The Oropom (also known as Iworopom, Oworopom, Oyoropom or Oropoi) were the aboriginal inhabitants of much of Karamoja in Uganda, Mt.
Their descendants were largely assimilated into various communities present in their former territories, including the Iteso, Karamojong, Pokot, Turkana and Bukusu.
While resident in Karamoja region of Uganda, he came across widespread and abundant archaeological material including stone tools and pottery of a nature also found in Karasuk, Turkana and West Pokot districts in Kenya.
Wilson noted that "the material collected, particularly the pottery, reflects such a high degree of skill and artistry in its manufacture, that it is obviously not connected with the much cruder pots of the present occupants of these areas".
Oropom traditions recorded by Wilson capture the extent of their ancient territories: the whole Turkana to a point east of Lake Turkana which the Oropom called "Malimalte", the Cherangani Hills eastward to Lake Baringo, much of the Trans-Nzoia District - all in present-day Kenya; Mt.
Noveli) Wilson (1970) noted that some individuals living among the Karimojong and who claimed Oropom ancestry could be distinguished by their reddish brown skin, "peppercorn hair", slanted eyes, and prominent cheekbones.
Traditions also captured by Wilson note that the Oropom had well-built houses of three to four rooms (unlike the Karamojong), big gardens, and long-horned cattle.
Oral traditions indicate that the expansion of Lwoo speakers into Acholi caused the breakaway of a group who were initially known as Jie.
The Jie who are said to have been Luo speaking though governed by elders and not chiefs (indicating that their culture was not fully Lwoo-ised), advanced eastward and entered the present Karamoja boundary at Adilang.
[6] The Pokotozek whose movements would have greatest impact on the Oropom, moved south, arriving at Nakiloro which lies on the lip of the Turkana escarpment just north of Moroto mountain, where they stayed for a short while before moving further south, proceeding down the eastern side of the Chemorongit and Cherangani mountains before finally branching off in the direction of Lake Baringo.
[9] A Karamojong informant noted in 1916 that Nandi occupied territory previously stretched as far north as the sources of the Nzoia River i.e. Mt.
The Sirikwa population at Mt Elgon, as evidenced by Sirkwa holes, was fairly dense and it is likely that their identity was still largely intact.
They said ‘we are tired of running – it is better that we should all die here together’[15] The Karimajong on the other hand provide a brutal military assessment of the encounter and the state of Oropom society at that point, they note that; "...Their shields were larger than ours but were ineffective as they were made of cowhide.
However they were cowards and their elders had to force the young men to fight us; in doing this, they gathered them together in long lines, securing them one to the other by ropes, to prevent them running away.
This was followed by an extensive and aggressive migration that left the Iteso in control of a large swathe of territory that by 1850 extended as far as the western highlands of Kenya.
[20] Some Oropom refugees fled eastward and found safe haven on the Uasin Gishu plateau where they have been strongly identified with the Uas Nkishu Maasai.