Uganda Peoples >> The Nilo
Hamites >> The Kumam
Langi | Karimojong|
Iteso | Kakwa
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The Kumam belong to the Atekerin family together
with the Langi, the Iteso and the Karimojong. This is the
group of people which is often referred to as the Nilo-Hamites.
They live in the western areas of Teso and south-east of Lango.
In Teso, they are found in the counties of Kaberamaido, Soroti
and Serere and, in Lango, in the county of Kioga. Today, they
can also be traced in other areas of Uganda particularly in
Busoga, Tororo and Buganda. Although they speak a Lwo dialect,
their language is not Luo. It is Kumam. The Kumam language
is over two-thirds Lwo and one-third Ateso.
Origin
Historians claim that the Kumam came from
the north-east in the direction of Ethiopia from around A.D.
1600. It is further asserted that they derived from people
who were originally Ateso speakers and who later learnt Lwo.
It is said that due to contact with the Lwo-speaking peoples
from around Mt. Otukei and Wila in Karamoja, the Ateso (Dum)
speech was abandoned and the Lwo speech was adopted.
They claim that their former name was leno. This can be evidenced
by such phrases in their language as yo lango (path), pale
lango (home), yat lango (medicine) and several others. They
have common characteristics with the Iteso and the Lango with
respect to birth rituals, certain social customs and hunting
practices.
The Karimojong use the same word Kumama when referring to
the Iteso, the Langi and the Kumam. It is generally agreed
that Kumam is derived from the Lango word Akum, meaning those
people of the former Teso district who included the Iteso
and some Ikokolemo. Ikoku is an Iteso word meaning "child"
while elem is a Luo word meaning headdress. This means that
the Kumam are a mixture of Luo and the Atekerin possibly as
a result of intermarriages between the Luo and Ateker-speaking
peoples. As the Luo settled in northern Uganda, they came
into contact with the Atekerin peoples who were also at the
same time moving from the northeast and founding settlements
in northeastern Uganda. The fact that their language is half
Lwo and half Ateker, lends some truth to this presupposition.
Another legend talks of a boy who stole elem and fled somewhere
with it and his descendants became the Kumam.
Political set-up
The Kumam had a loose political structure
under a loose political structure under the clan leaders known
as Wegi Atekerin. Other people of importance in the society
were Wegi Ikodeta Cel (leaders of dancing groups), and leaders
of Asonya homes, Wengi Cel. The Wengi Cel were in most cases
Dogolan or Odonge Ikekoros (heads of part of a clan descending
from one man). These clan leaders were responsible for the
maintenance of law and order as well as general administration.
They arbitrated in matters of politics and social affairs.
Social set-up
Their social system had elements of both
Langi and Iteso cultures. However, they were nearer to the
Iteso than to the Langi. This was because the Langi were so
much subjected to Luo influence that they lost most of their
original culture.
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