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Court Orders Burial of Lakwena’s Father

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.

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