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The 'Karamojong' or 'Karimojong', are an ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders. They live in the Karamoja region in the north-east of Uganda, occupying an area equivalent to tenth of the country. Their language is also known as Karamojong and is part of the Nilo-Saharan language group. According to anthropologists, the Karamajong are part of a group that migrated from Ethiopia around 1600 A.D. and split into two branches, with one branch moving to present day Kenya to form the Kalenjin group and Maasai cluster. The other branch, called Ateker migrated westwards. Ateker further split into several groups, including Jie, Turkana in present day Kenya, and Iteso, Karamojong and Kumam in present day Uganda.
Karamoja is one of the remotest and least developed areas of Uganda. Traditionally the Karamojong have had a relationship with the Ugandan government, and prior to that, the colonial authorities, which has ranged from indifference to open hostility.
The main livelihood activity of the Karamojong is herding livestock, which has social and cultural importance. Crop cultivation is a secondary activity, undertaken only in areas where it is practicable. Due to the arid climate of the region, the Karamojong have always practised a sort of pastoral transhumance, where for 3-4 months in a year, they move their livestock to the neighbouring districts in search of water and pasture for their animals. The availabilty of food and water is always a concern and has an impact on the Karamajong's interaction with other ethnic groups.
The Karamojong have been involved in various conflicts centered on the practice of cattle raids. The Karamojong are in constant conflict with their neighbours in Uganda, Sudan and Kenya due to frequent cattle raids. This could be partly due to a traditional belief that the Karamajong own all the cattle by a divine right. But also because cattle are also an important element in the negotiations for a bride and young men use the raids as a right of passage and way of increasing their herds to gain status. In recent years the nature and the outcome of the raids have become increasingly violent with the acquisition of AK47s by the Karamojong. The Ugandan government have attempted to broker a deal for weapons amnesties, but the number of cattle the Karamojong have wanted per gun has proved too steep for any meaningful agreement to be made.

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★ Nilotic