The
Ha, also called
Waha (singular
Muha), are an ethnic and linguistic group based in
Kigoma Region in western
Tanzania, an area they have traditionally called Buha. In 2001 the Ha population was estimated to number 990,000. Their language is
Ha, also called
Kiha or
Giha, and is closely related to the
Kirundi and
Kinyarwanda spoken in neighbouring
Burundi and
Rwanda. Traditionally they have been farmers and cattle keepers, but the
tse tse fly has made cattle keeping impossible in the northern parts of their territories, so hunting and honey gathering has had great importance there. In later years, many men from the Ha people have wandered to the Tanzanian coastline to work at
sisal plantations there. Cattle have traditionally played an important role in Ha culture, being exchanged at weddings and so forth.