Revellers at Bakiga nation
In 2014, a small group, led by a One Owen Bigombe, met in a bar to celebrate shared nostalgia from Kigezi. That night sparked a movement that would grow into Bakiga Nation. In 2016, the urban cultural event rooted in tribal pride was birthed. As the movement prepares for its 17th edition and 10th anniversary next month, there will be a celebration of a decade of music, rich cultural stories and community. Bigombe recounts a journey that began with a nickname and a party, which grew into a cultural event.
As the team lead and co-founder of Bakiga Nation, Bigombe’s title barely captures the scope of his vision; a powerful force reconnecting people, culture and community across Uganda. Often mistaken for an annual event, Bakiga Nation is much more than a festival. From the outside, the cultural pride of the Bakiga is evident in their music, dance and traditional wear. But as urban migration and modern life scatter communities across Uganda and beyond, Bigombe recognised a connection of his people was missing.
Giving identity a platform
The seed of Bakiga Nation was planted long before it had a name. Born and raised in Kampala, Bigombe is the son of a Kanungu native. His father had moved to the capital in search of a better life, as many Bakiga did and are still doing.
Yet their cultural identity remains intact. His idea was to give that identity a platform. At university, Mukiga was his nickname. Embracing it, he started organising casual “Bakiga party,” nights filled with music and dance at local bars such as Flames in Bakuli back in 2014. He recalls his collaborators: media personality Gareth Onyango and longtime friend Nikita Bachu. The parties drew a lively crowd, but they also raised questions from older, more traditional community members.
“People would say, ‘We want to come, but we cannot be in a bar at night and at times we want to come with our children’,” he remembers. That feedback changed everything. A visit to his parents’ home offered more clarity. There, on an old curtain box, was a sticker with a verse from Isaiah: “A nation exalts itself.”
“I Googled the definition of a nation: “A group of people from a common area who speak the same language.” That is us, Bakiga. So, I coined the name “Bakiga Nation,” he says. The name came first, followed by the logo: a woman with a hoe resting on her shoulder. “A nation is often referred to as ‘she,’ and Bakiga people are cultivators”. “I wanted the logo to show how the woman symbolises strength, work, and the foundation of our culture,” he says.
