Karamoja 2007

While in Uganda I got to know the Karamoja people who were begging on the street of the capital Kampala. I then made a few trips to Karamojand to see why they were leaving their home land.

Animated Documentary Film: Karamoja Faces 2008/09

Article: Removing Karamojong for CHOGM 15/11/2007.

Business initiative: Karamoja Design

Brief History

Karamojaland is a dry semi-arid savannah subject to yearly drought and Famine. For the last 30 years it has also been the scene of an internal conflict. Tribes and villages are attacking one-another over the ownership of cows and for revenging attacks.

Now the government is disarming the Karamojong, however, small groups of warriors are raiding villages that have already been disarmed, stealing cows, killing and taking food stocks, leaving the Karamoja people who most want peace with nothing.

Because of this many Karamojong are fleeing to the city. But life in the city is hard, they have to sweep the streets for food, beg for money and sleep in the slum areas of town.

The people

Karamoja people are the only semi nomadic peoples of Uganda. Most are cattle herders although cultivation of crops like sorghum and maize are also important.

Karamojong means “The tired old man”

In history because of drought the Karamoja people began to migrate from Ethiopia. Some went to Sudan to a place called Nadapal (Toposa people); some went to Lokichokio in Kenya to an area called Turkanaland. Some of these people then extended their journey to Northern Uganda to a place called Moroto (Karamojong people). Others walked through Karamojaland to the neighbouring land of Teso. Even as far away as Tanzania the relatives of the Karamojong can be found (Maasai people).

Men live for extended periods with the cattle, moving according to the availability of pasture and water, and to avoid cattle raiding by neighbors.

On Location Painting

Because of the military unrest it was neccesary to be accompanied by a local when visiting villages. So I combined my trips with another project which was to start a local industry of jewellery making.

The nature of Karamojaland being large vast savanas it usually took us 2 hours to walk to our set of villages. We had 2 water holes on route and often a sorgum beer stop! Which envolved a local women taking down a jug of furmented sorgum from her head and pooring out a qwart into a rough plastic bowl for us.

In the village the people were very friendly. One of the difficulties, however, was that it was too dark inside the huts to paint and outside it was too hot. Then when it rained the ground became a quagmire. So I resorted to sketching in colour straight on the canvas when ever the conditions allowed. The pictures taking on a stressed look partly because of the difficulty of life and partly because of the inconvenience of painting.

Acrylic on canvas. 80x50 cm

This painting tells the story of how anyone who wears a blanket, could be concealing a gun. And how dangerous it is for the women who collect wood from the bush, because of the risk of running into the people with guns.

Remote, these villages are regularly subject to armed raids where neighbouring tribesmen steal cows, goats, and grain. Famine often strikes on a yearly basis.

Acrylic on canvas. 80x50 cm

Katwe Ghetto, Kampala.

Katwe ghetto is home to about 100 Karamojong. Most survive by sending the children to beg on the street, while women sweep the roads for fallen beans and maize. the men beg and sometimes make rat traps out of scrap wire. A Red Cross man came while I was doing the picture to check on the hygine situation.

Acrylic on canvas. 75x55 cm

ghetto-painting Kampala.

Painting by Karamoja in the ghetto near the city centre of Kampala. Uganda

Acrylic on canvas. 75x55 cm

Ghetto home,Painted by a karamojong of his house in the slums.Katwe, Kampala.