TAKEAWAYS

• Tayebwa calls Bakiga “the most romantic people” while joking about their unconventional approach to relationships.
• He contrasts Bakiga bluntness with modern romantic gestures, including saying “I love you” and opening car doors.
• His comments challenge the stereotype that the tough nature associated with Bakiga culture means they are not affectionate.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa has humorously defended Bakiga men and women against the stereotype that their famously tough and straightforward nature makes them less romantic.

Speaking about relationships and cultural attitudes, Tayebwa, who is himself a Mukiga, jokingly argued that Bakiga have their own unconventional way of expressing love—one that may not always involve the familiar romantic gestures associated with modern relationships.

“We are the most romantic people. The Bakiga, yeah. But for us, if I disrupt my wife, she disrupts me back. It’s fair and square,” Tayebwa said, in remarks that drew laughter.

He went on to describe what he considers the practical nature of Bakiga relationships, saying a Mukiga man may not necessarily go out of his way to perform gestures such as opening a car door for his wife.

“Really, I cannot open the car for my wife. She knows I can’t. I’m not in the bathroom. She opens her door, I open mine,” he joked.

Tayebwa also poked fun at the idea of constantly telling one’s spouse “I love you,” suggesting that, in his view, marriage itself should already communicate affection. The MP also said that there is no domestiv violence in Bakiga because if a man slaps his wife, she will slap him back.

“I can’t tell my wife that I love you. It doesn’t seem that I love her, but I can tell you that I love her. Why should I?” he quipped.

The comments playfully highlight the contrast between the often tough, blunt image associated with Bakiga culture and the softer expectations of contemporary romance.

Bakiga are sometimes stereotyped as rough, hard-working and unusually direct in their interactions. Tayebwa, however, presented that bluntness as part of what makes relationships within the culture authentic rather than emotionless.

His remarks were delivered in a clearly humorous tone, offering a light-hearted look at how cultural differences can shape perceptions of romance, marriage and affection.

While modern relationships increasingly emphasise verbal affirmation and romantic gestures, Tayebwa’s message was that love does not always have to look the same across cultures.