Teso ministers plot to replace Emorimor

Disagreements have erupted in Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) cabinet over Emorimor Augustine Osuban Olemukol’s leadership, with some ministers plotting to replace him.
They accuse the Emorimor of lacking skills to serve the institution.

Daily Monitor has learnt that two factions, one led by the deputy prime minister of ICU, Mr Vance Omome, and another by prime minister Paul Sande Emolot are reportedly plotting meetings to have a vote of no confidence against the Emorimor for allegedly failing to grow the institution.

On Monday, ministers allied to Emorimor Osuban called for an emergency meeting to persuade the Emorimor to dissolve the cabinet in order to survive the onslaught against him, but this newspaper understands that the Emorimor refused to heed to the request.

He reportedly said he would make the decision on November 9, when ICU council convenes.
Mr Jonathan Maraka, the spokesperson of ICU, denies knowledge of the Monday meeting.

He, however, said: “Some members in the cabinet have been campaigning for the seat without justifications, and it’s true some members in the cabinet are planning to unseat the Emorimor.”

He condemned the action, and said this was an irresponsible and unlawful way of taking over the leadership of the cultural institution.
“Seeds of confusion have been sowed and this division should be handled with care,” he said.

Mr Maraka said unless a formal application for retirement is granted by the ICU council and the delegate committees, which are the supreme decision-making bodies of the institution, nobody has the mandate to campaign. “That act will be treated as a coup,” he said.

Mr Emolot refuted allegations against him.
“That is propaganda with intent to spoil my reputation. This humble servant (himself) has been serving Papa Emorimor with total humility and I’m still at Papa’s service. For sure, I’m not plotting against papa’s leadership. Whoever is saying so is just making false allegations against me,” he added.

He said he has ambitions but only if Emorimor gives way for those interested to campaign.
Mr Emolot blamed the institution’s spokesperson for misleading the public to think that the institution is hereditary.

“ICU constitution provides for circumstances under which the new Emorimor can be elected. The grounds include; when he is incapacitated, sickness, when he dies or resigns, but it’s not hereditary,” he said.
Mr Emolot said the institution is not in a monarchy.
Mr Omome also denied plans to oust Emorimor. “I only challenged Emorimor to prepare successors in a meeting recently, that is all,” Mr Omome said.

He said the architects of this propaganda are the enemies of the institution, and most corrupt.
He added that the ICU constitution provides for the election of Emorimor on grounds of incapacitation or when he misbehaves.
“I only challenged Emorimor to prepare successors in a meeting recently, that is all,” Mr Omome told Daily Monitor.

“I have no idea of alleged plan to oust Emorimor from the throne. But what I know is that this issue at one point came up during a delegates meeting when he said that he had heard that some of us were planning to succeed him. We openly told him that yes,” Mr Omome said.

Cultural union

Mr Augustine Osuban Olemukol was elected as Emorimor on November 21, 1998. An election in which the founder member of ICU, Paphrus Edimu Imodot, was defeated at Soroti SS grounds.

He was later inaugurated on April 20, 2000, at Airinget shrine in Katakwi District, where the Iteso, in the 18th Century, used to declare war on other communities. The inauguration ceremony involved an initiation ceremony from childhood to adulthood, a process that involved a number of cultural rituals.

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