Browsing by Author "Kekimuri, Joan"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

A visual narrative of Batwa indigenous artifacts : an ethnography of material culture
(Machakos University Journal of Science and Technology, 2024-09) Kamugisha, Edward; Kekimuri, Joan; Kioli, Felix Ngunzo; Mutungi, Emmanuel
Material culture may cut across all items owned by people including a big assortment of tangible things like artifacts, cuisine, architecture, music, dance, folklore, religion and rituals. The Batwa lived in forests and largely depended on local technologies and traditional methods of living, and this formed their rich material culture. Citing a case of the Batwa (singular: Mutwa) on Mt Mgahinga in Kisoro, southwestern Uganda, this case study was conducted following four objectives: to identify different Batwa material culture items; analyse how they were produced; examine their functionality; and use them to inspire the execution of painterly visual narratives. The study pursued a qualitative approach, where a case study as the research design and employed ethnography as one of the research methods was used. We set out to study the Batwa living on the foothills of Mt Mgahinga and occupying two “cells” of Rukeri and Nyagakenke villages. Five men and 12 women were selected purposively and participant observation, unstructured interviews and photography were employed to capture the different activities that took place during the expedition. The findings revealed the processes behind the different items of material culture, for example, the making of fire, bows and arrows, spears, skins, bamboo containers, traditional traps and snares, and architectural designs. We also conducted discussions on the uses of each of the items. The study found that most of the Batwa material culture has been lost and most present-day Batwa have inadequate knowledge about their traditional material culture. The findings showed that this is so because the elderly Batwa that orally bear this knowledge have greatly reduced in number. Batwa have certain spiritual and religious ties with forests. It is therefore pertinent that the Government of Uganda looks into the possibility of resettling them outside the forest environment, and also benchmark to see how indigenous ethnic groups in other countries are handled.
Cultural identity and royal symbolism in Uganda: regalia in the investiture of the King of Buganda
(Taylor & Francis, 2024-02) Kekimuri, Joan; Wathum, Edwin
As an invented tradition of Uganda, the investiture of the King of Buganda stands out as one of the defining practices impacting cultural identity and the expression of power in the country. The regalia emerges as an iconography of regal glory which serves to legitimize power. This paper addresses the following questions: first, how would the investiture of the King of Buganda be seen in the context of visual narratives of cultural identity in Uganda? Second, how did the regalia serve to legitimize the power of the monarch to elevate his socio-political status in the country? Third, how does the King of Buganda become recognizable through art and adornment? Using a reflective, multistranded approach, this essay studies the material culture of Buganda accession ceremonies by integrating interviews with coronation officiants and painted depictions by the lead author. We argue that the royal regalia of monarchs offers visual symbolism that is enduring and significant, deeply owing to an ‘invented’ tradition and enshrined customs in a people’s culture – in this case, of Buganda’s kings.
Embedded meaning of traditional art forms used in cultural practices of Baganda of central Uganda
(Kyambogo University (Unpublished work), 2018-08) Kekimuri, Joan
Art forms play a pivotal role in strengthening community connections through open dialogue and can help in bridging cultural distinctions. They are used extensively by societies for creativity, imagination and moderating complexities of globalization. Art forms in different communities continue to evolve and increase the sense of collective identity and efficacy. In Africa art forms used by different communities are embedded with meaning that communicate specific messages to the users. In Buganda there were and are several art forms used in traditional practices. However, globalization continues to threaten cultural diversity due to technological advances which change the artforms’ embedded meaning. This study establishes how traditional art forms used in Baganda cultural practices historically developed; it goes on to analyze the embedded meaning of traditional Baganda art forms used in cultural practices in reference to their application; it evaluates how globalization has influenced the perceptions of Baganda People towards art forms used in their cultural practices; it examines how visual narratives have developed which are enlivened by the embedded meaning of selected art forms used in Baganda cultural practices. This work adopts an ethnographic study design guided by the theory of culture and behavior developed by Triandis; it also relies upon the hybridity advanced by Bahbah as amalgamated with other theories. Seventy participants using purposive and snowball techniques participated in this study. Findings indicate that the embedded meaning in traditional art forms which, in earlier times enabled communities to function, is today continuously neglected in favour of eurocentric ideologies. This modernity traumatizes communities such that they lose their long-standing identity, creativity and imagination. Despite these trends, communities in Buganda still consult long-standing cultural practices and inhabit cultural art forms. Since Buganda communities attach importance to these art forms it is important that they not be neglected. Upholding and recording our cultures for posterity through the visual arts will ensure that traditional cultural objects are promoted as tools embedded with meaning that address the concerns of particular communitie