Runyakitara as an academic discipline and as taught in Ugandan universities, has three major components: Language, Literature and Culture. It is this third component that the present publication is endeavouring to cater for. The term Banyakitara is the plural form of a Munyakitara or native speaker of Runyakitara. One would like to recall that the Bunyoro-Kitara Empire at one point in history covered most of the areas where Runyakitara is spoken today, spreading up to some territories in the present day Tanzania and DRC.

The authors in this book have covered a wide range of topics relating to culture, which include: what culture entails in general terms, kingship institutions among the Banyakitara, gender issues, friendship functions and rituals, marriage, forms of address, kinship and time references, the Empaako, a special form of address among the Banyoro, Batooro and Bahema, among others, recognised by UNESCO as part of its intangible heritage, taboos, omens and signs, traditional religion as well as death and its rituals.

Suffice it to say, however, that this kind of work, where cultures of related groups of people are compared, should be a challenge for other scholars in Uganda and beyond to do the same for a better appreciation and understanding of our societies.

Since Pentecostals view historic religious institutions as hinderances to spiritual growth, will their movement itself, with the passing of time, become a monument?

Can the Movement navigate the social, cultural, economic, political and technological influences without conformity? Will the different groups in the Movement ever unite? This book seeks to initiate a discussion on the teachings (doctrines) and practices of the Pentecostal Movement in Uganda. By documenting an overview of the Movement through Church History, it seeks to situate it in the Ugandan society.

This book captures key discussions from the summit, presenting insights from plenary sessions and Design Fireplace (Ekyoto) debates. It showcases how African designers blend heritage with innovation and sustainability, redefining global narratives. A must-read for designers, researchers, and policymakers, the book cals for investment in design thinking as a catalyst for sustainable development. It inspires readers to celebrate Africa’s rich design heritage while embracing its evolving creative future.

Some philosophers of old thought of humour and comedy as bad things. Plato detested comedy because it is often at the expense of another person. Epictetus is said never to have laughed; he saw it as a mark of weakness. Over time, humour has come to attract special attention in Philosophy and Literature as a mode of thought, existential expression, and communication. Works of great philosophers such as Bertrand Russell and Slovaj Žižek are clothed in wit and playfulness, something that has significantly contributed to their appeal. Satire has become one of the predominant ways of speaking truth to power and convention. It is a weapon of the weak; a vessel through which otherwise unacceptable views are relayed to the powerful. It is like pressing boils while blowing them with cool air.