Karimojong resort to rituals to ‘curse’ land grabbers
Karimojong youth take raw blood from one of the bulls they slaughtered to perform rituals to ‘curse’ those involved in selling off land in Kautakou in Napak District. Photo by Steven Ariong
What you need to know:
The elders claim their land is communal hence no individual has a right to sell it.
Moroto- A group of 30 selected Karimojong elders on Sunday gathered in Kautakou village in Ngoleriet Sub-county in Napak district to perform traditional rituals to curse any Karimojong men who participated in the selling of a 10 kilometre land in Kautakou to Uganda Investment Authority (UIA).
Performing of the rituals follows last week’s peaceful protest by the residents of the area against land grabbing.
They claim Mr Peter Amodoi, the acting commissioner for Karamoja in the Office of the Prime Minister and other Karimojong elite working in the office of the First lady and minister for Karamoja affairs Ms Janet Museveni, for being behind the selling of land without consulting the rightful owners.
However, Mr Amodoi said UIA has no case to answer because it bought land from the rightful owner who had also bought it from the original land owners. He said those protesting have no right to the land because he bought it from the right owners and that he has the evidence.
Mr Mark Eritoi, one of the elders heading the ritual activities, which involved slaughtering bulls and smearing their legs with cow dung while calling out names of those involved in selling the land, said the people who purportedly signed the selling of the Kautakou land.
He said whoever participated in the selling of Kautakou land will become mentally ill.
Mr Eritoi added that UIA will also never carry out any meaningful development on the land if they forcefully occupy it.. “We are not against investment in the area but investors should respect our culture because land in Karamoja is communal where by one person has no right over it,” he said.
