Ankole Culture

The people of Ankole are called Banyankole. The Banyankore are a Bantu group. They inhabit the present districts of Mbarara, Isingiro, Mitooma, Rubirizi, Sheema, Kiruhura Bushenyi, Ibanda, Rukungiri and Ntungamo in western Uganda. Originally, Ankole was known as Kaaro- Karungi and the word Nkore is said to have been adopted during the 17th century following the devastating invasion of Kaaro-Karungi by Chawaali, the then Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. The word Ankole was introduced by British colonial administrators to describe the bigger kingdom which was formed by adding to the original Nkore, the former independent kingdoms of Igara, Sheema, Buhweju and parts of Mpororo.