How to play omweso/igisoro African mancala game

In 2008 an African prince taught me the rules of omweso at Kasubi tombs in Kampala. This #mancala game is called omweso in Uganda and igisoro in Rwanda, but I think the rules are roughly the same. Here is how I play it, but please let me know if you have different rules as there are many variations. It looks complicated at first, but after you've played a few games you get the hang of it.
🤭 I realised after making this that I'm probably pronouncing empiki wrong. In Kinyarwanda it's usually a hard K, but in Uganda it often becomes a softer ch - empichi.
0:00
3:29 - Setting up the board
4:56 - Moving forward
6:28 - Taking pieces
8:36 - Moving backwards
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ME
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[@robertamaxwell7849]

I was literally just looking for this, as I’m teaching it on Wednesday!

[@Rwizaify]

0:45 IgiSORO is probably derived from the pellets used to play. Same root as uruSORO, the word for a shotgun projectile. Great video as usual!

[@writerinrwanda]

So - HUGE thank you to my friend Seth, who sat me down last night and explained the rules of igisoro that he learned as a kid. There are two main differences between the version of Rwandan igisoro that he learned and the version of omweso that I'm playing above. Those two differences are: 1. The starting position for igisoro is four beads in the front (inside) row, instead of the outside/back row, and you can't choose to mess with that. 2. You can move backwards from the left and the right if you can take on the first go BUT not from all four holes on the left or right, only from the furthest outside back holes and the two inside front holes - so a diagonal from the outermost corners coming in on the four holes. The other two holes (1st hole on the inside and 2nd on the outside) you can't move back from. Other than that, it's exactly the same.

[@johanvanzyl5609]

Hi, we visited Malawi many years ago and learned a similar game, called Bao. Unfortunately I have the Bao board that I had. I am currently in Uganda and bought an Omweso board, looking forward to play Omweso and also Bao again!

[@LearnKinyarwanda]

In "i gisoro (the Rwanda version of the game)", you move backward only from the first and last holes of the back raw as well as the holes diagonal to them (second hole from left to right in front or from right to left in front). The left diagnal holes are called (nteba). The right ones are called (ngarama). The left counter normal move is called (guteba). The right counter normal move is called (kugarama). At the beginning of the game, a set of four seeds is planted in the front raw. Other rules, are the same as you mentioned. A single seed is called (urusoro) whose plural is "insoro"

[@antoniozumpano826]

I appreciate your presentation, very precise and clear. Congratulations! Very good tutorial.

[@writerinrwanda]

Thanks :)

[@Noname-ni8qm]

I have found this game at online antique shop accidently,but i was heard a lot about it from africans so if i will try to understand and buy it maybe

[@writerinrwanda]

It's a great game. Give it a go 👍

[@hsdesai12]

Do you have this written up anywhere so i can keep a printed version? Very well explained

[@writerinrwanda]

Thanks. Glad it was helpful. I don't currently have it written down, but if I ever find the time I'll add a link to the video description :)

[@rogerparfaitniwemutabazi]

Thanks alot

[@antoniozumpano826]

Nice board you have!

[@martmurugo]

Thanks. Just a minor correction. It's King of 'Buganda, ' not 'Uganda.' 'Buganda' is the name of kingdom where the capital of the country was founded and 'Uganda' is the name the country that also includes many other lesser-known kingdoms and chiefdoms.

[@writerinrwanda]

Thanks for the information!

[@rwLincoln]

Banga ---"Ani ba Banga" = "Let's throw (play) Banga (seeds, implied)" ---from Zande-land (Central Africa Republic) ---using 40 holes (4 rows of ten holes)

[@georgebarber3280]

Great stuffi

[@writerinrwanda]

Thanks. Hope you enjoy playing!

[@arthurkamyak3477]

You nailed. Thank you.

[@guillaumerusengo9371]

Pips are called udusoro! One agasoro. The flesh covering the seeds can create foam. Not a pleasant smell. In Burundi we also the game "Kubuguza" . The board is known more often as Ikibuguzo. Very ancient in the region. Centuries.

[@writerinrwanda]

Thanks for the information! Are the rules the same in Burundi?

[@guillaumerusengo9371]

@@writerinrwanda I wouldn't know, I was actually learning from you. How terrible 😔. It was played more by the senior types or those still tied to ancient traditions, when I was young. For us, the more civilised, it's for decoration. How pretentious! Wouldn't mind to have one though. In Rwanda they probably say insoro, not sure. Same thing, You know tomayto or tomato!

[@isaackalinda4804]

Well explained. But that is a Umweso style (From Uganda), different from Igisoro (From Rwanda)

[@tinahtvshow936]

❤

[@antoniozumpano826]

Igisoro allows to return from the 4 pits to the left side and Omweso only from two pits. So the game you are playing is Igisoro.

[@writerinrwanda]

I think there are many variations. My friend in Kigali showed me that Igisoro returns from the diagonal on the left. Outer back left and inner 2nd from left, rather than all four holes.

[@OGPimpin]

Return as in the reverse holes or are you speaking about something else?

[@antoniozumpano826]

@@OGPimpin Your friend in Kigali is wright.

[@OGPimpin]

@@antoniozumpano826 The return/reverse holes are all on the left side in omweso and the reverse holes are 2 per side in igisoro, so you have the rules mixed up.

[@larissagatore2655]

Those are from a tree called IGITI C'UMUSORO

[@writerinrwanda]

Do you know if it has a name in English?

[@tystar86]

It's pronounced idžisoro not igisoro...