The Lango community is preparing for a significant cultural event—the coronation of their new Paramount Chief, also known as the Won Nyaci. This event is scheduled for November 2, 2024. The community is actively raising funds to ensure the event’s success.
On March 1, 2024, Eng. Moses Michael Odongo Okune was elected as the new Won Nyaci by the Owitong (clan leaders). He will replace the current Paramount Chief, Yosam Odsur Ebii, who is stepping down due to age and health issues.
A joint meeting of the council of Owitong and the Coronation Organising Committee took place on May 25, 2024, at the Cultural Centre in Lira City. It was decided that the coronation ceremony would be held at the Lira Golf Course.
The coronation process will begin with the Owitong picking up the Won Nyaci-elect from his ancestral home in Ibuje, Apac district. They will take him to Otuke Hill in Otuke district for a dedication prayer before proceeding to the Golf Course for the main ceremony. Otuke Hill is a sacred place for the Lango people, believed to be where they camped after migrating from Ethiopia.
During the meeting, it was discussed that the Owitong should dress in traditional attire—shorts and vests with part of the body covered in animal skin. Women will wear bongo kor, a traditional dress. While there was some opposition to this dress code, it was agreed that dressing traditionally would be optional, but mandatory for those accompanying the Won Nyaci to Otuke.
The coronation ceremony is expected to cost UGX 2.8 billion. This money will be raised by the organising committee, clan leaders, well-wishers, friends, and the government. Denis Hamson Obua, the chairperson of the Central Organising Committee, emphasized the need for diligent fundraising to make the event memorable. A fundraising meeting is scheduled for June 12, 2024, in Kampala, targeting Lango people living in Kampala, Jinja, and Entebbe, along with friends of the Lango community.
In addition to the coronation, there are plans to build a new palace for the Lango Paramount Chief. The palace construction is estimated to cost UGX 3.5 billion. The new plan for the palace has been approved, and UGX 1 billion has been released to start the construction. Ubuntu Construction Company Ltd will handle the construction, and a groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place before the end of the year.
Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti, the secretary of the Central Organising Committee, presented a report from the 14 committees formed to organize the coronation. The event will host approximately 11,000 guests, including 1,000 very important persons (VIPs), 2,000 VIPs, and 8,000 other guests.
The cultural institution has bank accounts at Housing Finance Bank and Centenary Bank for those who wish to contribute to the event. The account numbers are Housing Finance Bank A/C No. 1200192412 and Centenary Bank A/C No. 3100108409.
Odongo Okune thanked the community for their support and urged the Owitong to thoroughly review the draft constitution to ensure it unites the people of Lango and fosters good relations with the central government. He also emphasized the importance of understanding what defines a clan in Lango to prevent the unnecessary creation of new clans.
Historically, the Lango had three clans—Aral, Atek, and Okarowok. However, due to various conflicts, the number of clans has grown to about 150. Okune expressed concern about people from outside Lango, who, after learning the Lango language and integrating into the community, are seeking clan membership and even aspiring to become Paramount Chief.
Okune also urged parents to send their children back to school as the new term began on May 27, 2024, and cautioned against the spread of red eye disease in the area, advising people to wash their hands regularly and avoid shaking hands.
