The tell of Tooros' rich culture by a tourist

Feeling the pulse of Toro’s rich culture

Royal regalia at the Karuzika Palace, with a lion statue and animal skin on display

With beautiful scenery characterised by mountains, roaring water falls and stunning women, Toro is unarguably one of Uganda’s tourist destinations.

It was a bright sunny Friday morning in Fort Portal, September 27 to be particular, when I developed an untameable mood for feeling the pulse of the Batoro culture and ancient ways of life. To that effect, I was at Karuzika Palace, Kabarole Hill as early as 9:00am.

Regrettably, no sooner had I walked three steps into the palace, than a thunderous voice commanding me not to move an inch struck. It was from a tough-looking guard who was keeping an eye on the entrance.

Going by the way he dashed towards me, I knew hell was seconds away from breaking loose. He looked at me with suspicious eyes before giving me a barrage of questions. He pinned me for a sound explanation as to why I had discredited the Toro culture by passing through the king’s gate.

Thankfully, the guard realised that I was a first time tourist at the palace. He almost knelt as he apologised for harassing me. He then directed me to the alternative path used by tourists.

Right at the end of the tarmac path, I found a friendly, greybearded tour guide probably in his early 50s. His name of preference was Mzee Kibale.

A range of milk and ghee pots on display

Kibale led me around and inside the palace. Like most cream palaces in Africa, almost everything in Karuzika — from the royal red carpet to the wall paintings — glowed with a touch of royalty. With every turn inside, my eyes landed on royal regalia like spears, models of lions and stunning hides of leopard skin used by King Oyo for ceremonial purposes.

Being the typical African I am, my third eye is in my hands. Yet again, I was not allowed to touch all that my eyes saw, because culturally, only the king’s hands are worthy enough to touch them.

Later, the talkative Kibale led me to a spacious room at the ground floor. He offered me a bulky information album whose every page mentioned a thing or two about the kingdom’s ancient past like warfare and marriage, among various aspects.

For every page I opened, Kibale took time to tell me the particular year the content I was reading had happened and how it happened. He explained how the Batoro got their name from the phrase Omutooro, which means ceremony.

“They welcomed visitors, ate, walked and spoke with grace and pomp. The culture is rich with ceremony. As a result, they are called the Batooro which means the ceremonious ones,” Kibale explained

SCENTS OF TORO

A lady demostrates the use of local perfumes inside the exhibition hut

At the base of the central pillar of the hut were two jolly women seated on a carpet made of cowhide. I was offered a short T-shaped wooden stool to sit on after which both ladies went on bended knees to greet me. This was a Toro gesture of welcoming.

Soon, I was asked to part with sh1,000 for my shirt to be scented with the old-style Tooro perfume. My black T-shirt was spread over a round reed basket under which was a ventilated grey pot. Inside the pot, hot coals burned a mixture of leaves and peelings taken off the bark of a local tree.

As a result of the combustion, there was thick cloud of smoke as the matter burned to ashes. As it forced its way through the air spaces of the basket, it soaked my shirt with its striking coconut-like scent. Five minutes later, my shirt was good to go, with the scent of Toro accompanying me.

I also participated in many unforgettable experiences like churning of ghee, preparing ogiiro — a traditional dish of mashed lentils and milking a cow. The climax of the day was when the exhibitors leaned their hands on my shoulder and offered me the pretty gift called Amooti. 

Everything about her seemed natural, I pictured her with a glowing skin and bashful eyelashes. I know some are already itching for a piece of my Amooti, but relax! Amooti is nothing but the sweet pet name I was given. As is the custom in Toro, my hosts gave me this pet name  (empaako) as a gesture of assimilating me into the Toro tribe.

ENTERTAINMENT THE TORO WAY

To cool off the day’s steam, I retreated for yet another memorable cultural entertainment night at Primate Lodge, situated in Kibale National Park, 33km from Fort Portal town. Once the camp fire was  set, dinner was served.

At 6:00pm, a dozen cultural dancers costumed in multicoloured bitenge, cowrie beads and green tops appeared to entertain us.

They charmed our eyes and ears with a mixture of Bakiiga and Batoro performances. As an interlude, they recited poems that exalted Toro kingdom. They lauded Toro’s seven wonders: that is the mountains, roaring water falls, the crater lakes, breathtaking scenery, game parks, rich culture and stunning women.

BATORO WAY OF LIFE

Thanks to the grey-bearded man, I was tipped about an on-going cultural festival at Boma grounds, situated in the heart of Fort Portal. I made my way there and found hundreds of booths exhibiting different aspects of the Toro way of life; there was traditional brew, barkcloth, pottery and cow milking, among others.

A part of me wanted to experience cow milking, but my tongue on the other hand wanted to sample the local brew. To cut the story short, I was spoilt for choice.