Mugisha

MUGISHA - BLACKBACK

Name:                          Mugisha

Meaning of name:         Mugisha is a Bakiga name meaning ‘good fortune’

Age:                             11 years

Who’s yo daddy?           Father unknown

Who’s yo mama?           Mother unknown

As a juvenile he was named Mugisha because he was the only male youngster among females until Obia came along a few years later to mar his fortunes. As the only male in he would have no competitors over the family’s females later in life, but that was not to be.

Mugisha has a self-appointed role in the family as Ndahura’s (the dominant silverback) henchman, keeping as close to him as he possibly can. As a further display of this loyalty, Mugisha makes it a point to revile Ndahura’s enemy – the shy silverback Rukara. He is clearly currying favour with Ndahura and you can bet that it’s not with a view to being appointed vice-president or assistant-dominant gorilla.

Mugisha is creating opportunities to get close to the females. As a blackback, he has no business hanging out with the females who naturally congregate around the lead silverback for protection. Blackbacks are usually relegated to the periphery of the family group in order to be on the look-out for oncoming danger. How’s a blackback supposed to have any chances of mating if he never meets with the girls? It’s next to impossible.So clever Mugisha butters his bread by sucking up to Ndhahura and thereby manages to get an occasional date with a damsel in the process – unbeknowest to Ndahura of course.

Apart from Rukara, Mugisha gets along very well with the all the other family members, particularly his fellow blackback Obia and the juveniles who love playing with him, when he’s available.