SOROTI – The Iteso Cultural Union House of Elders have written to the office of the Attorney General asking them to block the ongoing process of electing the new Iteso Cultural Union leader slated for July 2022.
On July 12, 2022, the ICU Electoral commission is expected to receive nomination forms from candidates who picked. as it stands only one candidate picked the forms to run as Emorimor
Through their lawyers M/s Okanyum Namusana & Co. Advocates, the House of Elders headed by Mzee Alloch Akol William want the process stopped claiming that is against the court order issued on Civil Suit No.009/2022.
Mr. Okanyum in his letter to the Attorney General says, while the High Court of Uganda Holden at Soroti issued an interim order against respondents and ordered both parties to maintain the status quo in miscellaneous application No.40/2022 and arising from civil suit No.31/2022 and No.09/2022 pending hearing at Soroti High Court, the respondents and their agents have grossly violated the court orders.
“We are informed by our clients that the respondents Mr. Emolot Paul Sande, Okuma John Francis, their agents and appointees have with impunity grossly violated the court orders causing unlawlessness under the watch of state authorities who are under obligation to respect and safeguard the rule of law by upholding and implementing decisions lawfully passed by court of competent jurisdiction,” reads a letter in part.
Okanyum in his letter dated seen by this TMC wants the Attorney General’s office to immediately prevail over the state organs and agencies which condone contempt of court orders.
In a message to TMC, Mzee Alloch has asked the people of Teso to stay calm and shouldn’t be worried.
“The House of Elders (HoE) top management humbly requests all members of HoE, TC, DCs, and the general public to stay calm. whatever is going on in ICU currently should not worry you because issues are in courtand at the desk of the High Court judge Soroti City. However, the House of Elders in in charge of ICU in accordance with the 2019 ICU constitution. you are requested to await authentic communication from the HoE on any other developments,” Alloch said in a statement.
Gabriel Opolot, the ICU Spokesperson accused Alloch and his team for first declaring their intentions to seat their Emorimor (Mzee Dokoria) while disobeying their own court request.
“What they are doing contradicts their own position. They can’t accuse us for disobeying lawful orders because the accused persons (Emolot and Okuma) are maintaining the status quo. They didn’t sue Iteso the clan or ICU institution,” Opolot said.
He added that what the ICU electoral commission is doing is constitutional.
“I want to say that, they are the once to be taken to the Attorney General’s office because they went to court for an interim injunction that Emorimor and Speaker of Council be denied to access or handle any activities of ICU and they are the very people declaring Papa Dokoria as New Emorimor against the wish of the clans,”