[2][3] The Batwa are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of East Africa together with the Bambuti of Mt.Rwenzori and Ndorobo of Kenya.

[5][6] However because of continuous intermarriages there are no clear distinctions between these groups as all live in harmony as Bafumbira.

The Bahutu, Batutsi, and Batwa are the three indigenous groups that make up the Bafumbira, they are essentially Banyarwanda and speak Kinyarwanda.

[6] The Bafumbira were part of the Kingdom of Rwanda until 1910 when Kigezi was annexed to Uganda by the colonialists.

Because of extensive agriculture and population growth, Bafumbira migrated in the 1960s to other parts of Uganda for employment, obtained land and made settlements there but have maintained the Rufumbira culture in the areas of; Kamwenge, Kihihi, Bukuya, Kasanda, Mubende, Mityana, Kyazanga, Masaka and Luwero where the Rufumbira language is spoken to date.

The clans were divided along different totems ranging from animals, plants and bird species.

The Bafumbira named their children depending on a family situation or the circumstances at hand.

If there was a lot of food in the household at the time of the birth, the child was named "Nyirabakire".

All Bafumbira worshipped one god, Imana (Rurema) as an all-loving, creator, provider and judge for all, a moral campus.

Nyabingi and Lyangombe biheko were observed as mediums to Imana and received sacrifices in their shrines called indaro.