The cattle raiding era of 1986 to 1988 did not mean well not only for the people of my home area of Sironko, but also for many innocent victims in neighbouring districts of Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions of northern and eastern Uganda. Out of the horrendous insecurity, my siblings and I experienced nights in the banana plantations or sometimes submerged in a 2000 litre water tank to escape the deadly attacks.

Often times, we heard of multiple deaths in the village the next morning. Known for their breath-taking colourful beadwork/leather work, these nomadic Karamojong rustlers were also brutal, they killed anyone in their path based on the cultural belief that all the cattle in the world belongs to them. They were skilled hunters with exceptional mastery of the AK47 rifle, bow and arrow and other indigenous weapons.

I commenced this work in 2009 (though incomplete) as a remonstration against such acts of social cultural destruction in the hope that those who perpetuate such acts learn to engage in humane livelihoods and peaceful coexistence.