Economic Activities

Economically, the Kingdom of Bunyoro served as a supplier of foodstuffs to other neighbouring kingdoms. The fertile soils of the Kingdom enabled the people to grow abundant food for home consumption, while the surplus was sold to neighbouring communities. The people’s economy was therefore largely based on agriculture, which was carried out using traditionally made hoes. Barter trade was also common. The people living along Lake Mwitanzige (Albert), known as the Bagungu, were fishermen. Some communities were hunters who used nets, knives, and spears as locally made tools for killing small animals, while larger animals were killed using deep pits (Obuhya). People therefore exchanged fish or dried meat (Omukaro) for foodstuffs. The coming of the Bachwezi introduced cattle keeping on a larger scale, with their long-horned cattle producing more milk. Salt processing in Kibiro continues to this day. The Abanyakibiro earned their livelihood through the exchange of salt and fish. The Banyoro also produced a variety of wooden items, hides and skins products, palm and sisal items, iron and stone items, pottery and mud products, and many others for economic purposes. These items were either sold or exchanged for other items they needed.