Amuru

 

Elders in Lakang parish in Amuru Sub County have called for the traditional cleansing of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Milton Odongo following a recent protest against the directors of Madhvani group of companies; in which they were pelted with stones and women undressed in public to show their anger.

 

Mr Odongo who had accompanied the Madhvani directors said that the aim of the visit was to “identify at least 30 people from the villages of Bana, Lakang, Kololo and host them at Kakira Sugar Works in Jinja so that they can appreciate development and clearly be able to see the benefits a sugar factory in Amuru.”

 

They also wanted to hold a public viewing of a film demonstrating the proposed Sugar project in Amuru, but were met with protests, abuse, pelting of stones and throwing of arrows and spears and women undressing before them.

 

The village Chief (Rwot Kweri) of Lakang parish Mr Justine Komakech said “it is an abomination for a young man like Odongo Milton to see the nakedness of grey haired women because it is already a clear misfortune in his life.”

 

However the outspoken RDC when contacted accepted that the women stripped before him but that, “that kind of protest will not stop the implementation of government programs, because Madhvani has won the case against the people in Amuru,” adding further that he and the directors only fled because the residents were holding bows and arrows, but reiterated that such resistance was not going to stop Madhvani from accessing land that rightfully belongs to him.

 

Milton Odongo dismissed claims of any ritual cleaning arguing that he does not believe in “those things” and nothing would happen to him; and that “if leaders in Lakang want to change their diet by feasting on goats and sheep, they should not use Odongo as an excuse.” 

 

“I have seen many nakedness like the Karamoja women, mad women on the streets, and children among others and am not scared because I was only trying to implement a court order” Odongo told this reporter.

 

He vowed that whether the people of Lakang wanted it or not, they will vacate the land in question even if he (Odongo) leaves Amuru as the RDC because the court order has already given Madhvani possession.