HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ENTRY OF CHRISTIANITY INTO KARAMOJA
Early 1923, Major Rayne stood at Kacheliba – today in Kenya - facing the northern direction towards the greater Karamoja. He laconically observed, “This is barren soil for Missionary or European Trader, - neither are, and it is doubtful, if they ever will be, in evidence”. Major Rayne would be proved wrong in a while.
On April 1923, the Rev. H.B. Dillistone of Church Missionary Societies (CMS) who had founded the Boys’ School at Ngora in Teso visited Karamoja. He wrote to CMS Committee in England urging the advisability of commencing work in Karamoja and offering to work there on his return from furlough. But it was later unanimously decided that rather than open work in Karamoja, it would be advisable to build a station at Lira in Lango so as to relieve the staff in Teso of their work on that district and leave them time to work the Karamoja district by itineration.
This was the case for need to secure fertile soil in Lango. Karamoja was seen as a appendage to Lira and Rev, Dillistone’s zeal was diverted to Mbale where he fell sick. With the CMS unwilling to evangelize Karamoja, the issue was shelved for sometime.
On 6th Oct. 1923, Chief Acia Toto ko Obok was angrily stoned to death by his subjects who opposed the payment of taxes to colonial government; that event put in the cold any missionary ambitions for Karamoja, let alone an administrative policy on the matter even by government which already existed in Karamoja as it was already a district.
