Culture of Fort Portal Town is basically the way people in fort portal respond to their local ethics and the history of the town and the people living within and around the town. Fort Portal is a town in the Western Region of Uganda and it is the seat of both Kabarole District and the Toro Kingdom. Fort Portal is located approximately 320 kilometres by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. Fort Portal is named after Sir Gerald Portal, a British Special Commissioner for Uganda, whose statue graces the main road of the town. Several crater lakes and the Semliki Valley also lie near the town. It is also booming as a cultural tourist destination for the Tooro Kingdom with a king whose youthful vigour has made culture relevant to modern transformation.
The Tooro kingdom which originated from the Babiito dynasty in the ancient empire of Kitara where the first son of Omukama Kyebambe III of Bunyoro kingdom rebelled and invaded the southern part of his father’s kingdom to form his own kingdom placing it at the northern border at River Muziizi. Hence Toroo kingdom was born under the reign of Rukirabasaija Omukama Kaboyo Kasunsunkwanzi Olimi I. After the death of Omukama Kaboyo Olimi 1, there followed several kings and princes on the throne in which some of them reigned for a very short time as they were referred to as “Omubiito” which means prince and not by their rightful title “Rukirabasaija Omukama”. In total Tooro kingdom has had 8 kings including those referred to as princes. In the present king of Tooro kingdom is Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV whos is the youngest serving king out of the 5 kingdoms in Uganda. All these are important factors in the culture of Fort Portal.
The culture of Fort portal is densely occupied by the Batooro people, speaking Rutooro language. They have a rich tradition and cultural customs, indigenous handicrafts and patriotism. They have high cultural values like Batooro children are taught to respect and value their elders, taught to love and be proud of their tribe and country. The culture of fort portal is paramount and it is inculcated into every Mutooro child from birth in respect to behaviour, manners of speech and personal conduct hence considered to be beneath a self-respecting mutooro. The culture of Fort Portal has special names of endearment, respect, praise best locally known as Empaako. Each child is given one of the existing 12 petty names of Toro culture include; Abbala, Abbooki, Abwooli, Acaali, Adyeeli, Akiiki, Amooti, Apuuli, Araali, Ateenyi, Atwooki and finally “Okaali” which is reserved only for the king and only used on occasions when tradition uplifts the Omukama to the rank of gods, when the king is worshipped, they call him Okaali. The king is the only mutooro with 2 petty names. No matter his previous petty name before becoming the king, on becoming the King, he must take the empaako “Amooti”. This is the petty name used to address the king on a daily basis however during traditional ceremonies and rituals, his addressed as Okaali.
The culture of Fort Portal Town is very interesting and is worth taking a tour to encounter as you visit other surrounding places like Kibale National Park.
