The Kwegu or Muguji is one of the smallest tribes in Omo Valley, living in small villages along the Mago River. The Kwegu speak the Kwegu language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language family.Â Unlike the other tribes, the Kwegu do not have cattle. They are hunters and live off the land. Small games are trapped by the tribe for food, but they also eat fruits and honey if available. They are largely dependent on the Omo River for fish to eat. They spend a large part of their time on the river and are noted for their canoe-making skills. Close relatives to the Kwegu are the Karo people. It is often that you can find Kwegu and Karo people living together or even marrying each other.

The Kwegu are an ethnic group that lives on the western banks of the Omo River in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. Some members of the Kwegu also live on the eastern banks of the river among the Mursi. Previously they were hunter-gatherers, but today they are engaged in a mixed economy of hunting, farming, beekeeping, and fishing. The Kwegu people (or Muguji people) are hunter-gathering and agro-fishery people of Surmic ethnic extraction inhabiting the shores of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia. The ethnic Kwegu who are one of the smallest ethnic groups in Ethiopia with the population of about 700 and facing extinction resides predominantly Southwest, Omo River west bank, Kuchur village, and a small group in the north. The Kwegu are known to the Karo as Muguji. Muguji is a derogatory name meaning 'Working Ant.' The Kwegu live under the protection of the powerful Nyag'atom people who are their neighbours. During the 20th Century, they have been serfs of the Mursi, then of the Karo who mistreated them before they moved to Nyag'atom land. Unlike the other tribes in the Omo Valley Kwegu do not have cattle. They are primarily fishermen, hunters and cultivators, they spend a large part of their time on the river and are noted for their canoe-making skills. The speed of the river's current and the dangers from the crocodiles render these skills vital. Administratively, the Kwegu live in Nyangatom district. They share an administrative district with the Nyangatom and the Murle peoples of the Lower Omo Valley. This valley is a vast semi-arid region of Southwest Ethiopia with some unique features of biodiversity and a large number of distinct, indigenous agro-pastoral and fishing communities. More specifically, the Kwegu live on the bank of the Omo Rive and are known as riverine people. The Omo River is the largest water body available to the Kwegu; it flows southwards starting from the Ethiopian highlands and turns into Turkana Lake on the Ethiopia-Kenya border. The Kwegu use boats to cross the river, not only being skillful users of boats, but also expert boat builders. It is the only means of transportation that connects the Kwegu with their Mursi neighbors. Based on the location of their settlements, the Kwegu can be classified into three groups: southern, central, and northern Kwegu. The southern settlements are near the Kara, Nyangatom, and Hamar peoples, the central settlements are close to the Mursi people, and their northern settlements are near the Bodi people. Kuchuru is the largest Kwegu settlement with 120 households. This village is located at about 400 meters above sea level and 42 km from the administrative center of the Nyangatom district, Kangaten.

They are believed to be the oldest settlers in this part of the Omo River coming from the eastern part of the Omo Valley where the Arbore tribes are located. They speak a Nilo- Saharan language but speak more languages than anyone in the Omo valley and this is because they develop a peaceful socio-economic tie with the neighboring tribes. They live at the confluence of the Mao and Omo Rivers. The Kwegu practice a more diverse subsistence economy, they are said to be the best beekeepers, and the honey is used for consumption and traded in the market. Hunting is another occupation, mainly Hippos, crocodile,s and Fishing. They are also the best boat makers and Captains, the only means of transportation on the Omo River. Based on settlement location, the Kwegu can be divided into three groups, Sothern, Centran, and Northern Kwegu. The Southern Kwegu settlements are near the Karo, Nyangatom, and Hamer. The Central settlements are near the Mursi while the northern settlements are near the Bodi. The Kwegu men and women shave clean their heads, and both wear a metal lip plug. The women wear plastic beads and decorated goat skin dresses. The men do not adorn their bodies with paintings. The Kwegu only practice arranged marriage and the parents, on both sides, will be invited to the process after the couple agrees to live together. Marriage through abduction is not allowed. The Kwegu do not have cattle at all, but through a dyadic- patron relationship with the Mursi, they get cattle to be paid for the marriage arrangements in return the Kwegu give meat, ivory, leather, work on the field and honey to the Mursi. But they do not have any marriage or sexual relationship with the Mursi because the Kwegu do not have cattle and the Mursi believe that any sexual relationship would bring cattle death. The relationship they have with the Mursi enables them to develop the capacity of learning how to grow sorghum, maize, and cowpeas along the bank of the Omo River. The Kwegu have a relationship with the Karos through belmo a bond- partnership, but keep their boundaries through different lines like marriage, sexual relationship, food, and drinking. However, the Kwegu do have a socio-economical relationship with the Nyagatom due to the openness and pride of the Nyangatom to give protection for those who have a sense of insecurity from the neighboring enemies, and for this the Kwegu give access to local resources like grazing land for the Nyangatom. The Nyangatom do not look down on the Kwegu and allow marriage and sexual relationships between them. They share an administrative district with the Nyangatom and their largest village Kuchuru 400 m as l and 42 km (about 26.1 mi) from Kangate the administrative center of the Nyangatom. They have spiritual political leaders called emunkapen and pankagudel who are responsible for the restoration of the well-being of their people, conflict Resolution, and bringing or stopping the rain.

The Kwegu or Muguji are one of the smallest tribes in Omo Valley, living in small villages along the Mago River. The Kwegu speak the Kwegu language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language family. Unlike the other tribes, the Kwegu do not have cattle. They are hunters and live off the land. Small games are trapped by the tribe for food, but they also eat fruits and honey if available. They are largely dependant on the Omo River for fish to eat. They spend a large part of their time on the river and are noted for their canoe-making skills. Close relatives to the Kwegu are the Karo people. It is often that you can find Kwegu and Karo people living together or even marrying each other. The Kwegu people (or Muguji people) are hunter-gathering and agro-fishery people of Surmic ethnic extraction inhabiting the shores of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia. The ethnic Kwegu who are one of the smallest ethnic groups in Ethiopia with the population of about 700 and facing extinction resides predominantly Southwest, Omo River west bank, Kuchur village, and a small group in the north. A young Kwegu man. The Kwegu (known to the Karo as Muguji – a degoratory name meaning ‘Working Ant’) are the smallest tribe living on the banks the Omo River in southwest Ethiopia. Only 500 to 600 strong, they live under the protection of the powerful Nyag’atom people who are their neighbours. During the 20th Century, they have been serfs of the Mursi, then of the Karo who mistreated them before they moved to Nyag’atom. The Kwegu are known to the Karo as Muguji. Muguji is a derogatory name meaning ‘Working Ant.’ The Kwegu live under the protection of the powerful Nyag’atom people who are their neighbours. During the 20th Century, they have been serfs of the Mursi, then of the Karo who mistreated them before they moved to Nyag’atom land. Unlike the other tribes in the Omo Valley Kwegu do not have cattle. They are primarily fishermen, hunters and cultivators, they spend a large part of their time on the river and are noted for their canoe-making skills. The speed of the river’s current and the dangers from the crocodiles render these skills vital.

The Kwegu tribe live at the confluence of the Mago and Omo rivers but they also mingle with the Mursi and the Karo. They are specialists in beekeeping and fishing. The Kwegu people are predominantly pastoralists, but those living at lower altitude practice mixed farming. They have a tradition of beekeeping. Hives (known as Wera) are constructed by men from brushwood, creeping plants, and barks, and covered with grasses. Each man owns 15-20 hives which are hung from forest trees along the riverbank. The Kwegu tribe lives on the honey as well as trading it in the local markets. The traditional leaders of the Kwegu tribe are the Imunkapen and the Pankagudel. The Kwegu build boats, known as Gaggi, which are their only means of transport along this stretch of the Omo. The boats are made by hollowing out a large tree, such as the fig (Ficus sp.). The young Kwegu men then build the craft using local handmade tools, with the construction process overseen by the more experienced men. These large boats can carry 8-10 men and are propelled by a long Y-shaped pole. The main diet of the Kwegu tribe is either dry porridge or a kind of bread made from sorghum and maize, with boiled coffee or milk. The honey they produce constitutes a large part of their diet. Kwegu women shave their hair clean with a razor blade. They also wear a lower lip plug and adorn themselves with beads and jewelry. Women wear dresses made from lather which is designed in their traditional style with unique decorations made from nails. The tribesmen are visibly less adorned than men from neighboring tribes. The Kwegu value consensual marriage, and abductions are considered taboo.

The Kwegu speak a language which is Nilo-Saharan. There is 36% lexical similarity with the Mursi and, depending on the area where they live, they use the Bodi dialect of Me'en or Mursi as second languge. The Kwegu live in symbiotic relationship with the Mursi, which by some anthropologists is considered more of tribal dominance, in which the Mursi dominates the Kwegu. The Kwegu serve the Mursi by providing them with honey, games and are available to ferry them across the Omo, for the Kwegu are expert in crossing through the swift currents of the Omo River. In return, the Mursi benefit the Kwegu by assisting them to obtain cattle (which the Kwegu do not have) which is the vital part of bride wealth and without which they cannot get married.

The Kwegu people of Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley are facing starvation because of the loss of their land to a huge sugar plantation, the destruction of their forest and the damming of the Omo river - supported by a UK, EU and World Bank funded 'aid' program. Local sources report that the Kwegu, the smallest and most vulnerable tribe in Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley, are suffering severe shortages of food and facing starvation. The situation follows from the enclosure of much of their land for the huge Kuraz sugar plantation, the destruction of their forest and the damming of the river on which they depend for fish and flood irrigation of crops. The Kwegu, believed to number no more than 1,000, hunt, fish and grow crops along the banks of the Omo River. Although the smallest of the indigenous tribes of the Omo valley, they are the original people of the area who have lived there, according to our source, "since time immemorial". Now the massive Gibe III dam and associated large-scale irrigation infrastructure for commercial plantations on their land and that of other ethnic groups has stopped the Omo River's regular annual floods.

The global movement for tribal peoples’ rights, Survival International, says it has received reports that an Ethiopian tribe, the Kwegu, is facing severe hunger. Their plight is blamed on the destruction of surrounding forests and the drying up of the river on which their livelihoods depend. The Kwegus live along the banks of the Omo River in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley. The tribe, which includes about 1,000 people, hunt, fish and grow crops along the river banks. Survival International reports that the massive Gibe III Dam and large-scale irrigation taking place in the region is robbing the Kwegu of their water and fish supplies. “The situation with the Kwegu is extremely serious. Survival has received very alarming reports that they are now starving, and this is because they hunt and they fish and they grow plants along the side of the river Omo. All of this livelihood now, right as I speak, is being destroyed,” said Elizabeth Hunter, an Africa Campaign Officer for Survival International. She explained that the Gibe III, a hydro-electric dam billed as the tallest in Africa, would stop the Omo River’s floods and destroy fish stocks. The Kwegu and other tribes depend on flood waters to help cultivate crops alongside the river bank. In addition, Hunter said a massive land grab is taking place under the direction of the Ethiopian government to create plantations along the Omo River.