The Bwisi of Uganda

The Bwisi of Uganda, numbering approximately 160,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an indigenous Bantu people of western Uganda centered in Bundibugyo District along the Rwenzori foothills and the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Talinga-Bwisi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bwisi

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Uganda
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-Lakes
Primary Language(s): Talinga-Bwisi (tlj)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 160,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG015077
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Bwisi of Uganda

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

73%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Talinga-Bwisi
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Talinga-Bwisi Speakers

Media Resources in Talinga-Bwisi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Talinga-Bwisi:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2015 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Talinga-Bwisi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Bwisi are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Bwisi:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Bwisi of Uganda

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
readIsaiah 48:11

Pray that those who have been living for their own glory will turn to the One who is worthy of all praise and find their true identity in Him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
readPsalm 67:5

While there are many who do not yet praise God, pray that He will work in their lives, advance the gospel among them, and bring many to saving faith in Christ.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
readRomans 5:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice in the hope of glory and be in awe of God's mercy that gives them access to Him through faith.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
readMatthew 6:9b-10

Pray that God will raise up Christians who are driven by a desire to see God's name worshiped, His kingdom come, and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Ask Him to send them to the lost in this people group and sustain them.

Bwisi Across Countries (ROP3 - 101829) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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