The Bamasaba cultural leader and his Acholi counterpart, His Highness David Ocen II, have agreed to utilize Mato Oput, a traditional reconciliation mechanism, to resolve murder cases between the Bamasaba and Acholi communities.
The Umukuka III of the Bamasaba people, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, made these remarks while meeting a delegation from the Acholi community, which had traveled to Bugisu to follow up on a case in which one Migisu, Nambale Alex, is alleged to have unlawfully caused the death of an Acholi man, Godfrey Ocira.
The unfortunate incident occurred last month in Kapchowa District when a truck knocked Godfrey Ocira, an employee of Kawa Com Coffee Company, to his death. The cultural leader of the Acholi people wrote to his counterpart, the Umukuka of the Bamasaba, seeking to resolve the incident through traditional resolution mechanisms commonly used in Acholi culture.
One well-known example of this practice was the Kanyumunyu and Acena killing case, where Kanyumunyu unlawfully took the life of Mr. Acena. This case was resolved through the Mato Oput process.
Under Ugandan municipal law, it is an offense to take away the life of another, and if both mens rea (the intention) and actus reus (the act) are established during the commission of the offense, the accused can face the death penalty for unlawful homicide, as outlined in Article 22 of the Ugandan Constitution and Section 188 of the Penal Code.
Mato Oput is a cultural practice of resolving conflicts through reconciliation, where the accused acknowledges their wrongdoing and makes a confession before elders. Following the confession, a compensation stage begins, where the accused may be required to offer compensation to the victim’s family.
In some cases, the accused may also kneel before the deceased’s family to ask for forgiveness, particularly in crimes that were not premeditated.
The Acholi delegation visited Bugisu to introduce this long-held Acholi method of conflict resolution to the Bamasaba community.
The Umukuka III, His Highness Jude Mudoma, welcomed the use of traditional methods in resolving conflicts that arise unexpectedly.
Steven Masiga is the spokesperson for the Bamasaba cultural institution.
