Gulu Resident Judge George Okello in a ruling delivered on Friday however dismissed Adokorach’s applications and instead ordered to have Okoya's body interred at his main home in Owak cell, Agonga ward in Pece-Laroo division in Gulu city
A potrait of the late Severino Okoya Kiberu.
The High Court in Gulu has
ordered the burial of Severino Kiberu Okoya, the father to former Holy Spirit
Movement rebel leader Alice Lakwenan at his main home in Owak cell, Agonga ward, Pece-Laroo division in Gulu city
This comes more than three months
after his eldest daughter Doreen Adokorach secured a temporary injunction blocking
her siblings and other family members from burying Okoya’s
remains in Pece-Laroo division.
Okoya died at his home in Awere cells,
in Pece-Laroo Division in Gulu City on July 13 aged 99. Disagreements however soon ensued between
Adokorach, her siblings and other family members on where to bury his remains.
Through her lawyer Donge & Co
Advocates, Adokorah sought an injunction stopping Okoya’s burial in Bungatira Sub- County claiming the deceased instead wished to have his body interred in
Unyama Subcounty.
Adokorach told the court in her
affidavits that the deceased left two separate wills authored between 2015 and
March 19, 2024, while still alive instructing her to bury his body in Unyama Sub-County.
She asked the court to reject her
sibling’s and other family members' pleas to bury Okoya per the Acholi tradition
and accused them of chasing away Okoya from his ancestral home.
Gulu Resident Judge George Okello in a ruling delivered on Friday however dismissed Adokorach’s applications and instead ordered to have Okoya's body interred at his main home in Pece-Laroo division. In
his verdict, Justice Okello dismissed the applicant’s documents tendered in
court questioning its authenticity and citing discrepancies in the names of villages
in Unyama Sub-County.
Justice Okello highlighted that
the recent document tendered in court purportedly authored by the deceased in
2015 indicated the land bought is situated in Oding village whereas the applicant's
affidavit shows the deceased bought land in Pabit village. He noted that the
two villages are distinct and to confirm the matter, no copy of the land sales agreement
was tendered in the court.
Justice Okello also dismissed the
applicant’s claims that her father had been chased away by his children and
family members and had no good relationship with them because of his faith because
the affidavit lacked facts.
He explained that records show
that the deceased had no objection while still alive to prevent the burial of his
deceased wife and children among them Alice Lakwena on his land in Bungatira Sub-County.
According to Justice Okello, the deceased received continued support from his
children and family members up to the time of illness arguing that the attempt
to paint bad blood between the deceased and his children by the plaintiff wasn’t
well crafted.
Justice Okello noted that the
deceased home in Bungatira is a suitable place for the interment of Okoya’s
remains adding that the altar site at Pabit village in Unyama Sub-County is a no-go
zone since it has no home, and its ownership is still shrouded.
In his ruling, Justice Okello
issued five orders to the respondent, among them to have Okoya’s remains buried
in Owak Cells, in Agonga Parish, in Bungatira Sub-County, and that the body be
released from the fourth infantry division morgue to the deceased son Robinson
Kaunda.
He also ordered that Okoya’s body
should be buried within 10 days and issued a permanent injunction to the
applicant from interfering in any manner with the burial arrangement. Justice
Okello however noted that the applicant, family members and members of the New
Jerusalem are free to attend the burial provided law and order will be
maintained.
“Given my analysis, the
application by the applicant fails and I hereby order each party to bear their costs
given their relationship,” Justice Okello ruled.
Kaunda lauded the court for its
verdict and noted that they would conduct the burial of their father within
just five days. Adokrach on the other hand welcomed the ruling and pledged to
abide by it.
Bureau Chief, West Acholi