By KT Reporter
The former Paramount Chief (Won-Nyaci) of Lango, Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii, will be laid to rest on Saturday, November 22, 2025 — ten days from today. The Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF) leader, who passed away on Monday, November 10, at Lira University Teaching Hospital, will be buried at his ancestral home in Teboke, Maruzi North, Apac District.
The burial date was confirmed following an emergency cabinet meeting of the Foundation held on Tuesday to discuss funeral arrangements. Addressing journalists after the meeting, Jacob Ocen, the LCF spokesperson, confirmed the date and said the Foundation had written to the government formally requesting an official burial in recognition of Mzee Yosam’s contribution to peace and development in Northern Uganda.
Ocen further noted that, in line with Mzee Yosam’s wishes and circumstances before his death, the body will not be taken to the Lango Cultural Centre. He explained that while still alive, Mzee Yosam had been barred by the Lango Cultural Institution (LCI) under the leadership of Eng. Michael Moses Odongo Okune from accessing the centre.
The meeting also invoked Article 8(2) of the LCF Constitution, which empowers the Prime Minister to assume the office of the Paramount Chief for a period of not less than one year as preparations for elections take place. Consequently, Frederick Ogwal Oyee, who also serves as Inono Clan Head, has assumed office effective immediately.
“So now as I speak, even though we have lost our Won-Nyaci, we are happy that he left for us the constitution to guide the operations of the Foundation,” Ocen said, emphasizing the importance of following the law in ensuring orderly leadership transitions.
Born on September 26, 1926, in Awila, now part of Apac District, Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii dedicated his life to service — first as an agricultural officer, and later as a cultural leader who championed unity and development among the Lango people. He studied at Awila Primary School, then Boroboro Demonstration School, later joining Kabalega, before graduating as an Agricultural Assistant from Arapai Agricultural College.
After years in civil service across the then Lango District, Mzee Yosam retired and devoted himself fully to cultural preservation and peace promotion. His leadership was marked by courage — exemplified by his act of personally persuading Lango youths who had joined the NRA rebellion to return home peacefully. According to Benjamin Okii, a long-serving clan chief who worked closely with him, Mzee Yosam’s influence was instrumental in restoring calm in Northern Uganda during turbulent times.
In 2003, Mzee Yosam was elected Chairperson of Clan Leaders during a meeting convened to tackle teenage pregnancy and child marriage, causes he championed passionately. Two years later, in 2005, he was formally installed as the third Paramount Chief (Won-Nyaci) in a ceremony graced by then Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya as the chief guest.
-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
