Teso in Uproar as Gen. Elwelu Destroys Katakwi Shrine

A wave of condemnation has emerged on social media in Teso following reports that Gen. Peter Elwelu ordered the destruction of a significant cultural site in Katakwi District. Over the weekend, bulldozers and caterpillars from Katakwi District Local Government reportedly demolished the Ongima initiation (Asapan) site, also known as Airiget Ongima, under Gen. Elwelu’s orders.

Airiget Ongima is revered as one of the largest initiation sites in Teso, where young men are initiated into adulthood. The site holds historical and cultural significance, having hosted the initiation of Teso Paramount Chiefs (Emorimor), including former Emorimor Augustine Osuban and his successor, Paul Sande Emolot. These ceremonies confer traditional names on the initiates based on their performance, with Osuban receiving the name Lemukol Adugala and Emolot, Etomeileng.

Asapan ceremonies are crucial to Teso culture, instilling courage and training young men in physical strength, skillfulness, and bravery. According to Ignatius Loyola Apuda, a writer and politician from Katakwi, young men traditionally learned hunting skills, oxen ploughing, and crafting tools and weapons like spears and axes during these rites.

“You can't manage Asapan if you're a coward. The toughest test for a young candidate was spearing a huge animal with one blow. They had to spear dangerous beasts like lions or buffaloes and bring back the head or skin," Apuda explained in one of his posts criticizing Gen. Elwelu’s actions.

Reports indicate that Gen. Elwelu, joined by religious leaders such as Dr. Moses Odongo, Archbishop of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches, and Bishop James Israel Tukei of Light Resurrection Ministries, camped at the site for two days, offering prayers and performing a cleansing ceremony. 

Elwelu stated that he had a divine revelation linking the region's challenges, including the "night gangs" known as Owokiwok (the Shakers), to rituals performed at the site.

The general declared that demolishing the site would help restore Teso’s glory and break cycles of poverty and disunity. "This is to restore Teso’s glory—breaking the poverty stains and disunity causing the region to lag behind," he said, adding that the cultural site represented the "consecration of evil" that hindered the region's potential.

Dr. Moses Odongo emphasized the spiritual significance of the act.  

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Bishop Israel Tukei called for continued prayers for Teso, focusing on purging other cultural shrines believed to harbor dark influences.  

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Rev. Fr. Patrick Acedu from Soroti Catholic Diocese praised the unity among religious leaders.  

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However, many Teso community members and cultural advocates criticized the action. Ignatius Loyola Apuda expressed alarm over what he sees as the government’s failure to curb Elwelu’s radical measures. He referenced Elwelu’s controversial role in the 2016 Rwenzururu Palace incident in Kasese, calling for the President’s intervention. "It worries me as an Etesot... that the appointing authority can’t reign on him,” Apuda posted.

Journalist David Oddut voiced concerns over the cultural impact. "By undermining Asapan, he has compromised our cultural identity," Oddut said, emphasizing that Asapan is vital for instilling leadership and values in young men. He condemned the blurring of cultural and religious boundaries. Another commentator, Gilbert, argued for the preservation of Teso’s cultural heritage. “We cannot use poverty as a foundation to kill or undermine these precious elements of our identity. Asapan should be preserved and celebrated,” he said.