By Emmanuel Okol

It’s a known fact that the Iteso people are a historical people from Abyssinia among the Habesha people of the Solomonid Dynasty in Ethiopia. They are from The Empire of Ethiopia and Eritrea, historically known as Abyssinia, was in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea.

At its height, the empire also included Southern Egypt, Eastern Sudan, Yemen, and Western Saudi Arabia. It existed in various forms from 980 B.C. until 1974 when the monarchy was overthrown in a coup d’etat. Led by a pro-Soviet Marxist-Leninist military junta, the “Derg”, led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, deposed Haile Selassie and established a one-party communist state.

The leaders of the Iteso Cultural Union have called on the Iteso community to revive traditional culinary practices and to preserve the Ateso language 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, lifestyles, and 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.

However, Iteso clan names reveal a history of long-standing ethnic interactions. Names of Bantu and Northern Nilotic origin are found among them which is why you find Akol among the Dinka Sudan ethnic groups is also found among the Iteso,ochan both among the Sudanic luo and Iteso, uchalla for luo in Western Bhar elghazal and and Ocholla for Iteso. Ukello for Sudan luo and Okello for Iteso and Acholi.