news 23 April 2026 The Observer (Uganda)
Rwenzori's Indigenous Groups Push for Cultural Recognition and Land Rights
Indigenous minority communities in Uganda's Rwenzori region, including the Bagabo and others totaling around 1.1 million people, are advocating for constitutional recognition to secure land access, cultural preservation, and political visibility amid displacement by national parks and wildlife threats. Despite some government steps like land allocations ordered by President Museveni, challenges persist with human-wildlife conflicts, health issues, and identity erosion. Source: https://observer.ug/news/bagabo-indigenous-minority-groups-seek-cultural-recognition
In Uganda’s Rwenzori region, nine indigenous minority groups such as the Bagabo, Basongora, Banyabindi, Bachingwe, Bavanuma, Batuku, Babwisi, Bamba, and Batwa are fighting to maintain their cultural identity. Numbering about 1.1 million, these communities have long been absent from the national Constitution as distinct tribes, limiting their land rights and political voice.
The Bagabo, originally from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, were displaced from islands like Akiika and Kankulanga when Queen Elizabeth National Park was established in 1955. Now in Kasenyi fishing village on Lake George’s shores, former hunters have adapted to fishing and salt mining while sharing space with buffaloes, antelopes, and warthogs.
Daily dangers include deadly encounters with crocodiles, hippos, and leopards. Resident Hasfa Nyangoma recounted a 2025 crocodile attack that killed a man fetching water and a leopard that took a baby in 2024. Destroyed water cages heighten risks, alongside high HIV/Aids and malaria rates at fishing sites.
Despite hardships, the Bagabo are building a ‘house of memories’ cultural center to host dances, storytelling, and a restaurant serving traditional dishes like ekibero (mixed fish) and enuni (fish innards). Elder Emmanuel Kyalimpa, chair of Rwenzori Indigenous Minority Groups, stresses preserving languages like Rugabo and ancestral environmental knowledge.
Protected areas like Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori Mountains, and Semuliki parks have displaced these groups from ancestral lands they once stewarded. A unified advocacy platform seeks government engagement for rights and inclusion in conservation.
Progress includes President Museveni’s December order for 10,000 acres to Banyabindi, Bagabo, and Bachingwe, prior Basongora allocations, scholarships for 10 students yearly, and district commission appointments. Yet land disputes in areas like Kasese and past conflicts linger.
These communities demand recognition as a right, balancing modernization with heritage preservation.
Source: The Observer (Uganda)