Geri Valley, an ancient hunting ground in south western Uganda ,is set to wear a hat of transformation for the Batooro who are believed to have originated from the Batembuzi and the Bagabu,the said pioneer inhabitants and rulers of the earth. Some other traditions assert that the Batooro are related to the Bachwezi and the Babito line. What can best be said is that the Batooro being Bantu originated from the Congo region where the other Bantu groups are said to have originated.
On here sits Empaako village, a mash up of both a cultural and Agricultural tourism facility.
This crafty shade makes for a traditional homestead but with a sprinkle of a modern touch for a traveller’s comfort where rituals of the Tooro tradition are passed on.
The Empaako tradition a naming system practised by the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi, whereby children are given one of twelve names shared across the communities in addition to their given and family names, will be at the heart of preserving this endangered practice.
Empaako village is set to break the Guinness world record of the biggest pot measuring over 12meter high and over 9 meters width, an amphitheatre where artifacts that depict the way of life of the batooro, ethnographic collections, regalia, musical instruments and their literature.
The Batooro Society was stratified into the Bahuma and the Bairu. The relationship between the two was more of a caste rather than class differentiation. The Bahuma were pastoralists while the Bairu were agriculturalists. Socially and economically, there was a symbolic relationship between the two people. The Bairu could get meat, milk, hides and other cattle products from the Bahuma and equally the Bahuma would get beer and some other agricultural products from the Bairu.
The empaako village demonstrates exactly that with a touch of modern farming techniques animals like the genie fowls, geese, rabbits ,pigs are on show
Fish ponds sum up the food experience as they are organically breed within this facility giving tourists a chance to partake in their own food prep process by harvesting them havest them
Even if not complete, one could easily visualise the eco-lodges ,historic cabins and modern glamping hidden within the pine forest is scattered with unique places to stay.
So next time you visit fortportal make it a point to drop by empaako village and get lost in the regions culture plus, earn yourself a petty name
