Every Munyoro belongs to a clan. The clan is the collective group of people who are descended from the same ancestor, and are, therefore, blood relatives. Long before the tradition of kingdoms, the Banyoro lived in clan groupings. Areas of the land were named after the clan which lived there. For example, Buyaga was the area of the bayaga clan, Buruli for the baruli clan, Bugahya for the bagahya clan, etc.

The clan is very important to a Munyoro, man or woman. It is important that one is well aware of the clan relationships on both mother's and father's side of the family. This is crucial in order to avoid in-breeding. One can not marry in one's own clan or in that of his/her mother's. Marriage to one's cousins, no matter how far removed, is not acceptable. An exemption from this rule is claimed by the princes and princesses of the kingdom. In their effort to maintain their "blue blood lines" it is not unheard of for the royals of Bunyoro, Toro and Buganda to marry very close to their own or their mothers' clans.

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