About

According to oral history, the Kakuwa—alongside other Karo groups—originated in North Africa, specifically tracing their ancestral roots to Mount Lolowe in present-day Ethiopia. Over generations, the community undertook a protracted migration through what is now Kenya before entering the then South of Sudan. Upon arrival, they established early settlements at Mount Maya and Koro’be, located south of present-day Lainya and east of Yei River County.

From these initial footholds, the Kakuwa ancestors expanded steadily, ultimately occupying the entirety of modern-day counties of Yei River, Morobo, and southern Lainya. As one of the largest communities within the Karo group, their migratory journey did not end there; the Kakuwa grew in population and moved outward into neighboring regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, creating cross-border cultural and familial ties. Today, the Kakuwa maintain a distinct identity characterized by their unique heritage, agricultural lifestyle, and shared linguistic and cultural bonds with their neighboring Karo relatives across South Sudan, Uganda, and the DRC. The Kakuwa are loving, generous, hardworking (farmers and animal keepers), warriors, and non-offensive but just people.