OYAM. Lango sub-region leaders have asked the government to investigate the killing of Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola.
Col Engola, the State minister for Labour and Oyam North MP, was shot dead at home by his bodyguard, Pte Wilson Sabiti, on May 2, 2023. Sabiti shortly after turned the gun on himself.
Postmortem report says Col Engola was shot 28 times while his personal assistant, Lt Ronald Otim, who is still hospitalised, was shot seven times. No conclusive motive has been established for the shooting.
“So, he (Col Engola) died in the most painful way as if he had never been a soldier who fought all the wars in Uganda. He died in front of his house [in Kampala], with a pistol in his hand,” said Mr Sam Engola, a cousin and former MP for Erute South County, Lira District.
He was addressing the Lango sub-region joint Districts Council meeting to honour Col Engola in Oyam Town on Thursday, May 11, 2023.
The Otikokin clan leader also cited an omen, when he and Col Engola travelled to Ntungamo District in western Uganda last Sunday for the funeral of their friend’s mother.
“I think God was sending the late Colonel to heaven because in that church there were 19 bishops from across the country, including an archbishop, who led the prayers,” he said.
“It seems he (Col Engola) was bidding bye-bye because he did not speak in English but in Leb Lango, and all the mourners wondered what he was saying because there was no translator.”
During the joint tribute, Mr Nommy Otyeno, the Oyam District Speaker, asked the government to investigate Col Engola’s death. He described Col Engola as a hero who played a big role in ensuring there is peace and stability in northern Uganda.
“We are, therefore, appealing to the government of Uganda under the able leadership of President Museveni to consider investigating the cause and abrupt death of many top army officers and top government officials,” Mr Otyeno said.
“As a matter of fact, this is highly threatening, this is highly discouraging and this is highly demotivating for us junior staff who are yet to rise in the ranks. We are so anguished, unhappy for the unreasonable death of our people,” he added.
Mr Geoffrey Ocen, the Amolatar District Council chairman, echoed Mr Otyeno’s call for an investigation.
“We urge the government to do a thorough investigation about the motive of the murder. We are anxiously waiting as the people of Lango.”
The district chair also urged security agencies to trace the people that the killer soldier could have communicated with only days to the shooting.
Col Dr Francis Ongia, the chairperson of Operation Wealth Creation in Amolatar, dismissed hearsays that Col Engola’s bodyguard had complained of poor salary.
“The soldier could be having medical or mental illness, which was not detected early enough. On this issue of salary, I think … the UPDF is trying its best to address the welfare of the troops better than ever before,” he said.
“This soldier had not even spent two months with Col Engola….So, what pay would he have been demanding? Haven’t you ever done a job freely for this country without pay?”
Mr George Okello Ayo, the mayor of Lira City East Division, said not every soldier is of questionable integrity. “But I have noted three things; one is that we have children from undisciplined families in the army and that you don’t blame it on the army,” he said.
“There are also soldiers who sit together at drinking joints and when drunk, they can pick up any gun and kill. And lastly, we have people who have not been paid well and as a leader, I want to request the government to increase the employees’ salary,” he added.
The mayor of Lira City, Mr Sam Atul, said there was need for all the nine district councils in Lango to investigate why the region is losing the fight against corruption that Col Engola stood against.
“The programme – neno abor (looking into the future) was his idea on Unity FM where I was a station manager, and his dream was to drive away poverty in our region,” Mr Atul said.
“But we are not moving as councils! We need to investigate what is holding us back as a region,” he added.
Mr Augustine Opio, a retired civil servant who worked during the tenure of Col Engola as the Oyam District Council chairman, said the deceased was a man who loved speaking the truth.
“He didn’t like corruption and above all, he fought for peace during the insurgency in northern Uganda,” Mr Opio said.
Mr Charles Osendro, the youth leader of Otikokin clan, who worked closely with Col Engola, described him as “a bulldozer and a peace marker”.
“Whenever there was a serious conflict involving clan members, he would be sent to handle it,” he said.
Mr Osendro said Col Engola will be missed, especially by the underprivileged children he had been supporting to educate.
“He did not only support his clan members, but gave a helping hand to anybody who approached him for help,” the Otikokin youth leader said.
The remains of Col Engola were laid to rest on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at their ancestral home at Awangi Village, Iceme Sub-county in Oyam District.
He leaves behind a widow, five children and 19 grandchildren.
