The Oropom (also known as Iworopom, Oworopom, Oyoropom or Oropoi) were the aboriginal inhabitants of much of Karamoja in Uganda, Mt. Elgon area and West Pokot, Trans Nzoia and Turkana regions in Kenya. Their descendants were largely assimilated into various communities present in their former territories, including the Iteso, Karamojong, Pokot, Turkana and Bukusu. They are or were found in scattered pockets between the Turkwel River, Chemorongit Mountains and Mt. Elgon. One report indicates that they formerly spoke the unclassified Oropom language.
They are or were found in scattered pockets between the Turkwel River, Chemorongit Mountains and Mt. Elgon. One report indicates that they formerly spoke the unclassified Oropom language.
According to Webster, the Oropom originally lived near Mt. Moroto, from which they moved west to the plain between Napak and Mount Elgon before being defeated and scattered by the Karamojong in 1830.
People considering themselves Oropom were (as of 1970), according to Wilson, particularly concentrated within the Karamoja area in Matheniko and Jie counties, and to a lesser extent in Bokora; some were also found among the Tepes people of Mt. Moroto and Mt. Kadam.
Others were found in Pian county, notably at Lorengedwat. They tend, according to Wilson, to have reddish brown skin, "peppercorn hair", slanted eyes, and prominent cheekbones; on this basis, he ascribed them to the Khoisan group.
The Oropom are described in Karamojong oral tradition as the original inhabitants of the area, whom some Karamojong clans defeated in a battle about 1830 around Kacheliba (in present day Kenya), and then enslaved.
Some then fled east or south; a few Oropom settlements are claimed to have remained between Kacheliba and Karta as late as 1927. Some areas were unaffected by this battle, and Oropom remained between Lolachat and Namalu in Pian county in Nakapiripirit District, and in the area between Mt. Elgon and Mt. Kadam.
Oropom traditions as recorded by Wilson claim they at one point occupied a much larger area: the whole Turkana District to a point east of Lake Turkana called "Malimalte", the Cherangani Hills eastward to Lake Baringo, much of the Trans-Nzoia District - all in present day Kenya; Mt. Elgon and all of Teso sub-region in Uganda; as well as the areas of Didinga and Topossa in Sudan.
According to Wilson, they are said to have had well-built houses of three to four rooms (unlike the Karamojong), big gardens, and long-horned cattle.
They also had a reputation as good potters, and pottery attributed to them is found all over the area. However, they had no knowledge of iron working, and their tools were Stone Age.
The women wore skin clothing and large earrings, and did not plait their hair; the men wore nothing but a belt covering their penis, and had long pigtails. Both sexes wore many bangles, and covered themselves in a red oil-ochre mixture.
They were not circumcised. In 1970, their main mark was a custom of wearing a single cowrie shell attached to a forelock places over the centre of the forehead (for women), or an indented mark in the centre of the forehead (for men.)
Their religious rites are said to have invariably taken place at sunrise, usually on rock outcrops. Some involved animal sacrifices. Some were reserved for elders, while others were open to all. Ritual feasts were held at stone circles.
The first indication of the past existence of a people known as Oropom was through fieldwork done by J.G.Wilson in the mid-20th century. While resident in Karamoja region of Uganda, he came across widespread and abundant archaeological material including stone tools and pottery of a nature also found in Karasuk, Turkana and West Pokot districts in Kenya. Wilson noted that "the material collected, particularly the pottery, reflects such a high degree of skill and artistry in its manufacture, that it is obviously not connected with the much cruder pots of the present occupants of these areas". His supposition was confirmed by most residents who had no traditions indicating the manufacture of the items save for a few people who claimed to be descendants of a people known as Oropom.
According to Webster, the Oropom nursery was located near Mt. Moroto, from which they moved west to the plain between Napak and Mount Elgon.
Oropom traditions recorded by Wilson capture the extent of their ancient territories: the whole Turkana to a point east of Lake Turkana which the Oropom called "Malimalte", the Cherangani Hills eastward to Lake Baringo, much of the Trans-Nzoia District - all in present-day Kenya; Mt. Elgon and all of Teso sub-region in Uganda; as well as the areas of Didinga and Topossa in Sudan.
It is currently assumed that the Oropom were the original inhabitants of their territory, and that successive waves of migrants invaded the territory.
Wilson suggests that the first invaders of the Oropom territory were proto-Kalenjin speakers who may have included the Nyangea, Teuso and Tepes. They were followed by the Maliri who had occupied with certainty what are now Jie country and large parts of Dodoth country in Uganda. It is estimated that their arrival in those districts occurred 600 to 800 years ago (i.e. c.1200 to 1400 AD)
Wilson (1970) noted that some individuals living among the Karimojong and who claimed Oropom ancestry could be distinguished by their reddish brown skin, "peppercorn hair", slanted eyes, and prominent cheekbones. On this basis he ascribed them to the Khoisan group.
In 1970, their main mark was a custom of wearing a single cowrie shell attached to a forelock placed over the centre of the forehead (for women), or an indented mark in the centre of the forehead (for men.)
Traditions also captured by Wilson note that the Oropom had well-built houses of three to four rooms (unlike the Karamojong), big gardens, and long-horned cattle. They also had a reputation as good potters, and pottery attributed to them is found all over the area.
The women wore skin clothing and large earrings, and did not plait their hair; the men wore nothing but a belt covering their penis, and had long pigtails. Both sexes wore many bangles, and covered themselves in a red oil-ochre mixture.
Wilson postulates that they had no knowledge of iron working as most of their tools and implements were Stone Age.
Their religious rites are said to have invariably taken place at sunrise, usually on rock outcrops. Some involved animal sacrifices. Some were reserved for elders, while others were open to all. Ritual feasts were held at stone circles. Most accounts of the Oropom state that they did not practice circumcision as a rite of initiation.
Oral traditions indicate that the expansion of Lwoo speakers into Acholi caused the breakaway of a group who were initially known as Jie. The Jie came from the vicinity of Gulu though there was a section of the group who came from a hill known as Got Turkan. The Jie who are said to have been Luo speaking though governed by elders and not chiefs (indicating that their culture was not fully Lwoo-ised), advanced eastward and entered the present Karamoja boundary at Adilang. The territory they entered was then occupied by the Maliri who were pushed to the vicinity of Koten mountains.
The Jie from Got Turkan, now calling themselves Turkana, broke away from the main Jie populace at Kotido and advanced eastward bringing extreme pressure to bear on the Maliri at Koten causing that group to split into two. One section came to be known as Merille while the other referred to themselves as Pokotozek.
The Pokotozek whose movements would have greatest impact on the Oropom, moved south, arriving at Nakiloro which lies on the lip of the Turkana escarpment just north of Moroto mountain, where they stayed for a short while before moving further south, proceeding down the eastern side of the Chemorongit and Cherangani mountains before finally branching off in the direction of Lake Baringo.
This incursion disturbed Oropom who were settled around Baringo, causing a break-up of that group which led to migrations in various directions:
Turkwell
Some Oropom moved towards the Turkwell, both below and above Turkwell gorge.
Uasin Gishu
Other Oropom moved into Uasin Gishu Maasai held territory. According to Maasai tradition, an alliance of the Uasin Gishu and Siria communities attacked the Chemngal who then occupied the Plateau today known as Uasin Gishu.
A Karamojong informant noted in 1916 that Nandi occupied territory previously stretched as far north as the sources of the Nzoia River i.e. Mt. Elgon, a territory that had been occupied by the Nandi as lately as the time of the grandfathers of that generation (i.e early to mid-19th century).
The Karamojong raided the northern Nandi sections twice before the Nandi launched a big raid against them at Choo hill near the junction of Kanyangareng & Turkwel rivers. The Masinko clan of Karamojong who were pasturing here counterattacked and successfully drove of the Nandi raiders.
In response to the Nandi raid, the Karimojong organized a powerful force to break up the Nandi nearest the Turkwel-Nzoia watershed but the expedition returned and reported that the Nandi had withdrawn too far south. The Karamojong were unmolested by the Nandi from that time and the Turkwel-Nzoia watershed became a no-mans land.
Chemorongit
Yet others moved to the Chemorongit mountains (Karasuk) which were still part of Oropom territory, as well as the area west of there and south of Moroto mountain.
The Pokotozek finding that they were no longer facing a formidable tribal grouping to the north and west of Baringo, themselves expanded in that direction, expelling other Oropom from the Cherangani mountains and further west right up to the slopes of Mt Elgon hence limiting Turkana southern movement.
It is notable that the emerging Sebei referred to the Mt Elgon Oropom as Sirikwa. The Sirikwa population at Mt Elgon, as evidenced by Sirkwa holes, was fairly dense and it is likely that their identity was still largely intact. It would take the Karimojong dispersion of the Oropom at Kapcheliba in the early 18th century to finally submerge the Oropom-Sirikwa identity.
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