the Humanist view

“Ethnicity will always be a key element in Uganda’s political organizing. We identify more with our ethnicity than with ‘Ugandaness’.” Maria Alesi

The ethnocide of the first nations of Uganda is our most important and central negative legacy of colonialism. Unfortunately, it sustains unabated, and is the epicenter nurturing significant discomfort among us.

Uganda, the nation state, has a systemic discomfort inbuilt into its fabric.

The legacy of its formation sustains. The legacy of English colonialism, simmers and periodically, it shoots through and explodes, spewing sectarian ugliness.

At its formation, our first nations, the owners of the geography that is now known as Uganda pre-colonization, were not party to negotiations that resulted in demarcation of geographic boundaries of our nation-state.

As of the most recent Uganda population census, which was done in 2014, there are 66 recognized first nations of Uganda.

The largest five, in order of the largest, commanding 49%, nearly 16.5 million, of the population of citizens of Uganda within Uganda are:

• Baganda
• Banyankole
• Basoga
• Bakiga
• Iteso

Commanding 21.8%, about 7.3 million, of Ugandan citizens within Uganda are another five of our first nations, in order of largest, they are:

• Langi
• Bagisu
• Acholi
• Lugbara
• Banyoro 

Meaning, 71% of Ugandan citizens are of 10 of its first nations.

Ten other of Uganda’s first nations command 19% of the population of its citizens within Uganda, and in order of the largest they are:

• Alur
• Bakonzo
• Batoro
• Bafumbira
• Bagwere
• Banyole
• Banyarwanda
• Aringa
• Jopadhola
• Basamia

Meaning, 90% of Ugandan citizens are of 20 of its first nations.

Only 10% of the population of Ugandan citizens in Uganda is commanded by 46 of its first nations; which, in order of the largest, they are:

• Karimojong
• Madi
• Sabiny
• Kumam
• Baruli
• Kakwa
• Bahororo
• Jie
• Dodoth
• Jonam
• Pokot
• Babwisi
• Bagwe
• Ethur
• Barundi
• Bagungu
• Batagwenda
• Kebu (Okebu)
• Banyaruguru
• Banyara
• Kuku
• Bamba
• Babukusu
• Baluku
• Chope
• Nubi
• Napore
• So (Tepeth)
• Lendu
• Aliba
• Banyabindi
• Basongora
• Ik (Teuso)
• Gimara
• Shana
• Banyabutumbi
• Nyangia
• Reli
• Batwa
• Ngikutio
• Bahehe
• Mvumba
• Menning
• Vonoma

Our first nations, were not party to the negotiations that resulted into the frame of our national governance structure. Not even the largest five, commanding 49% of Ugandans were party to negotiating Uganda the nation-state.

It is no wonder, worse more, the independence governance structure of our nation-state, which sustains to date, is deliberate in its design to commit ethnocide and to erase our first nations.

Our ways of governance, of doing and of relating, are categorized barbaric and are excluded from the design of our nation-state.

None of the languages of our first nations, case in point, are an official language of Uganda, the nation-state.

English is the official language of Uganda. Click here to learn more …

Be that as it may, in present day Uganda, in terms of national political organizing, the reality of our state composition by first nations is a factor.

Very specifically, casein point, for the purpose of winning a Ugandan presidential race, if it be a free and a fair election.

It would be foolhardy for a candidate or a political party to ignore the composition of our nation state, by first nation.

President Yoweri Kagutta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda. Some say he has fully appreciated the reality of Ugandan citizens as composed by its first nations and is adept at working the status quo to his advantage.