Template:Short description
Every Muganda must belong to one of the more than 52 clans of Baganda. A Muganda is therefore expected to know his or her paternal clan (and totem) as well has his or her mother's clan. As part of one's formal introduction or greeting (especially at traditional ceremonies), one must be able to say their last name (surname), their father's surname, their paternal grandfather's name, their mother's clan, their clan Totem and clan motto and finally their lineage in terms of the Ssiga, Mutuba, Lunyiriri and Nju (House). This is generally called okutambula ng'Omuganda ("to walk like a Muganda" in Luganda).
Organization
The clans are social units and in the past were political units as well.
Political Unit
Represented at Kabaka's (King's court). Location of the clan's seat (obutaka). Responsibilities of the clan at the Kabaka's palace.
Social Unit
Represented in Lukiiko (cultural unit). Clan head (Omutaka)
Culture
Totems
Primary Totem (Omuziro) and Secondary Totem (akabbiro)
Names
Every Muganda must belong to a clan (Ekika). This is usually his or her father's clan. The only exception to this is the Kabaka who belongs to his mother's clan. This ensures that any clan has a chance to produce the next Kabaka. The names of the Baganda vary depending on one's biological gender (male or female).
Each clan will have a list of at least 20 boys' surnames and 20 girls' surnames for one to pick from. Therefore, one's surname (last name) will give a clue to which clan they belong as well as their biological gender. The exceptions to this are a woman's married name (which she inherits from her husband) as well as unique names given to twins and their immediate siblings or Royals (first born sons and first born daughters).
For instance, the name Nsubuga is given to a male from the Mmamba Gabunga clan and the name Nansubuga is given to a female from the Mmanba Gabunga clan.
Also a "naturalized" Muganda person must pick a clan to belong to and therefore a surname or last name belonging to that clan.
Marriage
All members of a clan are believed to have a common ancestor. This means that they are siblings and so it's taboo for them to marry each other. They are therefore expected to marry someone from another clan, clan Exogamy, (or tribe or nationality as long as they are not a Muganda of the same clan). This has even been held up in a court of law (i.e there's a precedent in law) in the famous case of Bruno L. Kiwawu vs Ivan Serunkuma and Juliet Namazzi in May 2007[1]. A few exceptions exist especially among the members of the large Mmamba Ggabunga clan. On occasion, these have been known to intermarry. This taboo on marrying someone who belongs to the same clan as you normally supercedes religious, national and international marriage laws.
The oldest clans trace their lineage to Bakiranze Kivebulaya, who is supposed to have ruled in the region from about 400 AD until about 1300 AD. These seven clans are referred to as the Nansangwa, or the indigenous:[2]
The Abalasangeye dynasty came to power through the conquests of Kabaka of Buganda ssekabaka Kintu,[3][4][5][6] which are estimated to have occurred sometime between 1200 and 1400 AD.[7][8][9][10]
The descendants of the Basimba people (also known as Bashimba) which is a Bisa and Ambo nickname of the Clan of the leopards, the bena Ngo in Zambia, who settled at Mpogo, Sironko District, are among the Ngo Clan group that come along with Kabaka Kato Kintu in his immigration.
Kato Kimera migration
Around 1370 AD another wave of immigration began, assisted by Kabaka Kimera,[11] who was the son of Omulangira Kalemeera. Kabaka Kimera was born in Kibulala, and returned to Buganda with Jjumba of the Nkima clan and other Buganda elders.
