Buganda Clans
 
Buganda's clan system is central to its culture. A clan represents a group of people who can trace their lineage to a common ancestor in some distant past. In the customs of Buganda, lineage is passed down along patrilineal lines. The clan essentially forms a large extended family and all members of a given clan regard each other as brothers and sisters regardless of how far removed from one another in terms of actual blood ties. The Baganda took great care to trace their ancestry through this clan structure. A formal introduction of a muganda includes his own names, the names of his father and paternal grandfather, as well as a description of the family's lineage within the clan that it belongs to. The clan has a hierarchical structure with the clan leader at the top (owakasolya), followed by successive subdivisions called the ssiga, mutuba, lunyiriri and finally at the bottom the individual family unit (enju). Every Muganda was required to know where he falls within each of these subdivisions and anyone who could not relate his ancestry fully was suspect of not being a true Muganda.

After the coronation of Kabaka Mutebi II in 1993, a survey of the clans was carried out to establish definitively the number of clans, corresponding clan heads, and all other positions of authority within each clan. The following list shows 46 clans which are officially recognised by His Majesty's government as constituting the clans of Buganda, as of August 1996. Oral history has always maintained that there are 52 clans in Buganda. This anomaly may be because some clans have not been able to establish their claims legitimately, or possibly that some clans may have died out, with no heirs to carry on the clan heritage.

It is a curious fact that the clans are not known by the names of the respective clan founders. Instead, totems were adopted by the clans, and the names of those totems came to be synonymous with the clans themselves. Each clan has a main totem (omuziro) and a secondary totem (akabbiro). The clans are usually known by the main totem and they are listed above by that totem. The royal clan (Abalangira) is a unique exception in that it has no totems whatsoever. For a proper understanding of the culture however, it is important to distinguish between the totem and the clan. The clan is a matter of genealogy and it is through the clan that the baganda trace their ancestry. A totem on the other hand, is just a symbol to represent the clan. Although the two are intimately associated with one another, they are in fact different. In the west, a totem would be similar to a court of arms.

The table below gives the list of the clans of Buganda.

List of the Clans of Buganda
  Clan/Totem Secondary Totem    Clan Head    Seat
  (Ekika) 
   (Akabbiro) (Owakasolya) 
(Obutaka)
1 Abalangira Ssaabataka Kaliiti,
Busiro
2 Babiito-Kooki Mazzi ga Kisasi Ssaababiito Rakai, Kkooki
3 Babiito-Kiziba Lutayinzibwa Ssanje Buddu
4 Babiito-Kibulala Kitahimbwa Kibulala Ssingo
5 Butiko Namulondo Ggunju 
Bukalango, Busiro
6 Ffumbe Kikere 
 Walusimbi 
Bakka, Busiro
7 Kasimba Ngo    
Kabazzi    
Kyango, Mawokota
8 Kayozi Nsombabyuma Kafumu Kyango, Mawokota
9 Kibe 
Kassukussuku Muyige Buluutwe, Kyaggwe
10 Kinyomo Mutima Nakigoye Kyasa, Buddu
11 Kiwere 
Sekafu Luwonko Kitanda, Bugangazzi
12 Kkobe Kaama Namwama Buwama, Mawokota
13 Lugave
 Maleere Ndugwa Katende, Mawokota
 14 Mazzi ga Kisasi Ggongolo 
Wooyo  Kasaka, Buddu
15 Mbogo Ndeerwe Kayiira Gaajuule Mugulu, Ssingo
16 Mbwa Kyuma kya Mbwa 
Mutasingwa Kiggwa, Busujju
17 Mmamba Muguya Gabunga Ssagala, Busiro
18 Mpeewo 
Kayozi  
Kiggye Kkungu, Kyaddondo
19  Mpindi Kiyindiru Mazige 
Muyenje, Busiro
20 Mpologoma Ngo Namuguzi Kasagga, Bulemeezi
21 Musu Kayozi  Muyingo  Ssama, Mawokota
22 Mutima Mawuggwe  Kakeeto Bbaale, Buddu
23  
Nakinsige Kkunguvvu Kyeyune Mirembe, Kyaggwe
24 Ndiga Mpologoma Lwomwa Mbaale, Mawokota
25 Ndiisa Namunye Mulindwa Mukungwe, Buddu
26 
Ngabi  
Jjerengesa Nsamba Lukonge Buwanda, Mawokota
27  Ng'aali  Kasanke akeeru Mawesano Buzooba, Buddu
28 Ngeye Kunguvvu 
Kasujja Busujja, Busiro
29 Ngo
Kasimba Muteesasira Bukesa, Butambala
30 Ngonge Kaneene Kisolo Lweza, Busujju
31 Njaza Ngujulu Kitanda Kirungu, Kyaggwe
32 Njobe Bugaala  Kiyise Mpummudde, Ssingo
33 Njovu Nvubu Mukalo Kambugu, Busiro
34 Nkejje Nkejje Kiyemba Kikwata Namukuma, Kyaggwe
35 Nkerebwe  Kikirikisi Kidimbo  Budimbo, Ssingo
36 Nkima   Byenda Mugema Bbira, Busiro
37 Nkula  ? Muwangi  Mayobe, Bugerere
38 Nnamung'oona  Mutima  Kajjabuwongwa  Kyabuwangwa, Ggomba
39 
Nnyonyi Nnyange  Kkunguvvu Kakoto-Mbaziira  Bulimu, Kyaggwe
40 Nseenene  Nabangogoma Mugalula  Kisozi, Ggomba
41 Nsuma Kasulubbana Kibondwe  Bukibondwe, Buvuma
42 
Nswaswa    
Goonya    
Mayengo    
Bugabo, Buvuma
43 Ntalaganya   
Maleere    
Bbambaga    
Bbambaga,Bulemeezi
44 Nte     Ng'aali Katongole Mulema, Buddu
45  Nvubu  Njovu  Kayita Mbazzi, Kyaggwe
46 Nvuma Katinvuma Kyaddondo Kawempe, Kyaddondo
47 Kasanke ? Kyanku ?
48 Kibuba ? Nnyanja ?
49 Lukato Kabbokasa Magunda/Lyongera Kisuza/Kiziba, Buweekula
50 
Mbuzi  
? Kisunsu Muwunune
51 Nkebuka ? Kayizzi ?
52 Nsunu ? Kabugira ?