The EGG
The EGG
by Tushabe Thadeus
Even after considerable industrial and economic development in Uganda, it's quite interesting to note that a good number of Ugandans still have their ancient traditions at heart.
Uganda is a country with many tribes like the Baganda, Batooro, Banyankole and many others. These tribes date far back in history up to the late 19th century when the missionaries and colonialists came to Uganda. Most of these tribes were organized into kingdoms based on tradition, each with its own king.
After the coming of the missionaries, followed shortly by the colonialists, these organized societies disintegrated. This was because of many factors like slave trade and Christianity.
In 1962 when the colonialists and missionaries left Uganda, they left behind their own system of government and their religions. At around this time, some traditionalists started considering the possibility of re-organizing themselves into their original traiditional societies but alas, the then president would not hear or it.
Fortunately for them, in 1992, many years later, the current President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni announced that traditional leaders would be reinstated. Currently, all the traditional leaders are in place buy they exercise only the powers that the government has chosen to give them.
The Ugandan population is generally divided into two religious groups. There are the Christians who believe in God. Yet there are also the traditionalists who have got nothing to do with God since they have their own gods. Although the latter are the minority, their role in the society is significant since even some of the Christians make use of their traditional healers sometimes.
However, there are some traditional extremists who have no use for modern hospitals since they believe their traditional healers cannot fail even where a medical doctor has failed. Consequently, some of these traditionalists end up being killed by diseases which medical hospitals could have easily treated.
Since there is freedom of worship in Uganda, nothing will be said about their worshipping gods known only to themselves. On the whole, however, it can be said that these traditions will not endure for more than a decade from now. This is because of the advancing level of development and education. Most of the traditionalists are actually illiterate. Since the majority of Ugandans are increasingly becoming literate, the number of traditionalists will soon be effectively reduced.
However, these traditionalists not only refuse to attain an education when given a chance, but also despise the whole education system, being as it is, from the former colonial government.