Bunyoro heritage.
Living on.
Advancing culture, community, and opportunity for Banyoro/Banyakitara in North America.
We are all about
Keeping heritage alive. Growing together.
Founded in 2009 by passionate Banyoro leaders in Maryland, USA,
Bunyoro Kitara North American Association (BKNAA) has grown tremendously over the years.
Our vision is to promote culture and socio-economic development among Banyoro living and working in North America. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over 300 members.
Our Mission
To promote the culture and social-economic development of the Banyoro(Banyakitara) people, both in the Diaspora and Uganda
01
Social Gatherings
These include but not limited to picnics, and conventions aimed at bringing our communities and friends together inline objective 2 above.
02
Charity Work
1) The association provides a $250 scholarship fund annually to underserved students in the Bunyoro Sub-region.
2.) Vocational training (art & crafts, Information Technology) and
3) Water sanitation projects in Bunyoro (in feasibility study stage).
03
Books and Articles
Author children and adult books pertaining to Bunyoro culture and history by the association members. This also includes compilation of existing cultural literature for; publication and online accessibility.
We work together intentionally
Meet The Team That Brings Every Moment to Life
President
Pius Bugembe Abbooki
Pius Bugembe Abbooki of the Buffalo clan is a community leader from Kibaale District, Bukonda parish. A former BKNAA Vice President and current President, he promotes unity, coordination, and positive community development.
Vice President
Teddy D. Kemirembe
Teddy D. Kemirembe is Vice President of Bunyoro-Kitara USA, leading cultural preservation and diaspora engagement. Based in Washington State, she is a community advocate and founder of Bella Smiles, committed to empowering Banyoro families in the U.S. and Uganda.
Treasurer
Jovita Kokuteesa
Jovita Kokuteesa is the Treasurer of BKNAA. Involved since 2022, she brings five years of financial management experience and a background in Community Psychology, fostering transparency and long-term sustainability to strengthen community impact.
Publicity Secretary
Amooti Gerald Kyamanywa
Amooti Gerald Kyamanywa, Omwiruntu, Enjonjo Clan, from Kyamanyema, Bwanswa, Bugangaizi, Kakumiro District, Working with Equity Residential’s Properties DMV, Manager Engineering Section ,
Secretary
Abwoli Crawford Julian Ategeka
I have worked with Uganda's ministry of Tourism in Explore Uganda digital campaign to ensure that we can reach the future generations with the campaign.
Worked with Miss Tourism Bunyoro as a collective sponsor of the organization.
I hold a BA in Human Resource Management - Makerere University and I believe that culture is a glue that holds a community together.
Our Origins
Our history is deeply rooted in the land, the people, and the stories passed down through generations. The Empire of Kitara—known to us through oral tradition as the Bachwezi or Chwezi Empire—stands at the heart of who we are as Banyoro and as a people of the Great Lakes region.
Kitara was not just a kingdom; it was a center of power, culture, and identity. At its height in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the empire stretched across much of what is now Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. It was ruled by great dynasties whose legacy continues to shape Bunyoro-Kitara to this day.
The Batembuzi Dynasty
The first kings were of the Batembuzi dynasty. Batembuzi means harbingers or pioneers.The Batembuzi and their reign are not well documented, and are surrounded by a lot of mythand oral legend. There is very little concurrence, among scholars, regarding the Batembuzitime period in history, even the names and successive order of individual kings. It is believedthat their reign dates back to the height of Africa’s Bronze Age. The number of individual Batembuzi reigns, as given by different scholars, ranges from nine to twenty one.
The Bachwezi Dynasty
The Bachwezi founded the ancient Empire of Kitara, which spanned parts of present-day Uganda, northern Tanzania, western Kenya, and eastern Congo. Little is known about them, and their short reign was surrounded by mystery, leading to their veneration as demi-gods. Many traditional deities in Toro, Bunyoro, and Buganda bear Kichwezi names such as Ndahura, Mulindwa, and Wamara.
Only three Bachwezi kings are recorded—Ndahura, Mulindwa, and Wamara—suggesting a brief dynasty. They are credited with introducing long-horned Ankole cattle, coffee cultivation, iron smelting, and early centralized governance. Their disappearance is explained through legend, though many scholars believe they were assimilated into groups such as the Bahima of Ankole and the Batutsi of Rwanda.
The Babiito Dynasty
The Bachwezi dynasty was followed by the Babiito dynasty of the current Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. Any attempt to pinpoint the dates of this, or any other dynasty before it, ispure conjecture; as there were no written records at the time. Modern day historians placethe beginning of the Babiito dynasty at around the time of the invasion of Bunyoro by the Luofrom the North. The first mubiito (singular) king was Isingoma Mpuga Rukidi I, whose reign isplaced around the 14th century. To date, there have been a total of 27 Babiito kings of Bunyoro-Kitara
