A lot has changed in the 21st century but not the Basoga, the most polygamous tribe in Uganda. Decades ago, there was no fuss over an African man marrying several wives. Things have changed over the last five decades in many African societies. Families have become a battleground as the first wife frantically tries to do all she can to frustrate her husband from marrying another woman.
In extreme cases where the man has a second wife; they end up six feet under, a transition to the afterlife sponsored by a disgruntled first wife. While such cases are heartbreaking and common in some parts of Christian-dominated homes, the story is different for the Soga people. It’s a beautiful place for men with an appetite for fine-looking women.
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Are the Basoga the Most Polygamous tribe in Uganda?
Basoga men take the crown home as the most polygamous tribe in Uganda. Not even their women make a big deal because it’s an encouraged communal norm. A man with multiple wives is more respected because it signifies wealth in this community. More wives mean a man has proven himself capable of providing for each of them.
Basoga men take the crown home as the most polygamous tribe in Uganda. Photo/Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Moreover, Soga are advocates for men having many kids. These kids prove their worth by providing labour on the farm and herding cattle. Men whose homes have more children produce more on the farms due to the availability of labour. Further, lineage continuity is a key contributor to polygamy among the Basogas. In a nutshell, the following factors contribute to the highly polygamous nature of Soga men.
- Wealth status
- Continuity of lineage
- Labour on the farm
- More children
Census Data released in 2002 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicated that one-fifth of all Basoga Men had more than three wives. This meant that 48,000 (18.3%) men from this tribe had married two or more wives making them the most polygamous tribe in Uganda of all the 56 tribes in the country.
Basoga is Uganda’s third largest tribe after the Baganda and Banyankole. There are at least three million Soga people (8.4 % of the total population in Uganda) living in Eastern Uganda. Most of them are Christians who rely on small-scale farming as their main economic activity.
Is Polygamy Common in Uganda?
Polygamy is common in Uganda especially in rural areas mostly as a result of a patriarchal approach. Other tribes where polygamy is prevalent include the following:
- Lugbara
- Bakhonzo
- Acholi
- Iteso
Interestingly, smaller tribes in the northeast such as the Jie, Karimonjong, Pokot and Nyangia have embraced marrying multiple wives. They follow the steps of the Basoga, the most polygamous tribe in Uganda. Overall, at least 14.7% of all Ugandan men have more than one wife. The number could be bigger in 2025 than it was two decades ago.
A Basoga ceremony. Photo/Kubwa Five Safaris
From a legal perspective, marrying multiple women in Uganda is legal despite efforts to introduce a law banning men from this practice. The Domestic Relations Bill (DRB), an infamous anti-polygamy bill was first drafted in 1987 and updated in 2003 for tabling before the Ugandan Parliament. This bill was then forwarded to the Cabinet for approval in November 2003 but was later rejected in December 2003 by Parliament after subsequent approval by the Cabinet.
The Domestic Relations Bill would be rejected multiple times in subsequent years before the National Assembly hammered the final nail in the coffin in 2008 by rejecting it once and for all. Its contention emerged from its intent to put out the fame of the most polygamous tribe in Uganda by illegalizing marrying multiple women. DRB was a major threat to religious and traditional practices, especially among the Muslims who practice polygamy.
Who is the Man With 12 wives in Uganda?
Musa Hasahya Kasera, a Ugandan man with 102 children from his 12 wives. Photo/The Telegraph
Musa Hasahya Kasera, 71, is a Ugandan legend who married 12 women. He hails from Bugisa Village in Butaleja, eastern Uganda. Hasahya sired 102 children with his 12 wives. He is a grandfather of 578 children. He married his first wife in 1971 when he was 17 years old and kept going for more women in subsequent years. His cattle trade seemed lucrative to villagers who willingly allowed their daughters to become his wives.
As a flagbearer of the most polygamous tribe in Uganda, Hasahya’s last wife is 35 years old. His youngest child is 10 years old while the eldest, a daughter is in her 50s.
Which Woman in Uganda Has 44 Children?
Mariam Nabatanzi Babirye is a Ugandan wonder woman with 44 children. She was born in 1980 and first gave birth at 13. She was forced into an early marriage. Mariam had already given birth to 44 children by the time she was 36 years old. She was blessed with quadruplets three times, triplets four times and twins six times in a total of fifteen births. Today, 38 of her 44 children are alive, the eldest being 31 years old.
