Omot was born in a refugee camp in Nairobi, Kenya to Pillow and Kwot Omot. His parents and brother Aba lived in the camp for three years, following a dangerous 440-mile journey from Gambela, Ethiopia to the Kenyan border in escape from an ongoing civil war. They were arrested, spending one week in prison, before being freed with help from the United Nations and settling in the camp, which was crowded and did not provide adequate food. In 1996, Omot's mother and siblings moved to Minnesota with the help of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. However, his father was barred from the United States due to medical reasons.