Bakenyi Community Elects Cultural Leader to Safeguard Heritage

By Skika Reporter

Members of the Bakenyi community, a Bantu ethnic group known for their strong fishing traditions, have elected a cultural leader in a bid to preserve their identity and prevent the group from fading into extinction.

Mr Moses Sinini Wasswa was chosen by 32 clan leaders to head the cultural institution. He was bestowed with the titles Yaya (father) and Omugungumali (highness), symbolizing his role as the unifying figure of the Bakenyi people.

Sinini is the proprietor of Reliable Drillers and co-founder of Eastern Waterways Uganda Limited, a private company specializing in borehole drilling, well construction, and water system installation for households.

Born on January 11, 1985, in Nanoko village in present-day Kibuku District, Sinini attended Nanoko Primary School and later Alliance High School in Kibuku. He went on to study at Kyambogo University, where he earned a degree in Water Resource Management.

A member of the Abagulu clan, he said the push to establish a cultural leader has been ongoing for over a decade, driven by concerns about the group’s survival.

The Bakenyi people trace their origins to central Buganda but are now scattered across regions surrounding Lake Kyoga, including Teso, Lango, and Busoga, with others still living in parts of Buganda.

According to Sinini, the community’s dispersion has made it vulnerable to assimilation by dominant cultures and languages.“We needed a unifying cultural body to ensure we are not absorbed by larger Bantu-speaking groups,” he said.

The spokesperson of the cultural institution, George William Wabwire, noted that the idea of forming a cultural leadership structure has been under discussion for years, largely driven by the need to secure the future of the Bakenyi identity.

Data from the 2024 national census indicates that the Bakenyi population stands at just 99,913 people, underscoring concerns about the group’s long-term survival.

Leaders hope the establishment of a cultural institution will strengthen unity, promote their language and traditions, and ensure the continuity of the Bakenyi heritage for future generations.