Karamojong tribesmen are feared by people in neighbouring parts of Uganda because of their cattle raiding activities and their lack of respect for human life. As a result of this reputation, Karamojong people are not welcomed warmly when they migrate to other parts of the country. Karamojong people live a more traditional lifestyle than most other Ugandans, and so progress and prosperity have eluded them.
According to a special report in the Daily Monitor, almost a million people in the Karamoja region are facing severe food insecurity due to consecutive rain failure and poor harvests over the past four years. Competition for scarce natural resources and a prevalence of illegal weapons have resulted in rampant armed violence. Many people who try to migrate out of the region are stopped and sent back. Officially this is for humanitarian reasons – to reduce the number of Karamojong children who become beggars in Kampala.
International aid agencies have increased their efforts in the Karamoja region over the past five years. The World Food Program distributes food to hundreds of thousands of Karamojong people every year. Meanwhile, many others who have lost family members and livestock in the past as a result of Karamojong cattle raids are doing all they can to keep the Karamojong as far away as possible.