Karamojong People & Their Culture : The Karamojong people are popularly known as the Nilotic ethnic group who are agro- pastoral herders living mainly in the northeastern region of Uganda. And when it comes to their mother language is quite unique known as ngaKarimojong and they are part of the Nilotic language family.
Historically, this Karamojong used to live in the southern part of the northeast Uganda region, that occupies an area to one tenth of the country. More so, these are the people who become part of a group that migrated from present day in the country of Ethiopia around 1600 A.D and divided into two branches the Kalenjin group and Maasai cluster. Other branches are called Ateker who migrated westwards.
Culturally, the Karamojong people are known as herds men who usually move their livestock to the neighboring districts in search of water and pasture for their animals.
But due to the lack of food and water this leads to Karamojong’s interaction with other ethnic groups.
In general, the Karamojong are the peoples of ethnic community and indigenous residents of Kaabong, Kotido, Napak , Moroto ,Abim ,Amudat and Nakapiripiriti districts of northeastern Uganda .Still are the descendants of Nyangatom of Ethiopia and other side the nomadic pastoralists who migrated south around 1600 AD in search of permanent grazing lands and water for their livestock. Along the migration, the group was divided into one group migrated to Kenya on the shores of Lake Turkana and acquired the name Turkana. For the matter, the Turkan got intermarried with earlier settlers in the area and their offspring’s known as Maasai and Kalenjin.
Then the second group choose to settle into the current South Sudan the Jie and the Toposa of Sudan. Interestingly, the Karamojong are cousins of the Jie who decided to move further south into Uganda. The above mentioned groups have their main activities to do in common, things like keeping large herds of livestock, live a nomadic lifestyle, they have similar traditional wear, all have body marks that signify a hidden message and their customs and norms have similar things. The youth amongst the Jie of Uganda continued to live a life of nomadic lifestyle venturing further south looking of fresh pastures for stock and water for their animals. Yet their parents got tired due to constant movements and choose to settle in their current regions.
The Jie youths have a slogan which says in their local language ‘’ekar imojong’’ which means the old men are tired and cannot walk any further. More then, these youths began to intermarry with indigenous communities and the offspring’s are the Itesots of Eastern Uganda. The Karamojong speak a language called Nga Karamojong and their tradition culture called Nagi Karamojong.
However, the Karamojong are also traditionalists who take a lot of pride in their culture and customs. These are the people with one of the most exciting tradition which attracts foreign interference with their traditional lifestyle such as education travel technology, dress and fashion, medicine, housing, religion among others. To certain extent, they are jealous in their traditions, as we see the government intended to alter their lifestyle through suspicion but they it takes a lot of sensitizations to accept.
Despite, are traditional nomadic pastoralists who roamed large areas in search of fresh pastures and water for their livestock; goats, cattle, sheep and chicken. The Karamojong people have their traditional belief to pray to called Akuj whom they believe gave them birthright of all the cattle in Karamoja region and the world beyond. Their life traditional Karamojong tend to rotates around livestock and cattle in particular. And their staple diet is raw milk and blood which is obtained after puncturing the skin of a cow. Other diet they have includes smoked meat, cow ghee, smoked hides, yoghurts and fresh beef.
According to the number of cows each family have symbolizes how wealth they are, prestige and social status symbol. Most cases, cows are given as a gift for good character, achievement, friendship and it acts as valor and bravery for protecting the community. For this matter, boys begin receiving cows in youths which gradually increase their stock, Karamojong People & Their Culture
Traditionally, the Karamojong formed warrior squads, cattle rustlers and raid neighboring communities for cows and protecting their own herds from raids by other communities.
The Karamojong cattle rustlers were dead squads who used lethal weapons like spear, arrow, machetes.
They live in extended families in very large homesteads called manyatta. The manyatta fences were constructed with thorny fences and wood encircle the manyatta for protection against raids from other cattle rustlers and wild animals. Since they are cattle pastoralist they choose their livestock kraal to locate it in the center of the manyatta where they set campfire and Keep guard overnight.
The manyatta means a lot in Karamojong regions, to other side means as learning site where they pass on skills of the generations through participation of keeping close to specialists in different field. In the manyatta, each person has a social role they play but basing on the age, expertise, skills, expertise, experience gender among others. To women and girls do homemakers and do most of the chores in the homestead including renovating housing structures, cultivating land to grow food crops in rainy season, process dairy products, fetch water from watering holes and preparing meals for the family. The young boys and men do livestock through roaming the Karamoja semi-arid plains looking for fresh pasture to graze in and watering holes.
Further facts, Karamojong people are generally tall and have a darker skin complexion possibly because of exposure to much sunshine in their semi-arid homesteads . The traditional Karamojong have facial markings and body piercing on ears, nose, lower lips among others.
Dressing code; They wear bright colored cloth and centered on covering the lion and breast area and shoes put on sandals made out of car tire and like putting on jewelry on arms, lower lips, legs, neck and waist which include; beads, cow-horn rings, copper bangles, cowhide materials, wild animal’s hides, bird feathers many more.
Note; A true Karamojong herdsman has to carry or walk with a walking stick, traditional stool, spear and gourd for drinks.
On safari to untouched wilderness of Kidepo Valley National Park you will have great opportunity of visiting the Karamojong culture through touring the manyatta and getting a moment peace to interact with them as well as enjoying their unique tradition dances. Call it best Africa Culture Safari -.
