The IK – The Mountain People of Karamoja

The IK – The Mountain People of Karamoja

The IK people are the indigenous tribe living in Morungole Mountains of Karamoja region. They originated from either from Ethiopia or from the far North of Egypt. During their migration to the south, they divided into 3 groups; the IK, the So and the Nyang’i. The So also known as the Tepeth are presently settled around Mount Moroto while the Nyang’i/Nyangia are presently in Kaabong district.

The IK speak a language that belongs to the Kuliak sub category of the Nilo – Saharan speaking groups. Ik means “head” which has convinced them that they are the first Kuliak group to settle in Uganda. They also believe that they are the first inhabitants of the Karamoja plains. Unfortunately, these native tribes are gradually losing their languages and identities because adopting other Karamojong languages so as to fit in the society.

This is because they are considered as uncivilized and are marginalized by the Karamojong people throughout the country.

Originally, the Ik used wander freely through the Kidepo valley while hunting and gathering fruits. This changed after gazetting of Kidepo Valley National Park in the 1960’s which displaced them. The Ik were further displaced from the Karamoja plains by drought and other tribes like the Karamojong, Turkana. These tribes would frequently raid the Ik and take their animals and produce because they are weaker than them. They suffered severe famine because they no longer had hunting grounds and most of their animals had been taken by the other tribes. They therefore decided to settle in the steep Morungole Mountains which protect them from their enemies who were constantly attacking them, raping women, looting their property and killing whoever they came across.

In the mountains, the Ik people live in small villages organized in clusters to make up a community. These are surrounded by walls with small short gates to form neighborhoods known as “Odoks”. Inside the Odoks are several households with front yards or granaries walled off to form “asaks”.

Children usually go away from their homes when they are aged between 3 to 5 years. They then form groups with other children in the same age bracket known as age bands. They have 2 categories of age groups which include the junior group that consists of children between three and 8 years. The other one is the senior group consisting of children with ages between Eight years and Thirteen years. These children form groups of about 5; they build huts where they stay together until they are ready to get married. They protect themselves from the older children who want to steal their food. At times after moving out of their parents’ homes, the children start staying with their grandmothers before they are ready for marriage.

Among the IK, one is considered ready for marriage by the age of thirteen. Virginity is not considered that much since most people engage in premarital sex. Bee hives are paid to the girl’s as a form of bride price. Other items like goats, chicken and money can also be as bride price. They practice polygamy most especially for men who own many bee hives or goats. They can marry as many wives as they can manage depending on his capacity to pay for the bride price.

They carryout agriculture on a small scale and are sometimes interrupted by drought. The little they get from agriculture is supplemented by raring goat and bee keeping. They no longer keep cows because of constant raids from other tribes. The IK are also known as the Teuso a name given to them by Karamojong. This name means “poor people of dogs, without cattle or guns”.

They have 2 primary schools while those who chose to continue to secondary school walk miles to access the schools. Very few members continue with their education after primary school level. They have just of recently got a clinic of their own after years of suffering to get access to medical attention. They used to trek several miles to get to health centers in other areas of Karamoja. They currently have a Member of Parliament who represents the social needs of the IK people.

Hiking to Mount Morungole will expose you to the rich cultural heritage of IK people and also give you a chance to learn about their ways of life. They are wonderful and hospitable people who will entertain you with their cultural dance and teach you their traditions. Our 6 days Kidepo National Park is perfect for you to explore the wildlife and have the best cultural encounters with the IK.

Below are some of our packages to Murchison Falls National Park to take on a Uganda safari tour;

3 Days Murchison Falls Wildlife Safari tours, 6 Days Safari in Murchison Falls, Kibale, and Bwindi, 6 Days Safari in Murchison Falls, Kibale, and Bwindi, 6 Days Chimpanzee safari tours & Wildlife Tour, 10 DAYS JINJA – SIPI- KIDEPO-MURCHISON SAFARI, 9 DAYS HOT SPRINGS SAFARI AND WILDLIFE SAFARI, 7 DAYS IN MURCHISON FALLS, KIBALE, AND BWINDI , 13 DAYS JINJA – QUEEN ELIZABETH AND BWINDI SAFARI , 6 Days Safari in Murchison Falls, Kibale and Bwindi, 7 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari in uganda, 17 Days Kidepo-All Uganda Safari, 10 Days Best of Uganda Safari Tour,