Culture and change

The long isolation of the Karamoja region has contributed to the preservation of traditional cultures, untouched by contemporary foreign practices such as tourism.

The Karimojong "traditional" culture has been fixed about 150 to 200 years ago and remained relatively stable since.

Daily life revolves around two centres:

The Manyatta, a permanent settlement or long term settlement (several years) where subsistence agriculture is practiced

The Kraal, a more mobile camp, set up typically for the duration of a dry season, near a water point and greener grazing lands for the cattle.

Karimojongs and mountains peoples

Not just one single group, but many different groups live in Karamoja, although they share many cultural features in common. Besides the 3 "Karimojong" tribes of Pian, Bokora and Matheniko, the "Karamojans" are also constituted of the mountain tribes of Ik, Kadam and Tepeth, each with their own specific history and identity.

Cultural change

Cultural change, however resilient the Karimojong culture, is an issue in Karamoja: With the historical impact of the automatic weapons, with the growth of urban centers, and, more anecdotically, with the possession of a mobile phone even in the most remote Kraal, elements of 'modern' lifestyles are intermingling with more traditional cultural patterns, bringing about processes that can be destabilizing (as was the case with the AK47).