Karamoja

Karamoja sub-region is a region in northeastern Uganda comprising of the five districts of Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit. Kaabong is on the northeastern borders to Sudan and Kenya, and is home to the Kidepo Valley National Park, Nakapiripirit is the most-eastern one, bordering Mount Elgon National Park.

Geography

The region of Karamoja extends over 27,900 square kilometers. The region is mostly a semi-arid plain with harsh climate and low annual rainfall. It is largely savannah, covered with seasonal grasses, thorned plants, and occasional small trees. The average elevation of the plain of Karamoja lies at around 1400 meters (4500 feet) above sea level. The large mountains; Mt. Kadam, Mt. Napak, and Mt. Moroto — lying at the periphery of Karamoja — have peaks reaching around 3000 meters (10,000 feet) and higher.

Population

The two southern districts are inhabited largely by the Karimojong ethnic group, which consists of (now only) three clans - Matheniko, Bokora and Pian. Tepeth are found in Moroto and Napak Mountains, and there are said to be a few of the 'original' inhabitants, the Oropom remaining dotted around. The Pokot live in the part of Nakapiripirit District neighbouring Kenya (and many more of them across that border). Kotido District is largely inhabited by the Jie and Kaabong by the Dodoth (or Dodoso), together with the few Ik (aka Teuso). Abim is inhabited by the Ethur, comprising the Jabwor in the north and (a related tribe) in the south.

Significant numbers of Karamojong belong to and attend both the Catholic and Anglican Churches. Baptist and PAG churches are also coming up in the area.

According to 2002 national population and housing Census, the population of Karamoja has grown at an average of 7.2% from 370,423 in 1991 to 966,245 in 2002. The highest population growth rate was in Kotido District 9.7%.

Economy

Karamoja inhabitants comprise predominantly cattle keeping groups leading semi-nomadic lifestyle mixed with crop cultivation ( Jie, Bokora, Dodoth, Pokot and Matheniko) and settled agricultural communities (Labwor) and mountain tribes (Tepeth, Kadam, Ik, Nyangia and Mening). Table one gives an overview of major economic activities in Karamoja.

(Micro)Finance Services in Karamoja

Table three indicates that the Microfinance clientele reached so far are the minority of urban and peri-urban populations; to date fewer than 5,000 people in Karamoja. Yet Karamoja holds a total bankable population of over 200,000 people (approx. 20% of population). Most of the remaining 80% (approx. 800,000 people) of Karamoja population may be assumed to use less than Ug. Shs. 45,000 (approx. US$ 25) per month.

The Business community and salaried employees, which is less than 5% of the population of Karamoja, is catered for to a certain extent through Stanbic outlets in Moroto (central Karamoja) and Kotido (Northern Karamoja). The larger population (>95%) however do not have access to financial services, either due to distance from the bank, ignorance/illiteracy or the small size of transactions which they engage in. This means that the demand for microfinance services is high. Microfinance services would be especially useful to the women who engage in petty trade like brewing, charcoal selling, food stuff vending, etc. More pertinent would be the introduction of microfinance products suitable for the predominantly pastoral community of Karamoja. Karimojong have traditionally exchanged their livestock through the dangerous and unprofitable practice of armed raiding and counter raiding. Livestock microfinance products would provide a less dangerous and more lucrative alternative for the community in the region.

Informal savings and credit associations are a strong expression of demand for financial products (regularly they do not only include savings and credits but also some basic insurance elements). They have been applied in Karamoja just as in all other regions of the world; however, a comparative assessment of its density has not been undertaken so far. There are some multi-purpose NGOs like OXFAM, ADRA, SNV, KPIU, MADEFO, SSDD, KADP, RIAMRIAM and others which support self help initiative groups who engage in informal Savings and Credit schemes These NGOs have reported extraordinary successes with projects drawing on informal savings schemes. A ded-programme implemented by KPSDPC in 2005/2006 also encouraged groups to save and linked them to Moroto SACCO. Approx. Ug. Shs. 2.3 million were accumulated in eleven women groups’ accounts, which translates to approx. Ug. Shs. 14,000 per head (Schmidt 2006). The tendency to prefer livestock-savings in rural women groups was also noted.

Armed Conflict

As pastoralism and conflict are strongly interrelated, the integrated management of natural resources, like pasture, livestock and water becomes crucial. In terms of economic activity the region depends on cattle keeping, mining, and trading in agricultural produce with neighboring districts.

In mid-2006, as first reported by [http://www.innercitypress.com/unhq062806.html Inner City Press] and then by [http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/506557 The New Vision] , the United Nations Development Programme halted its disarmament programs in Karamoja in response to human rights abuses in the parallel forcible disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force. There have been reports of atrocities and many civil victims of the disarmament, as army forces and “warriors” clashed. Apparently, the army applied heavy weaponry against the “manyatas” (villages) where firearms are suspected, regardless of women, elder and children inhabitants. The information level and quality is very scarce, though. Some sources say that such reports have been greatly exaggerated and that the disarmament is showing positive effect on economic activity in the region.

Human Development

Human welfare, living conditions and quality of life of the people in Karamoja have declined considerably due to many combined factors i.e. harsh weather, insecurity, marginalization, illiteracy, poor health and poor infrastructure etc. Moroto and Nakapiripirit have the lowest HDI of 0.183 and Kotido has 0.194 as compared to an average of 0.4491 for Uganda.

The Districts of Karamoja have the highest human Poverty Indices (HPI) with Nakapiripirit and Moroto Districts having 63.5% and Kotido has 53.8%, compared to the national average of 37.5%, Central region of 31.5%, Northern region 46.1%, Western region 39.0% and Eastern region 37.1%. (See table two).

There are at least 5 regional hospitals in Karamoja, providing affordable health services to the area. The locations include Matany, Moroto, Amudat, Kotido and Kaabong.

Poverty is increasing and according to the Karimojong, the main factors responsible for poverty include persistent poor harvest as a result of dry spells and droughts, cattle rustling and insecurity, animal death, lack of water, poor farming practices, ill health and disability, high bride price for marriage, lack of skills and unemployment, limited sources of income, poor governance and landlessness (UPPAP 2002).

The 1980 famine in Karamoja was, in terms of mortality rates, one of the worst in history. 21% of the population died, including 60% of the infants. [http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F091e/8F091E05.htm] This is not far behind the worst famine since 1400, the great famine in Finland in 1696, which killed a third of the population. [http://www.euro.who.int/document/peh-ehp/nehapfin.pdf]

Language and Ethnicity

The Karimojong, Jie and Dodoth are part of the Karimojong Cluster of Nilotic tribes (also known as the Teso Cluster). The languages of the Jie and Dodoth are not quite the same as, but mutually intelligible with Karimojong. The ethnicity of the Ethur is not entirely certain, but they are regarded as essentially Nilotic (if mixed) and their language is regarded as a Luo dialect. The Ik and Tepeth have their own languages, but these are under great pressure from the Karimojong language around them.

Basic glossary with some Ngakarimojong words:

ources

Karamoja Microfinance Committee (KMFC): Karamoja Microfinance Strategy, AMFIU Working Paper No. 4, Kampala, 2006.

Katalemwa M. / Mbabazi, J.: Microfinance Outreach: AMFIU backstops Karamoja DPC, partners to develop Microfinance strategy for the region, in: Supplement to The New Vision, The Daily Monitor, 6. December 2005.

Knighton, Ben

2007c: ‘Globalizing Trends or Identities through Time? The Longue Durée in Karamojong [1] Ethnography’ Journal of East African Studies 1/3:466-83

2007a: ‘Of War-Leaders and Fire-Makers: A rejoinder’ History in Africa 34:411-20

2006c: ‘Belief in Guns and Warlords: Freeing Karamojong identity from Africanist theory’ African Identities 4/2:269-86

2006b: ‘Orality in the Service of Karamojong Autonomy: Polity and performance’ Journal of African Cultural Studies 18/1:137-52 Special Issue ‘Language, Power, and Society: Orality and literacy in the Horn of Africa’

2006a: ‘Multireligious Responses to Globalization in East Africa: Karamojong and Agĩkũyũ Compared’ Transformation 23/2:71-85

2005: Aldershot: Ashgate http://www.ashgate.com/default.aspx?page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=4401&edition_id=4620 This 366-page monograph includes a full bibliography. Launched at the ‘Militarization, Violence, and livelihoods’ Workshop, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford 3.5.06

2003b: ‘The State as Raider among the Karamojong: ‘Where there are no guns, they use the threat of guns’ Africa 73/3:427-55

2003a: Entry on ‘the Karamojong, Uganda’ in Hughes, Lotte The No-Nonsense Guide to Indigenous Peoples London: Verso pp. 67f.

2002: ‘School for Progress: The re-routing of BCMS missionaries into education for the end of empire in Karamoja, Uganda’ International Review of Mission 91/361: 256-77

2001d: ‘Globalization: Implications of violence, the global economy, and the role of the state for Africa and Christian mission’ Transformation 18/4:204-19

2001b: ‘Forgiveness or Disengagement in a Traditional African Cycle of Revenge’ Exchange 30/1:18-32; an earlier and unproofed version is published in Africa Theological Journal 24/1:53-72

2000: ‘Other Religions and The Meaning of God in an African Traditional Religion: The encounter in Karamoja, Uganda’ Asian Journal of Theology 14/2: 399-430 October. Also published as ‘Other Religions and the Meaning of God’ Dharma Deepika 4/2:35-50 July to December

1999b: ‘The Meaning of God in an African Traditional Religion and the Meaninglesness of Well-Meaning Mission: The experience of Christian enculturation in Karamoja, Uganda’ Transformation 16/4:120-127

Schmidt, O. (2006): Do Microfinance Development Strategies care about the consumer? – Assessing Microfinance trends and drivers upon the case of Uganda, in: ded-info-CD financial sector development, Bonn (ded, department P12).

External links

* [http://www.ugpulse.com/search.asp?ugaSrch=karamo Karamoja and the Karamojong on UGPulse.com]
* [http://www.forlife-worldwide.com For Life Onlus is a non profit making Italian registered charity working in Karamoja Uganda]
* [http://www.karamojadata.org Karamoja Data Centre]
* [http://www.moroto.go.ug Moroto District website]
* [http://www.nakapiripirit.go.ug Nakapiripirit District website]
* [http://www.karamoja.eu An awareness-raising campaign on Karamoja in Europe]