Visit Busoga Kingdom: Culture, Location & Attractions : Culture and Location of Busoga Kingdom : The Basoga who live in the present districts lying between Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga are the immediate neighbours of Buganda. These districts include Jinja, Kamuli, Iganga, Buyende, Kaliro, Mayuge, and many others all making twelve (12) districts. The location of Busoga region between Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoka is the reason most of these people are fishermen. They speak the Lusoga dialect that’s almost similar to Luganda and Lugwere. The people here are called Basoga.
Busoga is one of the few ancient Bantu kingdoms in Uganda found in the Eastern part of the country. The kingdom is surrounded by water bodies like the Mpologoma River, Lake Victoria, and Lake Kyoga.
The title given to the king of Busoga is Kyabazinga Isebantu and the current king is called William Kadhumbula Gabula Nadiope (IV) and his headquarters is in Bugembe. He is a grandson to Uganda’s former Vice President as well as the former Kyabazinga of Busoga Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope.
Under him is the Katikiro who takes decrees from the Kayabazinga himself and fronts the execution of the kingdom’s activities and as well act as the spokesperson of the kingdom. This kingdom has had three kings from 1939 to date. For more about Busoga, kindly engage www.jewelsafaris.com and we get a trip to learn more about this kingdom ready.
Economically, Busoga’s capital Jinja gained more relevance due to cotton-growing as well as refinery dating back to colonialism and up to today, Jinja has remained the most industrialized district in Uganda. Other crops grown here today include cotton, sugarcane, maize, and so forth.
Attractions in Busoga Kingdom
Kagulu Rock
This was the first home area for the Bunyoro Basoga led by Omukama. It’s the best viewpoint for the whole Busoga Kingdom. The rock has two rocks forking at the bottom and is easy to climb because it has steps leading to the top.
Source of the Nile.
The longest river in the world which is internationally recognized as the best attraction is found in Busoga land. How lucky these fellas can be to have its source in their land. The source of this river was discovered by John Speke in the early years. There are several activities you can participate in when here for example a boat launch, camping, kayaking, rafting and so many more.
Lake Victoria.
The southern parts of Busoga kingdom border Lake Victoria and this accounts for its beautiful nature. There is plenty of fish for all who visit Jinja with a lot of activities which can be undertaken in the lake like a boat launch, sport fishing and so many more. Swimming was banned because of water-borne infections.
Budhumbula shrine and palace.
Located a few kilometres along the Jinja-Kamuli road is where you find the kingdom shrine and residence of the former Kyabazinga Nadiope William Wilberforce who died in 1976. The shrine has the graves of the royal members including Nadiope’s father and mother. Other graves include Nadiope’s son, former Uganda Government Minister Wilson Nadiope who died in 1991, his mother and other members of the royal family.
Bujagali Falls
These falls were submerged in 2011 into Bujagali dam but it is a good site for rafting and photography. Find time to visit it.
Itanda falls.
The fun hunters’ theatre of fun. Activities here range from canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting to a lot more of endless fun. Make it a concern to visit it and join the team like Prince William of Great Britain did.
Events
Miss Tourism Busoga
The annually arranged event intended to market the beauty of Busoga’s rich tourism side is one of a kind and so immense that it showcases different aspects about the Basoga in general and these include the dressing code, meal arrangement, the art and craft, and so many more areas that were not so popular. All these are meant to revive or awaken the beautiful part of the seemingly forgotten tourism authenticity of this beautiful and powerful kingdom.
Food
Everyone except those in towns produce their own food. The foods grown here include yams, cassava, matooke, potatoes, and many others. When mealtime comes in, the above mentioned delicious meals are served and should bring a lot of appetite.
For breakfast, a cup of tea or porridge made from millet, maize flour or soya is nutritiously good for the body. For lunch and dinner, popular dishes here include matooke (a staple food made from bananas), millet bread, maize flour bread (drums), cassava (Obwiita), sweet potatoes (Embooli), and freshwater fish may be served. Fish is a common meal because these people are neighbouring water bodies.
Other foods are yams, corn, cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes, millet, peas, sorghum, beans, groundnuts (peanuts), goat meat, and milk. Fruits such as Oranges, lemons, and pineapples are also grown and consumed this makes Busoga one of the arenas of fresh fruits and good food that anyone coming to Uganda should not miss tasting because they are finger-leaking good. The meals are prepared by women and girls traditionally. The food is cooked in an open kitchen or grass-thatched house using firewood. The common hard drink is waragi (a banana gin). These foods are also prepared in restaurants in Busoga but they are not cooked traditionally like the way Basoga prepare it.
Cooked sweet potatoes and steamed.
Cooked almost like Luwombo wrapped in the banana leaves, sweet potatoes is the most popular meal amongst the Basoga and these are eaten with peanut or groundnuts as the sauce. The meal is so yummy and nutritious. This is so nice to have in every meal served in all restaurant menus on a daily basis.
Groundnuts or peanuts.
Pounded/ground and mixed with few ingredients like tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and many more ingredients make it a very tasty sauce, that matches the taste of the steamed sweet potatoes and this meal is so nutritious for the body and it’s the rationale for the good looks of the Basoga. Want to taste it too? Reach out through www.jewelsafaris.com and your trip is organized to visit this beautifully endowed kingdom.
Dressing
Mostly seen dressed in Kanzus and Gomesi for traditional ceremonies, the smartly looking Basoga also borrowed the Busuti/gomesi and kanzu dressing from the Arabs and this kind of dressing makes them look elegant just like the Baganda. These kinds of dressing are usually done when going for traditional ceremonies like Kwajula/traditional marriage introduction, when there is an event at the Kyabazinga’s palace and so many other official events that call for such kind of dressing. Kanzus and Gomesi are the Basoga dressing attire.
3 Day Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking Safari
3 Day Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking Safari
