The Gisu people, or Bagisu (people of Bugisu sub-region), alternately Gishu, Masaba, or Sokwia, are a tribe of the Masaba nation of eastern Uganda, closely related to the Bukusu people of Kenya. Bagisu live in the mainly in Mbale District of Uganda on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
The Gisu speak a dialect of the Lumasaba language called Lugisu, which is fully understandable by other dialects, and is also understood by the Bukusu.
Global African Village, an all-volunteer non-profit organization in Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, was developed in 2007 to improve life for the impoverished Gisu people. Its primary goals are to improve wells, to provide child care, and to create a health-care post. The founding members of Global African Village are Sebastian Wanzama-Piro, Sharon Green, and Maura Fioroni.[1].
The Gisu undergo a circumcision ritual called the Imbalu. The ritual is held every two years during August.