LUGBARA KARI COUNCIL OF ELDERS URGE UNITY AS THEY PAID THEIR LAST RESPECT TO FALLEN PARAMOUNT CHIEF AMIDST LEADERSHIP DISPUTE.

Ayivu and Lugbara Kari cultural institution council of elders during their elder’s council sitting under the traditional tree at Ayivu division headquarters in Onduparaka (All photos by Onzoma Albert)

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

The Lugbara Kari council of elders convened under a traditional tree at the Ayivu Division headquarters in Onduparaka to honor and pay their final respects to their late paramount chief, His Highness Manase Yuma Amuku, the fourth Agofe of Lugbara Kari.

Their core message during this poignant gathering was an urgent appeal for peace, unity, and love among the Lugbara people, specifically addressing the need for harmony, reconciliation, and togetherness within the community and among rival factions.

Elly Ejiku Emo, the Prime Minister of Lugbara Kari, underscored this message, emphasizing peace and unity during the period of mourning. He specifically called upon the rival faction of Lugbara Kari to join them in a peaceful send-off for their fallen Paramount Chief, His Highness Manase Yuma Amuku, who passed away at Arua Regional Referral Hospital.

“As the manager of the funeral I want peace during late’s funeral I know there have been problems here and there but I am calling for peace during the mourning period, everyone who is around should come and join us, we don’t need revenge and we need this funeral to be a peaceful funeral” he said.

The late chief’s leadership and his final wishes were profoundly centered on seeing the Lugbara people united.

Martin Asiku Butele, the Lugbara Kari Secretary General, further urged the two factions to follow proper procedures to achieve unity for the Lugbara people following His Highness Manase Yuma Amuku’s death.

“The whole process of allowing our paramount chief to government Lugbara Kari failed until his death, so it is still a battle between the legitimate governments of the fallen Agofe led by prime minster Elly Ejiku and the defunct faction of Lugbara Kari which was not elected by late himself to come together” he said.

The body of His Highness Manase Yuma Amaku, the 4^th paramount chief (Agofe) of Lugbara Kari cultural institution laying in state under the traditional tree at Ayivu division headquarters in Onduparaka.

The assembly of the council of elders under the traditional tree at the Ayivu Division headquarters in Onduparaka signified a profound cultural moment for the Lugbara Kari institution. His Highness Manase Yuma Amuku, who died at the age of 79, was a highly esteemed figure, known for his roles as a prominent educator, administrator, and leader.

Juda Bayo, Secretary General for the joint reconciliation team of Ayivu and Lugbara Kari, echoed the calls for peace and reconciliation among the Lugbara people and the two rival factions, both during the mourning period and beyond, with the ultimate goal of achieving a united Lugbara Kari.

“It’s unfortunate that we have lost our current paramount chief after his burial we now have a task of electing the new chief for Ayivu Clan who will now be seconded as the paramount chief of Lugbara Kari at that level we shall now meet the paramount chief who was stopped by court and reconcile our differences so that the Lugbara people can come with one paramount chief to lead Lugbara Kari cultural institution” he said.

The deeper context surrounding this gathering and the chief’s passing highlights the significant leadership legacy of Manase Yuma Amuku. Before his transition to cultural leadership, His Highness was a trained schoolteacher, a local government administrator, and a university lecturer. He was widely recognized as an effective trainer and public communicator. He was elected chief of the Ayivu people in May 2023 and subsequently chosen as the fourth Agofe (Paramount Chief) of Lugbara Kari in July 2023, following the passing of his predecessor, Jackson Avutia.

His primary ambition was to modernize and strengthen Lugbara Kari, with the aim of elevating its organizational structure and cultural prominence to be on par with other established traditional Ugandan kingdoms such as Buganda, Bunyoro, and Tooro.

The elders’ strong emphasis on “peace, unity, and love” directly addresses a period of internal friction within the Lugbara Kari Cultural Institution. At the time of his passing, a rival faction had contested his legitimacy and attempted to enthrone an alternative leader, Angelo Pati Alia. These leadership disputes and subsequent court interventions meant that His Highness passed away before his official coronation ceremony could be formalized, despite him holding the institution’s official cultural seal.

Neighboring traditional groups, including the Prime Minister of the Aringa Kingdom, participated in the mourning ceremonies. They reinforced the elders’ messages, appealing to all rival groups to set aside conflict to ensure a peaceful and unified send-off for the late chief.

Following the viewing and council session in Onduparaka, a series of community night vigils are scheduled. These include a display at the elders’ council in Onduparaka on Wednesday, followed by a night vigil at Aricen Church of Uganda. On Thursday, another night vigil will be held at his immediate family residence.

The final church vigil is planned for Friday at Adalafu Church of Uganda. His Highness Manase Yuma Amuku will be laid to rest on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at his ancestral home in Angorovu Cell, Alivu Ward, Ayivu Division in Arua City.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis