Karamoja was the locus of economic prosperity in the area vaguely defined as the British sphere of influence in Uganda for more than ten years after its establishment. It was ivory from Karamoja and not the richness and fertility of Buganda, which was the key to revenue earning in the area. The highly competitive exploitation of this commodity has been described by several writers.1 In the last decade of the nineteenth century a great trading centre had grown up at Manimani in central Karamoja and large numbers of foreigners —British, Greeks, Swahilis, Baluchis—vied for the profits from this trade. Before the completion of the railway, only ivory could assure a return large enough to cover the high costs of transportation to the coast. Even in the first years after the railway had reached Lake Victoria, ivory continued to occupy the predominant position as a source of revenue for the Protectorate Government. In 1903, ivory accounted for £26,000 of a total export value of £43,000.2 Ivory in 1904 was still considered significant enough to necessitate the establishment of a government post at Mbale. This was done in order to divert the ivory trade to the west of Mount Elgon, so that the revenues earned from the trade were not siphoned off illegally through Mumias, recently transfer¬ red to the East African Protectorate.®