On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court judgment nullifying the election of Moses Attan as the Soroti City East Member of Parliament. The Court of Appeal Judges Cheborion Barishaki, Stephen Musota, and Christopher Gashirabake also ordered Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections for Soroti City East.
Last week, the court issued interim orders following an application filed by the ICU Founder members and elders. They are William Alloch Akoll, Joseph Okadapao, Martin Alfred Aruo, Stephen Enokokin, Joyce Asekenye, Polly Apio, and Lydia Agoda.
The Soroti High Court Assistant Registrar, Jessica Chemeri issued the orders on Monday after hearing of an application filed by the founder members of ICU early last month. The applicants are William Alloch Akoll, Joseph Okadapao, Martin Alfred Aruo, Stephen Enokokin, Joyce Asekenye, Polly Apio and Lydia Agoda.
The list was revealed by the Soroti District Communications Officer, Abraham Ekwaru during an exclusive interview with our reporter on Friday ahead of the launch of the compensation exercise today - Saturday. President Yoweri Museveni is expected in Soroti today to launch the compensation of war claimants in the Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions.
In Katakwi, the LCIII Chairperson of Palam Sub County Chairperson Emmy Ojirot and the District Male Councilor representing Ngariam Sub County, Francis Okwameri, were appointed as Deputy RDCs for Kapelebyong and Kalaki Districts respectively.
According to Beatrice Omese, the Chairperson of Teso Widows’ Development Association, who presented requests for the tractor, financial support to boost their savings and the nursing school under construction in Soroti.
Anthony Bernard Okanyum of Okanyum Musana & Co. Advocates, says that there were a number of irregularities during the installation of the caretaker Emorimor.
Jamba Simon Peter Kwagala, the Public Relations Officer at the Attorney General’s Office says the tentative date for the launch of the program is March 26, 2022, at Soroti University.
The ICU Cabinet led by Augustine Omare- Okurut was conspicuously absent during the ICU council meeting. Omare and his group insist that the ICU Council is not legitimate since the former Emorimor had suspended it before his death.
In the ICU Council 2019 election, the institution’s Electoral Commission allegedly violated the rights to vote of special interest groups like the People with Disabilities, Youth, and Women when they failed to consider them in the elections.
According to Msgr. Robert Echogu, the chairperson of the five-member harmonization committee appointed by the former Emorimor, Augustine Osuban Lemukol, they had invited selected members from the ICU Cabinet, Council and other stakeholders.
Prior to his death, the former Emorimor, Augustine Osuban Lemukol had suspended all ICU members over the alleged irregularities and inconsistencies in the November 2019 elections. The suspension of the ICU Council was recommended by the Harmonization Committee chaired by Msgr. Robert Ecogu of Soroti Catholic Diocese.
The Iteso Council Union Council, John Francis Okuma in a letter dated February 21, 2022, to the Ministry said that the ICU Constitution mandates the council chairperson to caretake the office of the Emorimor for six months as they organize for the election of the next cultural leader.
Ojaamong, who led a delegation of more than 200 Iteso from Kenya said that Emorimor helped the Iteso in Kenya to acquire a home from the Bomas of Kenya, the largest auditorium in Africa found in Langata, Nairobi. The village features replicas of traditional homesteads from 23 of Kenya's ethnic groups. It also features traditional dances performed in its large auditorium.
William Alloch Okot, the Chairperson of Iteso Cultural Union- ICU founder members, says mourning is compulsory for all the Iteso. “We want to see all Iteso who come to bury papa: be it, professors, vice-president or ministers, shed tears. Without shedding a tear, you are branded a witch”, Alloch is quoted in the media to have said.
His Deputy Prime Minister, Valerian Ejalu, says that Osuban was a uniting factor who brought together the Iteso from other places including Katakwa in Kenya.
On Monday, the government constituted a national burial committee that will be working together with two other committees in Soroti and Serere, where Emorimor is expected to be buried.
William Alloch Akol, the Chairperson of the ICU Founders said that Emorimor should be buried on the land that was last month donated to the Union Soroti District Local Government
The president added that Emorimor will be accorded official burial. “I, therefore, in the great memory of Emorimor Papa Augustine Lemukol, declare an Official Burial. My condolences to the Teso Kingdom, relatives, and well-wishers,” the post concludes.
The land donated by the district is the first and only asset acquired by the institution since its inception in 1997. The cabinet hopes to use the land to erect office space and accommodation for Emorimor in Soroti.
