand, there are also some other tribes in Uganda that are regarded to be less friendly and they are generally feared by others who consider them to be socially aggressive. They include the following;
6. Karamojong
The Karamojong are one of the most remote tribes in Uganda living in the north-eastern region in districts like Moroto, Kotido, Napak and Kaabong. They are regarded as hostile basing on their history of fighting with their neighboring communities like the Maasai across in Kenya due the vile of cattle rustling that take place between these two communities. The Karamojong are known to be very protective to their cows and this makes them to be hostile to anyone they may consider to be a threat to both their animals and the land they use to graze them.
7. The IK
The IK are neighbors to the Karamojong though they are far fewer than their counterparts and also live high in the mountains away from the surrounding Karamojong community. Their extreme remoteness makes them highly feared by other people who assume that they may be very hostile to anyone who tries to go to their community since they also don’t show up in communities outside their territory.
8. Bakiga
The Bakiga are one of the most popular tribes in Uganda for both good and bad reasons amazingly. They live in southwest Uganda in districts like Kabale, Rukungiri and Kanungu. They are very social and friendly but on the other hand they are also regarded as one of the most hostile, arrogant and aggressive tribes in the country. Their aggressive lifestyle and nonsense approach to matters makes them to be feared by others in the communities where they live.
9. Bagisu
The Bagisu live in the far eastern part of Uganda in districts like Mbale, Kapchorwa, Bududa and Manafwa. They are feared basically because of their scary traditions like the circumcision ceremony locally known as “Imbalu” through which all Bagisu male males who are juveniles are circumcised. This ceremony is done traditionally using traditional tools like knives and it is compulsory for every male who reaches the required age. It is very painful according to those who have undergone through it and it makes the Bagisu highly feared by other tribes who consider them to be brave and fearless.
10. Bakonjo
The Bakonjo live in the far western part of Uganda in districts like Kasese and Bundibugyo near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are one of the most feared tribes in Uganda basically depending on rumours that they practice too much witchcraft. It widely believed in Uganda that the Bakonjo posses charm that they can use to turn anyone into anything they want including madness and death. This makes them to be highly feared by other tribes something that has existed for ages.
