Bugungu: The Bagungu are the indigenous people of Bugungu, located in present-day Buliisa District, Uganda.
They speak Lugungu, a Bantu language. Some Bagungu have also settled in neighboring districts such as Hoima, Masindi, and Kiryandongo.
Traditionally, they are farmers, fishermen, cattle keepers, and hunters.
Bagungu men traditionally practice polygamy and exogamy marriage outside one’s clan.
Among the Bagungu, childbearing is highly celebrated, and the birth of twins is given special attention, as twins are believed to possess unique spiritual powers.
Some people believe that the birth of twins depends on the earlier descendants while others culturally believe that it’s a blessing from the ancestors but according to science, birth of twins can occur either when two separate eggs become fertilized in the womb or when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos.
In Lugungu dialect, twins are locally called “baarongo”, the mother of twins is locally called “Ma’baarongo” and the father “Ba’baarongo”.
Gafabusa Juliet, an elder and a resident Kisansya Cell in Buliisa Town Council of Buliisa District explains that when twins are born, there is always exchange of gifts locally known as “Mahasa” and the parents or relatives of Ma’baarongo are prohibited from visiting them (twins) until Mahasa is practiced.
She also explains that they (twins) always develop body defects when the rituals are not performed. Gafabusa further explains that the placenta of twins is always stored in the small clay pot and placed near the fireplace in the kitchen until they (twins) are officially traditionally brought out of the house.
Twins are given special surnames in accordance to their arrangement at birth, when a boy or a girl is delivered first during birth they are surnamed Isingoma or Nyangoma for a boy and a girl respectively, then, when a boy or a girl are delivered last are surnamed Kato or Nyakato” respectively.
Then the follower of twins is surnamed “Kiiza”, then the follower of Kiiza is surnamed “Kaahwa”, these two names applies to both genders. However, the follower of twins may not be surnamed Kiiza but Nyamahunge.
In case a man has two or more wives, a child from another woman different from the mother of twins can be given a name belonging to the set of names in case /she falls within the birth range.
According to Kiiza Wilson of Bugungu Heritage and Information Centre, an organisation that documents Bagungu culture and history, when at birth, the child’s legs come first (kawunu in Lugungu), that child also takes on the name of the first twin Isingoma or Nyangoma for a boy and a girl child respectively.
He also explains that, when the twin dies, it is not said akwiri (has died) but agusukiri mahasa implying that the twin has died. ‘’Twins are treated as spiritual children among the Bagungu,’’ Kiiza concludes.
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