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Bagungu | |
|---|---|
 A picture of children playing with catapult. Photo by Kiiza Wilson | |
| Total population | |
| 83,986[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Uganda | |
| Languages | |
| Gungu | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity,Traditional African religions[2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other great Lakes Bantu peoples |
| Gungu | |
|---|---|
| Person | MuGungu |
| People | BaGungu |
| Language | LuGungu |
| Country | BuGungu |
TheGungu or (Bagungu) are aBantu ethnic group native to Uganda. They live on the northeastern shores ofLake Albert along theRift Valley.[3] They speak a distinct dialect of the Runyoro language called Lugungu.[4] They are traditionallyfishermen,pastoralists, and subsistence farmers.[5] Historically, this is because their cradle landBuliisa district, has ecosystems that can allow them to practice all these three economic activities.[4]
TheChurch of Uganda orAnglican Church and theRoman Catholic Churches are the two largest denominations among the Bagungu. According to the 2002 Census ofUganda, 54.6% of Bagungu areAnglican (Church of Uganda) and 31% areRoman Catholic. A minority of Bagungu at 6.3% follow other religions.[6][7]
The Bagungu have historically lived in theBuliisa District ofwestern Uganda. Traditionally, they were migrated from Gungu land in the DRC congo, They came along the lake Edward and crossed through the Lake Albert and settle in Buliisa District near Murchison falls National Park, which come from the word Kulisia mean grazing, predominantly fishermen and pastoralists but this changed over the years, with the decline of fish stock in Lake Albert and competition for grazing resources, resulting in more cultivation.[4] They have tried to secede from theBunyoro kingdom in recent times.[8][9]
In 2006, large quantities of oil and gas were discovered in the Albertine Western Region of Uganda.[10] The oil fields are being developed on the ancestral lands of the Bagungu and Alur.[11]