Uganda Peoples >> Nilotics >>
The Jopadhola
Acholi | Alur
| Luo
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Jopadhola live in eastern Uganda amidst various Bantu ethnic
groups. They are said to have settled there since the middle
of the 16th century. They are surrounded on all sides by the
Bantu and the Nilo-Hamitic peoples. To the west live the Banyole
and the Basoga; to their north and east live the Bagwere and
the Iteso and to their south live the Basamia and the Bagwe.
Origins
The Jopadhola are Luo. They have similar traditions of origin
with the Alur, Acholi and the
Joluo of Kenya. It is said that before moving to western Kenya,
the Luo first settled in southern Busoga for some time. The
earliest Luo migrants settled in the Kaberamaido peninsula
where they were joined by more Luo migrants from Pawir in
Bunyoro. Then some immigrants from Bugwere, Teso and Busoga
came towards the Kaberamaido peninsula in the second half
of the 18th century. This forced the Jopadhola to extend to
the south and later on to the east. The land they occupied
was previously vacant and this helped them to maintain their
traditional culture free from oreign influences. Thus, unlike
the Biito-Luo who were Bantuized and assimilated in Bunyoro,
the Jopadhola were able to maintain themselves as a distinct
Luo group amidst the various Bantu and Nilo-Harnitic societies.
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