Culture In Lake Mburo

People And Culture At Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is surrounded by a high human population. The dominant tribe around the park is Banyankole, which is famously known for rearing long-horned cattle known as Ankole cattle.

1. Igongo Cultural Center And Museum

About 4km from Lake Mburo National Park Sanga gate is situated Igongo Cultural Center and Museum, locally known as a ‘Eriijukiro’.

The center incorporates a modern and well-organized museum that achieves its goal of preserving and promoting the history of the Ankole kingdom and other traditional societies of western Uganda.

It houses several detailed and well-annotated displays covering everything from the development of currency in Uganda to traditional Ankole and Bakiga dress, drums and other musical instruments, agricultural practices, and herbal medicine.

They are also several informative displays relating to the foundation and the history of the Ankole kingdom, and its rules, and the 19^th-century warrior queen Kitami Kya Nyawera, whose murder by a rival king presage a series of local disasters and led to the establishment of the Nyabingi cult at her shrine in the vicinity of Lake Bunyonyi.

2. Traditional Bahima Homestead

Take a walk or a bike ride over to a traditional Bahima homestead to learn about their cultural traditions and their way of life.

Activities include learning about the Ankole long-horned cows with an opportunity to try your hand at milking, understand the ghee-making process, taste milk, and much more.

This experience includes a nature walk or bike ride across grazing land, where wildlife and livestock mingle together, to the homestead and back again. Alternatively, you can ride a mountain bike to a nearby fishing village and see how the people live.