Teso cultural leader burial set for February 19

Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has set February 19 as the date for the burial of the Iteso cultural leader Augustine Osuban Lemukol.

Emorimor died on Saturday at Mulago National Referral Hospital where he was admitted since January 27. Before he was referred to Mulago, Emorimor was admitted to the Covid-19 unit in Soroti for nine days.

On Monday, the government constituted a national burial committee that will be working together with two other committees in Soroti and Serere, where Emorimor is expected to be buried.

However, after consultations with other stakeholders, the government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has released the burial program for Emorimor.

In the program released on Tuesday by Minister Betty Amongi, the last journey for Teso’s cultural leader will begin on Tuesday 15, with the requiem mass at Namugongo Catholic Shrine in Kampala.

The program indicates that Emorimor’s remains will be transported through Tororo where another mass and paying of respect will be conducted on Wednesday before leaving for Soroti.

Tororo has another cluster of Iteso that will be paying tribute to Emorimor before his remains are taken to Soroti sports ground.

On Thursday, different cultural leaders are expected to pay their last respect to Emorimor at Soroti sports ground before the remains are taken to Serere for tributes by district local governments from Teso.

According to the Soroti burial planning committee, most of the activities at the burial of Emorimor shall depict Teso Cultural heritage. Valerian Ejalu, the Deputy Prime Minister for Iteso Cultural Union said that the cultural performances, language and dressing regalia shall be conducted according to Iteso traditions.

Ejalu adds that the committee will be considering a day (s) for the official mourning of Emorimor in the Teso sub-region.

Before the minister released the official burial program, Prof. Francis Omaswa, the chairperson of the National Burial Planning Committee indicated that Parliament will be paying tribute to Emorimor. But this is not indicated in the government’s program.

Jonathan Maraka, the Iteso Cultural Union spokesman says that the decision for Members of Parliament to eulogize the fallen cultural leader was only a proposal by the planning committee members in Soroti which he notes has been overruled in the burial program by the government.

Maraka added that even the contentious debate on the burial site has been overtaken in the program released by the government. On Monday, the issue of the burial site for Emorimor raised eyebrows in Soroti as the majority of the committee members demanded to have the cultural leader buried in Soroti.

*****

URN