For people who are not native to Bukoba and travel there for various reasons, it is good to know the culture and customs of the Haya people. While oral sources may be useful to get you around, a more intelligible non-stereotypical outlook of the people and their life is needed. This is important, especially when you are planning to work with people in rural areas for an extended period. In addition, if you are on an academic expedition, written sources are essential for your work.
Religious institutions, especially the Catholic and Lutheran Churches have had greater involvement in the life of the Haya people since Germany and British colonial times. These institutions have formal documentation of their activities and operations in different areas of Bukoba. In addition, elders who may be a source of oral knowledge evolved through the work of these religious institutions. Even after independence in 1961, the churches still command a great role in the development of Bukoba and, therefore, command respect from local people. Therefore, in the absence of written documents publicly available in libraries or other information depositories, approaching these church institutions for help may get you a step ahead.
Linguistics and Culture
The native language of Bukoba is Haya with different dialects that align with the boundaries of traditional chiefdoms of Buhaya. These dialects are recognizable by the Haya themselves and do not impede communication among Haya groups in any way. In the Karagwe area, the dominant language is Nyambo, which is the closest variant of the Haya Language.
The Haya and Nyambo people of Tanzania are descendants of southern Uganda and have strong linguistic and cultural similarities with ethnic groups of the present southern and western Uganda, especially the Nyankole. Like all other ethnic groups in the interlacustrine region of East Africa, the Haya and Nyambo are a highly hierarchical and patriarchal society where authority, norms, customs, and acceptable practices flow along gender and age lines. A system of clans is highly developed and respected guiding how people relate to each other in marriage, naming of children, ownership of traditional land, and inheritance.
To the west of Bukoba and south of Karagwe lies Biharamulo a District of Kagera Region. Biharamulo has a number of ethnic groups with considerable linguistic and cultural similarities with the Haya and Nyambo. On the southwestern corner of Kagera Region is Ngara District where the main ethnic group is the Hangaza with strong linguistic and cultural similarities with the ethnic groups of Kigoma Region of Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda.
Like other parts of Tanzania and neighboring Kenya, Swahili is a common national language and fluently spoken in Bukoba and Kagera Region even though local Haya accents may enter Swahili pronunciation in rural areas. As an official language, English is widely spoken, especially in Bukoba Municipality, government offices, religious, private, and public institutions, and businesses that serve local and foreign clients.
Literature
Jorgen and Karen Rald (1975). Rural Organization in Bukoba District, Tanzania. Scandinavian Institute of African Studies. Uppsala, Sweden, pp. 123.
Available for download on Google Drive or Dropbox.
This document covers the life, agriculture, and land use by the Haya people in the then-District of Bukoba as researched by the authors in the period between 1971 and 1975. The district has since then been divided into Bukoba Urban, Bukoba Rural, Muleba and Missenyi Districts. However, despite the administrative reorganization of the district that has occurred in the past 45 years, the same people live in the four districts. The document presents a comprehensive account of the life of rural communities in Bukoba and captures well customs and cultural content that is now gradually disappearing. The Haya people of Bukoba and Nyambo people of Karagwe District (present-day Karagwe and Kyerwa Districts) are ethnically similar. Beginning in the mid-1970s when this document was written, there has been a large migration of the Haya people into Karagwe thereby increasing the integration of the two communities. Therefore, this book is also relevant to understanding the life and practice of the Nyambo people in Karagwe.