Mama Joyce Otim, Widow of Lango’s Pioneer Anglican Bishop, Passes On

15 August 2026, 3:41 pm

By Frank Oyugi

LIRA, UGANDA — The Anglican Diocese of Lango and the entire Christian community across Northern Uganda are mourning following the passing of Mama Joyce Otim, the widow of the late pioneer Bishop of Lango Diocese, Right Reverend Melchizedek Otim.

Mama Joyce breathed her last on Friday evening, August 14, 2026, at around 9:00 PM at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala.

A Legacy of Faith, Resilience, and Service

As the wife of the inaugural Bishop of Lango Diocese, Mama Joyce was a steadfast pillar of the Church of Uganda for over two decades. She stood alongside her late husband through some of Northern Uganda’s most turbulent periods, including the political instability of the 1970s and 1980s, serving as a motherly figure to clergy families, women’s ministries, and local believers.

Her husband, Bishop Emeritus Melchizedek Otim, who was consecrated in 1976 by Archbishop Janani Luwum, passed away in October 2019 and was laid to rest at the St. Peter’s Cathedral grounds in Boroboro, Lira.

A Loving Family and Community Matriarch

Mama Joyce leaves behind a distinguished family of eight children, including her eldest son, Ogweng B. John; Ojede Francis Peter, the Executive Director of the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC); and her youngest daughter, Dr. Maliam Alangdong, who serves with the World Bank, alongside five other children, numerous grandchildren, and extended family members.

Members of the clergy and community leaders across the Lango sub-region have described her as a true “General and Mother of the Christian Faith” whose legacy of prayer, hospitality, and quiet strength anchored the diocese through formative years.

Burial Plans

Official funeral programs and burial arrangements are currently being finalized by the family and diocesan leadership, with details to be communicated in due course.

May her soul rest in eternal peace.