Baruuli

The Baruuli or Baluuli (ethnonym: Baluuli; singular Muruuli), are a Bantu ethnic group native to Bunyoro-Kitara, a subnational kingdom within Uganda. They stay in an area called Buruuli. They share a common ancestry with the Banyala. The Baluuli came to be part of Buganda after their county was incorporated in Buganda, following Buganda's victory over Bunyoro in 1896, after it aided the British to spread colonialism. Their lands were distributed to Baganda families. They migrated to the North of Lake Kyoga to the county of the Langi. But they were forced to return to their lands in the 1980s. They lived in Luweero District, but a separate Nakasongola District was established in 1997 after the establishment of the Old Buluuli county which existed before 1990. The Baruuli originated from present day Cameroon and settled in Kyope, which is part of present-day Kibanda, Maruzi and Oyam counties in Masindi and Apac districts. The Baruuli were originally known as Baduuli (or boasters). They used to boast of their wealth, which consisted of herds of cattle, sheep and goats. They boasted of having huge stocks of millet granaries and being a more hard-working community than the neighbouring tribes. By being in possession of such wealth they boasted that their region could never experience famine, or be short of wealth to pay dowry. They lived in villages with the clans forming the nucleus. Each village was inhabited by a different clan. For example, Nakitoma village was inhabited by Bagonya clan, Kamunina village was inhabited by Baboopi clan, Busone village by Baigembe clan, Kikurubyo village by Bakurubyo clan, and Waiyala village by Ababwijwa. The original clans in Buluuli were Baranzi, Bagabu, Bainda, Basiita and Abacwezi. Other clans emerged later. Today there are over 130 Baruuli clans. Each clan had a respectable leader, usually a wise elderly man. Like it was all over Bunyoro-Kitara, clan leaders were believed to possess some supernatural powers. The societal hierarchy was that below the clan leader were adult males followed by women and children.