The Kakwa are an ethnic group primarily found in the border regions of northwestern Uganda, southwestern South Sudan, and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

They are part of the larger Nilo-Saharan language family, and their traditional homeland spans across these three countries, reflecting both historical and cultural ties in the region.

[6] According to the Kakwa oral tradition, they migrated out of East Africa (Nubian region) from the city of Kawa in between the third and fourth cataracts of the Nile.

As the British colonial empire[7] expanded into East Africa and Egypt, the region with Kakwa people became a part of the Uganda Protectorate.

After the clashes in Juba in 2016, the fighting largely shifted to the previously safe haven of Equatoria, where the bulk of SPLM-IO forces went for shelter.

Polygyny is accepted and practiced, while Christian and Islamic traditions form part of the Kakwa people’s [cultural value systems and living style].

[1][3] The Kakwa people traditionally consume a variety of cultural foods, including maize, cassava, sorghum, millet, beans, cowpeas, sesame, groundnuts, and palm oil.