Former Iteso cabinet, new ministers bow out of Emorimor interim leadership

Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Iteso Cultural Union-ICU cabinet appointed by the former Emorimor has yielded to the rival group that appointed an interim leadership on Wednesday.

The cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Augustine Omare Okurut made the declaration on Friday evening during a press briefing at ICU offices in Soroti city. ICU cabinet has been struggling with the embattled ICU Council led by Paul Sande Emolot, on who caretakes the office of Emorimor before the election of the new leader.

The controversy follows the suspension of ICU Council by the former Emorimor Augustine Osuban Lemukol over the alleged irregularities and inconsistencies during the 2019 election. ICU Cabinet and the harmonization committee also appointed by the former Emorimor, recommended for an audit into the said elections before council is constituted to spearhead the election process of replacing Osuban.

But the embattled ICU Council insists they are legit and have the powers to continue with the tasks as enshrined in the ICU constitution. They conducted a special council meeting on Wednesday where Emolot was appointed as interim Emorimor. In the same meeting, council disbanded the former Emorimor cabinet over the alleged insubordination to council. They said that cabinet had not participated in the last four consecutive council meetings.

Emolot went ahead to name his new cabinet that included some of the ministers in the disbanded cabinet. But in the Friday’s presser, the former Prime Minister Omare said that they had taken a unanimous decision to step down for the good of ICU and Ateker people.

Omare said that three members of his cabinet that were named in the interim cabinet have declined to take up the offices in solidarity with the rest of the team. Those named in the interim cabinet are Ivan Engoru, the former attorney general who was appointed new Prime Minister as well as the Attorney General Peter Etyang and George Opule, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge Eastern Teso and Finance Minister respectively. The duo had been maintained in their dockets in the interim cabinet.

Omare said that they will continue to support the institution at individual level whenever they are needed.

However, URN has learnt that two other ministers named in the interim cabinet have openly declined to take up the offices. They are Joyce Asekenye, appointed minister in charge of culture and William Alloch, the new appointee for investment.

The duo said that their appointment was suspicious since the interim Emorimor has not been in good terms with them.

But Gabriel Opolot, the new spokesman of ICU said that the interim Emorimor will identify and fill the vacancies that have been created after the appointed ministers declined to take them up.

According to the ICU Constitution, council is the decision and policy maker while cabinet implements resolutions of council.

In the same constitution, cabinet is appointed by Emorimor and approved by council while council members are elected from all the Iteso clans.

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URN