Baganda People, Baganda Traditional Marrige Customes, Baganda Culture in Uganda

Baganda People, Baganda Traditional Marriage Customes, Baganda Culture in Uganda.

The Baganda regarded marriage as a very important aspect of life. A woman would normally not be respected unless she was married. Nor would a man be regarded as being complete until he was married. And the more women a man had the more of a man he would be regarded.

This presupposes indeed that the Baganda people were polygamous. A man could marry five wives or more provided he could manage to look after them. It was easier to become polygamous in Buganda than in other parts of Uganda because the bride wealth obligations were not prohibitive.

However, unlike in other societies of Uganda, divorce was very common in Buganda.Formerly parents would initiate and conduct marriage arrangements for their children. A father could, for instance, choose a husband for his daughter and the daughter would not question whether the husband chosen was too old, too young or unappealing. It was common for old men to marry young girls to rejuvenate themselves.

However, as time passed, boys could make their choices and with the help of their families, processed to make formal arrangements for marriage.

The girl would contribute nothing more than her consent. After the due introductions and payment of the appropriate bride wealth, a formal ceremony would be arranged and the girl would be officially handed over for marriage. Such ceremonies were great occasions of eating, drinking, dancing and social gathering.

A man could not marry from his own clan except for the members of Mamba and Ngabi clans. They gave the simple justification that they were very many. Even then marriage occurred between distant clan members.The formal arrangements were such that the girl’s aunt would dress her smartly and the boy would be invited to look at her.

If the boy appreciated her, further arrangements would be made for introductions. Following the introductions, more arrangements were made for the payment of the bride wealth and then the hand over ceremony.

If the girl was a virgin, she would be escorted by her aunt. If she was not, , the aunt as an escort would not go. The purpose of the aunt would be to take the bedding and a goat that had never had sexual relations with a he-goat. On her way out, she would pass by the rear door of the house.

On reaching home, the goat was slaughtered and eaten without salt.

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