Gungu people

The Gungu or (Bagungu) are a Bantu ethnic group native to Uganda. They live on the northeastern shores of Lake Albert along the Rift Valley.[3] They speak a distinct dialect of the Runyoro language called Lugungu.[4] They are traditionally fishermen, Pastoralists and subsistence farmers.[5] Historically, this is because their cradle land Buliisa district, has ecosystems that can allow them to practice all these three economic activities.[4]

Gungu people
Bagungu
A cultural game of the Bagungu tribe
Total population
83,986[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Uganda
Languages
Gungu language
Religion
Christianity, Traditional African religions[2]
Related ethnic groups
Other great Lakes Bantu peoples
Gungu
PersonOmuGungu
PeopleAbaGungu
LanguageOruGungu
CountryBuGungu

Religion

The Church of Uganda or Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Churches are the two largest denominations among the Bagungu. According to the 2002 Census of Uganda, 54.6% of Bagungu are Anglican (Church of Uganda) and 31% are Roman Catholic. A minority of Bagungu at 6.3% follow other religions.[6]

Overview

The Bagungu have historically lived in the Buliisa District of western Uganda. Traditionally, they were predominantly fishermen and pastoralists but this changed over the years, with the decline of fish stock in Lake Albert and competition for grazing resources, resulting in more cultivation.[4] They have tried to secede from the Bunyoro kingdom in recent times.[7][8]

Oil Fields

In 2006, large quantities of oil and gas were discovered in the Albertine Western Region of Uganda.[9] The oil fields are being developed on the ancestral lands of the Bagungu.[10]

References
  1. Uganda Bureau of Statistics. "National Population and Housing Census 2014 - Main Report" (PDF).
  2. "Population Composition" (PDF). ubos.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. "Omukama Iguru cautions Bagungu against destabilizing kingdom". The Independent. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  4. Lacher, Thomas E.; Byakagaba, Patrick (2016). "Oil, gas, wildlife, and communities: Capacity building to mitigate conflict in Uganda" (PDF). oaktrust.library.tamu.edu. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  5. Kuruhiira, Godfrey Metuseera Ajuna Akiiki (2014). Tribute to Bugungu: Land of the Bagungu. Uganda: Kuruhiira, Godfrey Metuseera Ajuna Akiiki. p. 10. ISBN 9789970928507.
  6. "Population Composition" (PDF). ubos.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  7. "Bagungu Resolve to Secede from Bunyoro".
  8. "Why the Bagungu are Breaking Away from Bunyoro Kingdom – Eizooba – Amakuru Ga'Bunyoro".
  9. Bukenya, Badru; Nakaiza, Jaqueline (2020). "Closed but Ordered". Oil Wealth and Development in Uganda and Beyond. Leuven University Press. pp. 103–124. doi:10.2307/j.ctvt9k690.11. ISBN 9789462702004. JSTOR j.ctvt9k690.11. S2CID 212857624.
  10. Losh, Jack (2 June 2021). "Uganda joins the rights-of-nature movement but wont stop oil drilling". National Geographic. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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