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Former Ugandan military intelligence chief Gen David Sejusa issued a stark warning on how the Bahima community of Western Uganda face the threat of extinction.
Speaking at a relative’s funeral in Burunga, Kazo district, Sejusa pointed to a range of cultural practices he believes are leading to the population's decline.
The cattle-rearing community, he said, has stuck to a stringent tradition that continues to hinder marriage and childbirth.
Gen Sejusa singled out the exorbitant bride price as a primary barrier to marriage.
“I am opposed to marriage, the way we practice it today. Our children are unable to get married because they are being asked for over 20 cows and Shs 40million as bride price,” he said.
"For me, when I give away my daughters, I ask for only 8 cows, and afterwards, I give them all back to her and her husband, plus more money to start their family. I do this to fulfil tradition because I don't need the bride price.”
According to Sejusa, this cultural rigidity is leaving many Bahima girls unmarried and is a key factor in the community's shrinking numbers.
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A couple at a Kuhingira function
Tradition Versus Procreation
Gen Sejusa's criticism extended beyond the high bride price to other cultural norms that he believes are actively discouraging procreation.
He lamented that Bahima girls who become pregnant before marriage are often banished from their families, a practice he sees as counterproductive to population growth.
He contrasted this with the customs of the Baganda people, who he noted "reward" a girl for getting pregnant, even if she has multiple children outside of marriage.
"The Baganda don't punish procreation like we do here, and we are disappearing."
“Even if a girl had 6 children before marriage, she will leave the children with her parents and get married to another man,” he stated.
Sejusa estimates that while the Baganda population has grown to over 15 million, the Bahima population has dwindled to just 500,000.
He further pointed out that even when Bahima do marry, they tend to have very few children, compounding the problem of a vanishing population.
David Sejusa
A Lack of Political Clout
On the other hand, Sejusa warned of the political consequences of a declining population.
He argued that the Bahima community's small numbers are rendering them politically insignificant, leading to a lack of social services.
"When it is election time, you start crying that you are not getting social services like roads. Why should you get them? You have no votes," he stated bluntly.
This political disenfranchisement, he argued, is a direct result of their community’s shrinking size.
Sejusa urged local leaders to take up the matter and educate the community on the dangers of their current practices, emphasising that it is a serious issue that needs immediate attention.
Who Are the Bahima?
The Bahima are a subgroup of the Banyankole people of Western Uganda, a community historically distinguished by their unique pastoralist lifestyle.
They are primarily known for their ownership of the majestic long-horned Ankole cattle, which are a symbol of wealth and status in their culture.
Historically, the Bahima were the ruling class within the former Kingdom of Ankole, while the Bairu were the agriculturalists.
Today, the Bahima are largely settled in districts across Western and South-Western Uganda, including Mbarara, Kiruhura, Isingiro, and Ntungamo, within what is often referred to as Uganda’s "cattle corridor."