Lango cultural leadership wrangles: Women stage nude protest in Lira

A section of elderly women on Thursday staged a nude protest in Lira City over remarks allegedly made by Gender minister, Ms Betty Amongi’s against the paramount chief of Tekwaro Lango ( Lango cultural institution), Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune. 
The demonstration stemmed from Wednesday's meeting held at Lira University chaired by Ms Amongi who doubles as Oyam South MP. 

During the meeting, a total of 118 clan leaders from Lango reportedly denounced the administration of Dr Odongo Okune.  
Armed with placards encrypted with words slamming Ms Amongi, dozens of women asked President Museveni to intervene in the long-standing leadership wrangles. 
The conflict, which has now lasted almost nine years, saw the election of Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune as the new paramount chief (won nyaci) of Lango on February 12, 2017. 

The ceremony saw Odongo anointed with shea butter oil on April 12, 2018, at Lango Cultural Centre in the present Lira City. 
The sitting paramount chief, Yosam Odur Ebii, however, denied his nephew the opportunity to take on the mantle of won nyaci, the most respected office of Lango traditional leadership. 
Earlier on October 18, 2021, Tekwaro Lango under the leadership of Dr Odongo Okune had also asked the President to intervene in the matter, which they describe as very “delicate and emotive”. 

“We write this letter out of our deep concern about the approach adopted by minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon Betty Amongi to manage the above long-standing issue as instructed in your letter to her (copied to us) ref: PO/1 of 24th February 2021,” a letter addressed to the President and seen by this newspaper read.  
The faction claimed Ms Amongi was planning to convene a meeting of “handpicked” clan chiefs (Owitong) of Lango without the involvement of Tekwaro Lango leadership. 
“We were not consulted nor invited or involved in arranging this meeting. The purpose and agenda are unknown to us though we have a clue to the intended endgame given the past incidents as narrated herein,” Tekwaro Lango added. 

“Your Excellency, we sadly report to you that the team you have currently deployed in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development...are least preferred and unable to handle the issues surrounding Lango Cultural leadership matters as presented to you.” 
However, Ms Amongi, while meeting a section of clan leaders at Lira University on October 20, 2021 was quoted as saying that her ministry knew Mzee Yosam Odur of Lango Cultural Foundation as the genuine paramount chief of Lango. 

She said the President had tasked her to ensure the long-standing dispute is solved amicably.
“So, His Excellency, cannot call for a meeting of this nature due to Covid-19. So, 118 clan leaders out of 149 [we have in Lango] who attended the meeting have unanimously indicated that Mzee Yosam Odur should continue serving as the paramount chief and that is the one that is in our national Gazette,” Ms Amongi said.
Whereas Ms Amongi’s ministry puts the number of clans in Lango at 149, Tekwaro Lango’s figures stand at 164.