The Bagungu are concentrated in Buliisa District along the Lake Albert shoreline and the Albert Nile delta, placing them directly on the conservation area’s southwestern boundary.
Their language, Lugungu, is a Bantu tongue closely related to Runyoro, and the group maintains cultural ties to the broader Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom while retaining a distinct ethnic identity.
Current population estimates place the Bagungu at roughly 90,000 individuals, making them one of the smaller ethnic communities in the Albertine Graben region.
Buliisa District was carved out of Masindi District in 2006, giving the Bagungu a dedicated administrative unit for the first time.
Their social organisation operates through clan based leadership rather than a centralised kingdom, with local elders managing land allocation and dispute resolution at the parish level.
Fishing on Lake Albert forms the economic and cultural backbone of Bagungu life.
Communities along the lakeshore at Butiaba, Wanseko, and Tungo maintain seasonal fishing camps and use traditional canoe construction methods passed down through patrilineal clans.
Wetland agriculture along the Albert Nile delta supplements fishing, with cassava, millet, and groundnuts as the primary crops. Bagungu burial rites involve interment near the family homestead with specific orientation protocols tied to the position of Lake Albert, a practice that sets them apart from neighboring Banyoro communities.
The Tilenga oil project, operated by TotalEnergies, has established drilling infrastructure across Buliisa District adjacent to the park’s southwestern boundary.
The project has displaced some Bagungu fishing and farming households and altered lakeshore access routes.
Community consultations and compensation processes remain active as of 2026, and the development continues to shape the social and economic conditions in the area surrounding the park’s Bugungu gate.