The Ha people, also called Waha in Swahili or Abaha, are one of the largest ethnic groups in the United Republic of Tanzania. Their population is concentrated in the highlands and lowlands of the Kigoma region in the northwest of the country, specifically in the Kasulu, Kibondo, and Kigoma-Ujiji districts. The Ha are a model of culturally and linguistically transnational societies, maintaining close ties with population groups in Burundi and Rwanda, making their region, Buha, a unique historical and social crossroads in the African Great Lakes region.
The Ha territory, historically known as Buha, encompasses a vast area characterised by diverse topography, ranging from cold mountain highlands to expansive grasslands. This region is bordered to the west by Lake Tanganyika and the Malagarasi River area to the north and east. This geography has played a crucial role in shaping the Ha’s way of life. The highlands provided natural protection and fertile land for agriculture, while the plains allowed for grazing. According to official statistics, the Ha are among the five largest ethnic groups in Tanzania.
The Ha belong to the Bantu language family. Oral traditions and historical studies indicate that they have inhabited their current region for centuries as part of the major migrations that shaped the population map of East and Central Africa. Their identity has been linked to the concept of “people of the land”, “grass” or “green land”, referring to the nature of their homeland. Unlike their neighbours in Rwanda and Burundi, the political history of the Ha people was characterised by a degree of relative decentralisation for extended periods before larger chiefdoms emerged under the influence of the monarchies prevalent in the neighbouring Great Lakes kingdoms.
The Ha political system historically evolved from clan rule to a chiefdom system. The Buha were divided into six major, independent chiefdoms, the most prominent being Heru, Bushingo, Luguru, and Muhambwe.
‘Mwami’ was the title given to the ruler or king. The Mwami possessed both spiritual and temporal authority and was considered the guarantor of the land’s fertility and rainfall. Ha society was influenced by the class structure found in Rwanda and Burundi, with a pastoral class and a farming class. However, social integration among the Ha was more flexible, as class distinctions were not as sharp or confrontational as in neighbouring states, and a system based on political loyalty and marriage prevailed. The clan remains the basic unit of identity. Lineage is traced through the paternal line, and each clan has its own totem and history that defines its relationship with other clans.
The Ha people speak Kiha or Giha, a Bantu language with a high degree of intercommunication with Kirundi (Burundi) and Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). Kiha is central to preserving the Ha people’s cultural identity. Despite the widespread use of Swahili as the national language of Tanzania, the Ha people maintain their native language for daily communication and traditional rituals. The language is rich in proverbs and sayings that reflect the community’s philosophy on nature, work, and human relationships.
The Ha people’s economy is primarily based on mixed farming (crops and livestock), and their geographical environment has shaped a diverse range of productive activities. Main crops include cassava, maize, beans, and bananas. The Kigoma region is one of the most important palm oil-producing areas in Tanzania, where the Ha people have excelled in palm tree cultivation and oil extraction using both traditional and modern methods, making it a vital source of income. Cattle, goats, and sheep represent a significant social and economic asset. Owning livestock is a food source, a status symbol and a key element in paying dowries.
Situated on the border with Burundi and near the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ha people have historically been active in cross-border trade, exchanging agricultural products for consumer goods. This has made towns like Kasulu important regional trading centres.
Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) was introduced strongly during the colonial period (first German, then British) and is now the majority religion among the Waha. Islam also has a presence, particularly in areas near Lake Tanganyika and Kigoma, due to historical contact with Swahili trade caravans.
The Ha lived in scattered villages consisting of circular houses made of reeds and mud with conical roofs of dry grass. However, due to the Ujamaa policies adopted by Tanzania under President Julius Nyerere in the 1970s, the population was concentrated in organised and planned villages to facilitate the delivery of services. This shift led to a change in housing patterns towards rectangular houses built of adobe or cement, but agricultural fields and livestock enclosures remained an integral part of the living environment.
The Ha people have faced complex challenges in recent decades, mostly related to the geopolitical situation in the Great Lakes region. Their lands in Kigoma and Kasulu have hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees from Burundi and Rwanda due to civil conflicts in those countries. This displacement has placed immense pressure on natural resources (such as forests and water) and led to complex demographic overlaps, where it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between Tanzanian Ha and their refugee relatives due to shared language and culture.
Besides, the Kigoma region, for a long time, was considered remote and far removed from the centres of power in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, resulting in a lack of infrastructure. However, the Tanzanian government has recently begun implementing major road and rail projects to connect the Ha region to ports and economic centres.
According to reports, the Ha people have sometimes been subjected to a kind of stereotyping within general Tanzanian culture due to their relative isolation or their similarity to the peoples of neighbouring countries. But this image has changed with the emergence of educational, political, and sporting figures from the Ha who have actively contributed to building the Tanzanian state.
The Haa excelled in several traditional crafts that reflect their manual skills, such as blacksmithing (smelting iron and crafting agricultural tools and spears), pottery (often undertaken by women to produce cooking and water storage vessels), and music (the Ha are known for their use of distinctive string and percussion instruments, and their dances are an integral part of Tanzanian cultural festivals, characterised by strong and fast movements that express vitality and connection to the land).
