• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

African Culture, Blood-Money & Death Penalty

watchdog by watchdog
5 years ago
in News
5 0
ShareTweetSendShare

First, as a Pan-Africanist, I celebrate the strength of African-Ugandan cultures, to the extent that they were not completely erased by English colonization of our people and territory.

Evidence of my assertion, for example, is the modern day application of the Acholi First Nation Justice System on Matthew Kanyamunyu, an accused that is not of the Acholi First Nation, but who is alleged to have caused the death of Kenneth Akena who was a member of the Acholi First Nation.

And, moreover, this is while simultaneously and in parallel, the accused is also being subjected to the justice system of our nation-state Uganda, which, essentially, is a bastardized version of the English Justice System; and yet it is the system privileged as the law of our land.

That the accused and his family, members of the Banyankole First Nation, the first nation to which the current President of Uganda, Yoweri Kagutta Museveni, belongs, and a family that in fact has close family ties with the President, found it valid to seek out and to be subjected to the Acholi First Nation Justice System, is an action to celebrate.

This got me thinking about the justice systems of other first nations of Uganda, and specifically, that which I belong, the Iteso First Nation. And so, without much ado, I consulted my favourite book: “The Iteso,” by J.C.D. Lawrance, which even though written from a colonisers perspective, provides a good reference from whence to piece together and to imagine Iteso culture pre-colonisation.

I found what I was looking for on pages 257-258, where Lawrence describes how in the 1950s, during the colonial period, Iteso settled “cases of blood-money, payable as a result of homicide.”

He went further and gave context of what used to happen among Iteso prior, presumably, pre-colonisation, by including the following explanatory note:

“Formerly cases of homicide were settled by taking the life of the killer or of a member of his extended family or clan; or by the gift of a girl by the relatives of the killer to the clan of the deceased; or by payment of cattle equivalent to prevailing bride-price rates to enable the deceased’s clan to replace the life lost by taking a girl in marriage from another clan. This last method of settlement still prevails.

J.C.D. Lawrance

Sadly, the commentary of many of my fellow Ugandans has sought to trivialize the paying of cattle and goats by Kanyamunyu to the late Akena’s family and clan. Such commentary, mostly coming from members of other first nations other than the Acholi First Nation, those with a ‘global-westernized-recaptives mentality’ and with high propensity for the PHD Syndrome.

Lawrence’s documentation of Iteso traditions, however, enables us to appreciate the context and the sound logic in which the penalty being paid by Kanyamunyu to Akena’s family and clan is likely located and premised.

Seemingly, Iteso culture, and perhaps also Acholi culture, did evolve from the practice of “if your clan member kills our clan member, we will also kill a member of your clan”; to a more uniting practice of ensuring that from death comes life; and, moreover, life that unites clans.

An evolution, arguably, that is much more desired than the provision of the death penalty, for example, as it is enshrined within the laws of the nation-state Uganda.

As a matter of fact, by the way, according to Lawrence’s account, in the 1950s, the practice among the Iteso was not to penalize the family and clan of a killer who was legally executed by the nation-state; and or whose life is taken for any atonement by death.

Me thinks, this is the superior logic within which Akena’s family and clan are handling the matter of he who is accused of killing their clansman.

Credit:, nowaraga.com


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

News

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07
News

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46
Business

Victoria University Strengthens Ties with Busoga Kingdom Through Educational Partnership

1st July 2025 at 13:40
Next Post

2021 POLLS: In ignoring Pan-African law Uganda chooses path of violence and unfair elections

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1100 shares
    Share 440 Tweet 275
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2282 shares
    Share 913 Tweet 571
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Pastor Bugingo Seeks Reconciliation with Teddy and Children, Prays for Makula’s Twins

    18 shares
    Share 7 Tweet 5
  • LIST : Gov’t releases Revised Salary Structure for Teachers, Police, and Prisons Staff for FY 2024/2025

    112 shares
    Share 45 Tweet 28
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is set to speak at business forum in United Kingdom

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda