‘Khosian-Ugandan’ and ‘African-Ugandan’ cultures are the endogenous knowledge of Uganda. This discussion, however, does not pretend expertise in the original culture of ‘Khosian-Ugandans’ nor of ‘African-Ugandans’. The emphasis of this discussion, is to simply insist that they existed.

That they existed, is evidenced, for example, by the fact that they were referenced in speeches during celebrations to mark the change of guards, when the English colonialists handed political power to the Republic of Uganda at independence.

The first ‘global-westernised-Ugandan’ Prime Minister of Uganda, Apollo Milton Obote (pictured above), in his inaugural speech on 9th October 1962, as it was documented and published by the Daily Monitor, made reference to ‘Khosian-Ugandan’ and ‘African-Ugandan cultures. He said:

“In the days before this part of the African continent was known to the western world, we became known as a group of people who welcomed the traveller, the missionary and the explorer. As the years passed, we reaped the benefit of this friendly nature of ours.”

His Excellency, Apollo Milton Obote, the first Prime Minister of Uganda

To this day, the descendants of ‘African-Ugandans’, such as the Karimojong girls pictured above, are considered among the most friendly peoples of the world.

An Inter Nations’ survey, in 2016, of expats living and working abroad, for example, ranked Ugandans as the second friendliest group of people after the Taiwanese. The Inter Nations’ survey, quoted an expat as having said:

“I love the lifestyle and the flexibility in the working hours in Uganda! The culture and people are great as well.”

Expat Member of Inter Nations

According to the Inter Nation survey results, furthermore, 94 percent of expats consider the general friendliness of the population in a positive light. Indeed, 57 percent said it was very good and no one had anything negative to say about it.

The extract from Prime Minister Obote’s speech, reveals the typical attitude of ‘global-westernised-recaptive-Ugandans’, particularly so, in his words: “we reaped the benefit of this friendly nature of ours.”  

It is the tendency of ‘global-westernised-recaptive-Ugandans’ to perceive and to adduce benefits from global-western cultures; while at the same time they underplay or remain blind to the negative impact on ‘African-Ugandans’ of colonisation by the global-west.

The typical ‘global-westernised-recaptive-Ugandans’ attitude, explains the part of Prime Minister Obote’s inaugural speech when he said:

“The technical progress of the last half-century has transformed our country in countless ways. But, fortunately, we have continued to keep our own customs and culture.”

His Excellency, Apollo Milton Obote, the first Prime Minister of Uganda

Prime Minister Obote, distinguished “technical progress,” which, in the context of his speech, he adduced to the culture of the traveller, the missionary, the explorer; basically exogenous culture.  By doing so, he effectively ranked ‘African-Ugandan’ culture as inferior to exogenous culture of the global-west.  

‘Khosian-Ugandan’ and ‘African-Ugandan’ civilisations, such as of the Iteso pictured above, existed prior to colonisation by the English of the territory now known as Uganda. Whereas, ‘Khosian-Ugandan’ culture is likely extinct within the territory, ‘African-Ugandan’ culture did survive the colonial period and sustains to date; however acculturised it is.

Through the attitudes, beliefs and practices of the descendants of ‘African-Ugandans’, both ‘global-westernised-Ugandans’ and ‘Traditionalist-Ugandans’, it is possible to deduce aspects of ‘African-Ugandan’ culture. As demonstrated prior in this discussion, for example, in the brief discourse analysis of Prime Minister Obote’s inaugural speech.