A cultural Safari to IK, Mountain people of Uganda

Uganda is one of the leading cultural safari destinations in Africa with over 40 tribes each with a unique culture. Among these tribes, include a small group of people known as the IK people.

Also known as “Mountain people”, the IK people are a unique Ugandan ethnic group found in north Eastern Uganda in the Morungule Mountains, Kabongo district. This is one of the smallest and marginalized tribe in the country with an estimated total of 10,000 people. There are fears that this tribe might be on the verge to extinction due to their small portion over the total population of this “pearl of Africa”. However, the strong solidarity that the IK people have has greatly led to their continuous survival.

Initially, the IK people used to occupy areas of the current Kidepo Valley National Park but were later displaced during Amin’s regime. Their original home (Kidepo) was declared a national park for European tourists on holiday or safari. This forced them to move northwards to Mount Morungule.

While at their new home, the IK people adapted new practices and skills like their leading economic activity (Subsistence farming). With subsistence farming, they were able to forge ways of survival and although they were continuously raided by neighbours, the small village managed to survive. Their first days at the new home were not easy as they were repeatedly struck by famine. They used subsistence farming, hunting and fruit gathering to overcome famine.

Today, visitors to Kidepo Valley National park are availed with an opportunity to trek up (about 8km) Mount Morungule in search of the IK people.

For a first-time visitor, he/she might find it hard to differentiate between IK people and Karamojongs simply because of their similar ways of jump dancing, hut building and dressing. The difference between these two tribes is that the IK people speak Teuso language and practice subsistence farming and not normadic pastoralism, practiced by Karamojongs.

The IK people are said to have migrated from Ethiopia and settled near Turkana in Kenya. They later crossed to Uganda and first settled in the lowlands before their migration upwards due to the displacement by Amin’s government. They later formed their new land a unique village with a lot of cultural attractions that a visitor can enjoy while on a cultural Safari to Uganda.

Kidepo Valley National park was ranked among the top 10 Africa’s safari parks by CNN, a popular international news agency. This led to an increase in the number of visitors who go ahead and trek on Mount Morungole in search of the unique IK people. The presence of these original African-cultured people has led to a new safari activity at the park and this has attracted more visitors to the country.