The Indigenous World 2025: Uganda

Written on 25 April 2025. Posted in Uganda

Indigenous Peoples in Uganda include former hunter-gatherer communities such as the Benet and the Batwa. They also include minority groups such as the Ik, and the Karamojong and Basongora pastoralists, who are not recognized specifically as Indigenous Peoples by the government.

The Benet, who number slightly over 8,500, live in the north-eastern part of Uganda. The 6,700 or so Batwa live primarily in the south-western region and were dispossessed of their ancestral land when Bwindi and Mgahinga forests were gazetted as national parks in 1991.^[1] The Ik number some 13,939 and live on the edge of the Karamoja/Turkana region along the Uganda/Kenya border. The Karamojong people – whose economy is traditionally based on livestock – live in the north-east of the country (mainly drylands) and have an estimated population of 1,094,100,^[2] according to a mid-2018 estimate by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. The Basongora number around 15,000 people and are a cattle-herding community living in the lowlands adjacent to Mt. Rwenzori in Western Uganda.

All these communities have a common experience of State-induced landlessness and historical injustices caused by the creation of conservation areas in Uganda, in addition to mining interests in the case of Karamoja. They have experienced various human rights violations, including continued forced evictions and/or exclusions from ancestral lands without community consultation, consent or adequate (if any) compensation. Other violations include violence and destruction of homes and property, including livestock and denial of their means of subsistence and of their cultural and religious life through their exclusion from ancestral lands and natural resources. All these violations have resulted in their continued impoverishment, social and political exploitation and marginalization.

The 1995 Constitution offers no express protection for Indigenous Peoples but article 32 places a mandatory duty on the State to take affirmative action in favour of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and discriminated against. This provision, which was initially designed and envisaged to deal with the historical disadvantages of children, people with disabilities and women, is the basic legal source of affirmative action in favour of Indigenous Peoples in Uganda.^[3] The Land Act of 1998 and the National Environment Statute of 1995 protect customary interests in land and traditional uses of forests. However, these laws also authorize the government to exclude human activities in any forest area by declaring it a protected area, thus nullifying the customary land rights of Indigenous Peoples.^[4]           

Uganda has never ratified ILO Convention No. 169, which guarantees the rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples in independent states, and it was absent from the voting on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007.

 This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

The situation of the Benet people

The Benet people, also known as Mosopisyek or Ndorobos, are an Indigenous ethnic group of Kalenjin origin in East Africa, residing on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda. Traditionally hunter-gatherers and animal rearers, they are recognized as a mountain-dwelling community. With an estimated population of over 8,500 individuals (1,600 households) as of 2022, the exact figures will be confirmed in the 2024 census. Recently coded as “Mosopisiek” (Code 582) by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics, this designation marks a significant step in addressing their statelessness and acknowledges their identity beyond the term “Benet”, which originated from a resettlement area used for land distribution.

Benet youth

The year January to December 2024 was marked by both positive and negative developments, ranging from positive dialogues with the government to human rights violations committed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Benet youth are the most active and affected people in the community because they are the ones most engaged in protecting the rights of their families and the Benet community at large. Youth rights are being violated in the Sebei subregion on a daily basis. Many young people, especially men, find themselves engaged in violent encounters with the UWA during grazing times, and young women when they are collecting firewood and wild fruits.

In March 2024, the Government of Uganda initiated a financing programme called the Parish Development Model (PDM). The PDM is a massive, localized government fund that distributes money worth USD 200 to members of the parish for the purposes of agricultural development and business value chain promotions. Many young Benet have not yet accessed any of these funds since most of them lack national identification cards, which is the main requirement for obtaining Parish Development money. Some Benet youth have benefited from this fund but many of them are at a loss as to where to invest these resources since they have no access or rights to land. Most of the land is under government protection for wildlife in Mount Elgon.

Violations of the rights of Benet youth

In 2024 alone, many of the Benet youth were harassed, beaten and shot at during livestock grazing times by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Young people are denied the right to participate in cultural activities in the forest such as visiting their ancestors’ graves and also participating in rituals for cultural purposes and for maintaining a relationship with nature. Due to the continued harassment, lack of jobs, inadequate quality of education, forced labour and loss of rights and connectivity to ancestral forests and places of worship, many Indigenous youth from Benet society have decided to migrate to other urban areas. There has been no good relationship between the youth and the UWA because of the UWA’s continued impounding of cattle belonging to the Benet people.

The youth are finding it hard to live in both Uganda and Kenya as they are often harassed and even killed. This year several incidents were registered targeting youth:

• 11 February 2024: Martin Piswet, a young man, was fatally shot by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) while collecting tree branches for construction. This tragic incident underscores the lack of cooperation between the wildlife authorities in Uganda and Kenya, despite the fact that Mount Elgon is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve shared by Uganda and Kenya.^[5]
• 28 May 2024: Kipet, son of Tyole Stephen Chesebe, was shot and severely injured by UWA rangers, resulting in permanent disability. Such incidents only exacerbate feelings of marginalization and insecurity among the youth.
• May 2024: UWA confiscated livestock and imposed hefty fines (50,000 UGX or approximately USD 13 per head of cattle), driving many youths into deeper poverty and questioning their belonging within their ancestral lands.

Legal action and advocacy

The Benet peoples have been demanding their rights for many years, and they have been able to achieve some successes.

Since 2022, the Benet community has registered over 15 lawsuits and is actively battling human rights violation cases in the High Court of Uganda against the UWA and other associated individuals. Of these 15 cases, only one has been successfully ruled in favour of the Benet community. Several other cases filed with the Uganda Human Rights Commission are still awaiting decisions.

Dialogues have been conducted at various levels, from Local Council III (LC3) to the district and national levels, focusing on health and education issues. These dialogues have been supported by funding from the Danish Embassy through the Minority Rights Group. Towards the end of 2024, a national-level meeting was planned; however, due to logistical challenges, it had to be rescheduled to early January 2025.

In addition, visits were made to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities; Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; and the U.S. Embassy, and discussions were held with USAID, which funds some UWA activities.

The community has also engaged with UNESCO, which has expressed its willingness to collaborate with the Benet community, as Mount Elgon has been designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve.

In November 2024,, through UWA and the district authorities, the government proposed reopening the boundaries between Mount Elgon National Park and the communities. They referred to this initiative as creating “temporary boundary lines” to mitigate the long-standing conflicts in the area. Since then, however, nothing has happened. The community nevertheless asserts ownership of the entire forested land, which they claim as their ancestral home.[6]^{, [7]}

The situation of the Ik people

The state of Ik Indigenous youth of Kaabong District

The Ik people, also called Teuso, are an Indigenous group in north-eastern Uganda's Karamoja Region. They currently live in Kaabong District in the remote areas around Mount Morungole Forest Reserve and Timu Forest Reserve. The Ik depend on crop farming and beekeeping for their livelihood and income. They have small, autonomous communities, with elders and spiritual leaders guiding decisions. Their population is estimated at between 10,000-15,000, mostly youth.

Despite historically low levels of education, several initiatives have been introduced to improve access to education for the Ik youth. Programmes incorporating Indigenous perspectives have helped the youth connect with their roots while acquiring modern skills. Organizations such as Family Care Uganda and Seohyun Foundation Uganda, which offer scholarship programmes, have supported Ik students at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Notably, in August 2024, three Ik students received university scholarships – two State House scholarships to Kampala International University Western Campus (located in Ishaka, Bushenyi District) and one government scholarship to Lira University for sciences. Additionally, five students enrolled in diploma programmes.

In early July 2024., Ik youth started to participate in community decision-making and leadership roles at sub-county, parish, and village levels, empowering them to drive positive change. On 12 August 2024 (International Youth Day), Alice Namongin, an Ik youth, was recognized as one of the 24 Indigenous Youth Fellows under Cultural Survival’s Indigenous Youth Fellowship Programme.^[8] Her six-month project, “Nurture Nature”, raised climate change awareness and championed solutions within the Ik community. In January 2024, several organizations such as Morungole Community Conservancy, Warrior Squad Foundation, and Kara-Tunga Foundation, also launched youth-focused projects.

In response to communication connectivity needs, the youth demanded access to communication, technology and innovation in September 2024, and the company MTN Uganda managed to install a telephone mast that has significantly improved internet network coverage in rural Ik areas, except for Morungole sub-county. This has improved communication, enabling the young people to leverage technology for advocacy and visibility. The Ik youth have established their own social media platforms, which have provided them with a space for sharing stories, raising awareness of Indigenous issues and rights, and mobilizing support for community action.

The challenges facing Ik youth

In March 2024, the Ik peoples faced threats of displacement from their traditional lands due to pressure from Turkana and Karamojong pastoralist groups and conservation projects promoted by the Northern Rangelands Trust and USAID/Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience Activity in the sub-counties of Timu, Morungole, and Kamion. The government authorities, namely the National Forestry Authority (NFA), continues to demand Ik peoples leave their ancestral lands due to forest expansion, and the Ik feel this risks eroding their cultural identity and livelihoods.

In 2024, the Government of Uganda began disbursing funds for the Parish Development Model, a government-led initiative aimed at transforming subsistence households into the cash economy and lifting millions of Ugandans out of poverty. One of the conditions for accessing these funds is possession of a National Identification Number (NINs) or National ID, which many Ik people do not have. This also means that they continue to miss out on vital social services. There is no research to estimate the poverty index among the Ik. However, many Ik youth are not educated and many live in remote and inaccessible areas, restricting their access to jobs, education, and healthcare.

Loupa Pius is the Co-chair of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists East and Southern Africa Working Group (IYRP ESWG).

Yesho Alex Arapsamson is the Director of the Benet Mosop Community Association, a local NGO for the Benet community, which covers Kapchorwa, Kween and Bukwo
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alice Namongin works for Ik Nurture Nature Initiative, and belongs to the IK community of the Karamoja region, Uganda.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Notes and references 

^[1] United Organization of Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBDU). Report on Batwa data. August 2004, p.3.

^[2] Uganda Bureau of Statistics. 2018 Statistical Abstract. May 2019. https://www.ubos.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/05_2019STATISTICAL_ABSTRACT_2018.pdf

^[3] Baker, Dr. Wairama G. “Uganda: The marginalization of Minorities.” Minority Rights Group International (MRG), 3 December 2001, p.9.  https://minorityrights.org/publications/uganda-the-marginalization-of-minorities-december-2001/

^[4] Land Act, 1998, articles 2 and 32, http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/uga19682.pdf; The National Environment Statute, 1995, article 46.

^[5] UNESCO. Man and the Biosphere Programme (AMB). Mount Elgon. https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/mount-elgon

^[6] Marson, Omagor. “Government to Reopen Mt. Elgon National Park Boundaries.” East News, 14 November 2024. https://eastnews.co.ug/2024/11/14/government-to-reopen-mt-elgon-national-park-boundaries/#:~:text=Government%20using%20its%20Surveyors%20is,and%20locals%20neighboring%20the%20park

^[7] The Independent. “Tourism Ministry tasked to resolve Mount Elgon Park boundary disputes.” 15 August 2024. https://www.independent.co.ug/tourism-ministry-tasked-to-resolve-mount-elgon-park-boundary-disputes/

^[8] Cultural Survival. “Meet our 2025 Cohort of Indigenous Youth Fellows.” https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/meet-our-2024-cohort-indigenous-youth-fellows

Tags: Land rights, Youth, Human rights, Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders