The Clans of Buganda

Buganda's clan system is central to its culture. A clan represents a group of people who can trace their lineage to a common ancestor in some distant past. In the customs of Buganda, lineage is passed down along patrilineal lines. The clan essentially forms a large extended family and all members of a given clan regard each other as brothers and sisters regardless of how far removed from one another in terms of actual blood ties. The Baganda took great care to trace their ancestry through this clan structure. A formal introduction of a muganda includes his own names, the names of his father and paternal grandfather, as well as a description of the family's lineage within the clan that it belongs to. The clan has a hierarchical structure with the clan leader at the top (owakasolya), followed by successive subdivisions called the ssiga, mutuba, lunyiriri and finally at the bottom the individual family unit (enju). Every Muganda was required to know where he falls within each of these subdivisions and anyone who could not relate his ancestry fully was suspect of not being a true Muganda.
After the coronation of Kabaka Mutebi II in 1993, a survey of the clans was carried out to establish definitively the number of clans, corresponding clan heads, and all other positions of authority within each clan. The following list shows 46 clans which are officially recognised by His Majesty's government as constituting the clans of Buganda, as of August 1996. Oral history has always maintained that there are 52 clans in Buganda. This anomaly may be because some clans have not been able to establish their claims legitimately, or possibly that some clans may have died out, with no heirs to carry on the clan heritage.
It is a curious fact that the clans are not known by the names of the respective clan founders. Instead, totems were adopted by the clans, and the names of those totems came to be synonymous with the clans themselves. Each clan has a main totem (omuziro) and a secondary totem (akabbiro). The clans are usually known by the main totem and they are listed above by that totem. The royal clan (Abalangira) is a unique exception in that it has no totems whatsoever. For a proper understanding of the culture however, it is important to distinguish between the totem and the clan. The clan is a matter of genealogy and it is through the clan that the baganda trace their ancestry. A totem on the other hand, is just a symbol to represent the clan. Although the two are intimately associated with one another, they are in fact different. In the west, a totem would be similar to a court of arms.




THE TABLE BELOW GIVES THE LIST OF THE CLANS OF BUGANDA.

List of the Clans of Buganda
Clan/Totem
Secondary Totem
Clan Head
Seat
(Ekika)
(Akabbiro)
(Owakasolya)
(Obutaka)
1
Abalangira
-
Ssaabataka
Kaliiti, Busiro
2
Babiito-Kooki
Mazzi ga Kisasi
Ssaababiito
Rakai, Kkooki
3
Babiito-Kiziba
?
Lutayinzibwa
Ssanje, Buddu
4
Babiito-Kibulala
?
Kitahimbwa
Kibulala, Ssingo
5
Butiko
Namulondo
Ggunju
Bukalango, Busiro
6
Ffumbe
Kikere
Walusimbi
Bakka, Busiro
7
Kasimba
Ngo
Kabazzi
Kyango, Mawokota
8
Kayozi
Nsombabyuma
Kafumu
Kyango, Mawokota
9
Kibe
Kassukussuku
Muyige
Buluutwe, Kyaggwe
10
Kinyomo
Mutima
Nakigoye
Kyasa, Buddu
11
Kiwere
Sekafu
Luwonko
Kitanda, Bugangazzi
12
Kkobe
Kaama
Namwama
Buwama, Mawokota
13
Lugave
Maleere
Ndugwa
Katende, Mawokota
14
Mazzi ga Kisasi
Ggongolo
Wooyo
Kasaka, Buddu
15
Mbogo
Ndeerwe
Kayiira Gaajuule
Mugulu, Ssingo
16
Mbwa
Kyuma kya Mbwa
Mutasingwa
Kiggwa, Busujju
17
Mmamba
Muguya
Gabunga
Ssagala, Busiro
18
Mpeewo
Kayozi
Kiggye
Kkungu, Kyaddondo
19
Mpindi
Kiyindiru
Mazige
Muyenje, Busiro
20
Mpologoma
Ngo
Namuguzi
Kasagga, Bulemeezi
21
Musu
Kayozi
Muyingo
Ssama, Mawokota
22
Mutima
Mawuggwe
Kakeeto
Bbaale, Buddu
23
Nakinsige
Kkunguvvu
Kyeyune
Mirembe, Kyaggwe
24
Ndiga
Mpologoma
Lwomwa
Mbaale, Mawokota
25
Ndiisa
Namunye
Mulindwa
Mukungwe, Buddu
26
Ngabi
Jjerengesa
Nsamba Lukonge
Buwanda, Mawokota
27
Ng'aali
Kasanke akeeru
Mawesano
Buzooba, Buddu
28
Ngeye
Kunguvvu
Kasujja
Busujja, Busiro
29
Ngo
Kasimba
Muteesasira
Bukesa, Butambala
30
Ngonge
Kaneene
Kisolo
Lweza, Busujju
31
Njaza
Ngujulu
Kitanda
Kirungu, Kyaggwe
32
Njobe
Bugaala
Kiyise
Mpummudde, Ssingo
33
Njovu
Nvubu
Mukalo
Kambugu, Busiro
34
Nkejje
Nkejje Kiyemba
Kikwata
Namukuma, Kyaggwe
35
Nkerebwe
Kikirikisi
Kidimbo
Budimbo, Ssingo
36
Nkima
Byenda
Mugema
Bbira, Busiro
37
Nkula
?
Muwangi
Mayobe, Bugerere
38
Nnamung'oona
Mutima
Kajjabuwongwa
Kyabuwangwa, Ggomba
39
Nnyonyi Nnyange
Kkunguvvu
Kakoto-Mbaziira
Bulimu, Kyaggwe
40
Nseenene
Nabangogoma
Mugalula
Kisozi, Ggomba
41
Nsuma
Kasulubbana
Kibondwe
Bukibondwe, Buvuma
42
Nswaswa
Goonya
Mayengo
Bugabo, Buvuma
43
Ntalaganya
Maleere
Bbambaga
Bbambaga, Bulemeezi
44
Nte
Ng'aali
Katongole
Mulema, Buddu
45
Nvubu
Njovu
Kayita
Mbazzi, Kyaggwe
46
Nvuma
Katinvuma
Kyaddondo
Kawempe, Kyaddondo
The following clans completing the list of 52 did not appear on the official roster of August 1996.
47
Kasanke
?
Kyanku
?
48
Kibuba
?
Nnyanja
?
49
Lukato
Kabbokasa
Magunda/Lyongera
Kisuza/Kiziba, Buweekula
50
Mbuzi
?
Kisunsu
Muwunune
51
Nkebuka
?
Kayizzi
?
52
Nsunu
?
Kabugira
?
? I am looking for this information. If you have it, help me fill in these gaps by sending me email at ssemakula@buganda.com
Because the clan was a big extended family unit, the success of any member of the clan was considered success for the whole clan. Conversely, disgrace for any clan member reflected negatively on the whole clan. This reality was often tragically demonstrated when a high official fell out of favor with the king. If the king considered the transgressions serious, he would sometimes take out his vengeance on all members of the culprit's clan regardless of their personal involvement. In some cases, this led to whole clans trying to "disappear" from society. (This was done by the victims disavowing their clans and claiming to be members of other clans. Usually they would return to their real clans once the fury of the king was assuaged or after the king's passing). Strict knowledge of one's lineage was thus important to ensure that one's ancestry did not get lost in this clan shuffle. Follow this link for a discussion of some peculiarities of the royal clan.
Given the fact that the fortunes of individual clan members were so linked to the fortunes of the whole clan, the clan used to provide support and sustenance to all its members regardless of their status in society. If an individual transgressed some serious societal taboo, one of the most severe punishments he would face is expulsion from the clan. A person without a clan was considered a non-entity! This clan system should not be confused with a communal system. Individual clan members had individual property rights and they achieved success as individuals. However it was understood and accepted that the fruits of success would be shared just as tribulations would also be shared.
One of the strongest manifestations of the clan spirit was in the traditional naming conventions. Remembering that Buganda was a patrilineal society, everyone automatically took on their father's clan at birth. However, the new born child was considered to be a child of the whole clan and not just the individual father. Thus the child did not assume the father's name. Instead, each clan had a pool of names from which a name would be selected and given to the child. Since the clan names were well known, a person's clan could be readily identified from their name but not necessarily the person's parents. Although each family retained its autonomy as a unit, it was nonetheless considered part of the bigger clan family.
According to the customs of the Baganda, one is not supposed to marry into one's clan or that of one's mother. This type of system is referred to as being exogamous. Similarly, one is not supposed to eat the totem of one's clan. Also, one is not supposed to eat the totem of the mother's clan.
When Buganda's system of governance was agreed upon following Kintu's ascent to the throne, roles and responsibilities were assigned according to clans. Although the clan leaders conceded sovereignty to the king, they retained their role as leaders of the clans. They had authority to mediate disputes within their clans. They would also second candidates to the king for appointment to various offices of state. There evolved a practice whereby young boys were sent to the king's palace to serve as pages. These pages often grew to become prominent citizens with positions of responsibility in the running of the kingdom.