Empaako naming ritual performed in Kyenjojo, the origin of the Abasiita clan revealed

Preparering a traditional meal

The Empaako naming ritual for a baby girl has been performed at the family of Kasigazi John Atwoki who is the grandfather of the baby girl who is also the head of the family. Kasigazi who is a musiita by clan led the performance of the Empaako naming ritual on Saturday, 29^th September 2018. The ceremony was performed at Kitengura village, Nyankwanzi Sub County in Kyenjojo district – Tooro Kingdom.

The father of the baby girl Busobozi Gideon Amooti who is a son of Kasigazi John Atwokifinally gave the baby girl a name of Kabasiita Abwoli after many proposals from eldersand relatives. Kabasiita was given to the baby because it is a name of the clan of the baby girl and Abwoliempaako was given to the baby girl because it was an Empaako for her deceased grandmother.

Women mingling millet meal

The naming system involved preparing a traditional meal of millet bread and mushroom soup mixed with roasted beef (Oburo na omukubi gwo’omukaro nobutuzi), eating of the traditional meal three times for each member of the family or community, naming the empaako and giving the child gifts.

Women laughing and dancing

The ritual also involved walking and laughing three times around the house for the baby girl while carrying dustbin material accumulated during the delivery of the baby and depositing it in the banana plantation and finally planting a banana stem for the baby girl by the head of the family.

After the performance of the Empaako naming ritual, people started partying which involved playing and dancing traditional music, eating traditional meals and feasting on the local traditional beer (Tonto) and speeches from clan and community leaders.

The head of the family Kasigazi John Atwoki indicated that a calendar from the Empaako the empaako naming ritual will be published and shared among clan members so that more people can be encouraged to perform the Empaako naming ritual.

“We shall use the photos from this Empaako naming ritual to publish a calendar of 2019 which will shared among family and clan members so that more people can be encouraged and inspired to perform the Empaako naming ritual.” Said Atwoki Kasigazi while speaking at the Empaako naming ceremony.

Giving child Empaako name

Currently, Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform) is implementing a UNESCO co-funded project aimed at revitalizing ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system in Uganda among the communities of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of Western Ugandaso as to enhance their capacities to transmit knowledge and skills to successive generations and to mobilise practitioners to revive the Empaako naming practice.

Throwing away waste in a banana plantation accumulated during child birth

Empaako naming practice is facing threats of extinction mostly due to decline of its mother language (Runyoro - Rutooro), modernization, abandoning our traditional rituals, weakening cultural institutions especially at clan and family levels and attack from modern religious extremist denominations. 

The Abasiita clan who have a traditional way of greeting among themselves as ‘Yaaka yaaka, yangasana’ loosely translated as lighten, lighten and the person or public responds by saying lighten up also revealed the origin of the Abasiita clan.

According to the head of the Abasiita clan, Tooro Kingdom Mr. Stephen Rwankwenge Amooti, the Basiita clan originated from Nyamurwana, Nyamwesera, Karubata, Itabyama, Malenzi and Muguta.

Planting a banana stem

Mr. Stephen Rwankwenge Amooti, also indicated the sub-clans of the Basiita clan as Abagoma, Abaheeka, Abajwangu, Abakasura, Abajejemi, Abasuura, Abatungabikya, Abahaihi, Abanyererre, Abafanyindo, Abaswago, Abatiti, Abakonya, Katokakirenya and Mukwikwi rwa rwambo.