Summary:
- The Tobong’u Lore festival annually gathers the Ateker community from Kenya, including the Turkana and Toposa, the Nyangatom from Ethiopia, and the Karamojong and Iteso from Uganda.
KATAKWI: The leaders of the Iteso Cultural Union have called on the Iteso community to revive traditional culinary practices and to preserve the Ateso language in order to uphold and defend Iteso customs and values.
These comments come as Teso prepares to host over 20,000 attendees from more than five counties starting October 1, 2024, in celebration of the Ateker Tobong’u Lore, or “return home” cultural festival, set to take place in Soroti City, Uganda, in November 2024.
The Tobong’u Lore festival annually gathers the Ateker community from Kenya, including the Turkana and Toposa, the Nyangatom from Ethiopia, and the Karamojong and Iteso from Uganda.
The Ateker people share closely related customs, laws, languages, and lifestyles, as well as a common ancestry, though they were separated during migration.
Simon Peter Ojaman, Emorirom advisor for the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) and district councilor for Usuk Parish Councils, recalls the time when Iteso enjoyed meals of heavy, pasty foods known for their health benefits. Ojaman believes that a shift to a low-calorie, imbalanced diet has led to severe health issues.
He urged the Iteso to return to traditional foods such as pasty dishes, Emuna, and cooked blood, which had previously been reserved for pigs.
Additionally, Ojaman encouraged cultural leaders to register for the upcoming event and participate in preparing local foods to showcase tourism capabilities.
Meanwhile, Joseph Okwi and Simon Peter Olungur, ICU members from Katakwi district, emphasize the need to revive the use of the local language as a way to honor cultural practices, such as traditional blessings involving saliva and the use of Emuria, Akaka, and Ejao grasses for blessing children, which have been neglected.
