Dr. Ayub Mukisa: To my fellow Karamoja people, no one will change the image of Karamoja unless we do it ourselves

In this article, I would like to inform the people of Karamoja that it is your role and responsibility to change the image of Karamoja. No one will change the image of Karamoja unless the people of Karamoja do it themselves. Available evidence shows that Karamoja had a good image before and was defined as secure, beautiful, and joyous area. The positive reputation of Karamoja was reflected in its trading activities, particularly in ivory and cattle, which attracted traders from Ethiopia, Zanzibar, Mombasa, and Nairobi (Barber, 1962; Ocan, 1993; Muhereza, 2018). One individual who can vividly describe the beauty of Karamoja without bias is the renowned former elephant hunter Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell, who was later nicknamed ‘Karamojo’ Bell, due to his hunting expeditions in the region (Bell, 1923).

Bell proudly stated that Karamoja was stunning, with roaming elephants, and on one extra ordinary day, he was able to track and shoot down nine elephants, earning a day’s wage of £ 877 at that time (Bell cited in Kabiito, 2021). This implies that Bell made a fortune from Karamoja, which other people despise. Indeed, literature shows that Bell could have hunted more than 1,100 African elephants (Bell, 1923). However, since the dawn of British East Africa colonial rule to date, the rhetoric on Karamoja’s image has remained on the negative side of publicity. It is a harsh reality that certain sections of Karimojong’s have been raiding other people’s livestock, causing chaos, violence and corruption that negatively depict the region’s image. However, it is important to recognize that the Karamoja region belongs to the Karamojong’s, and they are the primary beneficiaries within Karamoja. Therefore, the question we must address is, how to change the image of Karamoja. This question is relevant to everyone, both within and outside of Karamoja.

Furthermore, there are disturbing issues in Karamoja, such as famine. Famine is reported in Karamoja almost every year, to the extent that some newspapers and academic articles report on it causing deaths. What is even more confusing is that there are agricultural seasons where some farmers in Karamoja are getting abundant harvests of sorghum. Unfortunately, they are selling the sorghum cheaply, leaving themselves with little and resulting in famine and vulnerability. One day, I saw hundreds and hundreds of sorghum bags being transported out of Karamoja in a 40-foot shipping container. This came as a surprise to me, given that the region is always plagued by famine.

My question is: Why do people in Karamoja persist in selling sorghum when they are food insecure? To my fellow Karimojong people, it is important to understand that being associated with issues like famine creates a negative perception of our region. It is our duty as Karimojong to alter this perception and present Karamoja in a more positive light, akin to other regions.

Ayub Mukisa (PhD)
Executive Director-Karamoja Anti Corruption Coalition
ayubmukisa@gmail.com