Lira High court dismisses injunction seeking to halt Okii Raki Okwerocobo clan election

18 September 2026, 6:53 pm

By Baker Okello

The Lira High Court has dismissed an application for an interim and temporary injunction filed by a faction of the Okii Raki Okwerocobo clan led by Emmy Joe Odongo, which had sought to halt the clan’s election process over alleged constitutional and procedural violations.

The development was confirmed by Counsel Ponsiano Okello of M/S Ponsiano Okello & Co. Advocates during a press conference held today at St. Gracious Hotel in Lira City.

Counsel Okello said the matter was heard on Thursday, September 17th, before Lady Justice Sarah Birungi Kalibala, the Resident Judge of the Lira High Court Circuit.

He said the court’s decision meant there was no interim legal order stopping the electoral process, allowing the clan election to proceed.

The application had been filed against Shaban Alunga and Alfred Ogwal, the Chairperson of the clan Electoral Commission.

Following the court proceedings, the Okii Raki Okwerocobo Clan Electoral Commission proceeded with the election at 33 polling stations.

According to results declared by Electoral Commission Chairperson Alfred Ogwal, Shaban Alunga secured 2,596 votes, while his challenger, Oyar Tonny Abicilama, obtained 665 votes.

The election results were later followed by the swearing-in of Shaban Alunga Atepo as the re-elected Awitong, or clan head, during a ceremony held on September 13th at Gracious Palace Hotel in Lira City.

Counsel Okello, however, clarified that although the High Court dismissed the application for an interim injunction, the main civil suit challenging the legality and constitutionality of the clan election remains pending before court.

He said the judiciary has encouraged the parties involved in the dispute to consider court-annexed mediation as a means of resolving the differences between the rival factions.

Meanwhile, the Okii Raki Okwerocobo Clan Electoral Commission, chaired by Alfred Ogwal, said administrative petitions and objections submitted by the rival faction seeking to stop the election had been rejected, arguing that they lacked the required legal and procedural basis.

Ogwal said the commission would continue with the remaining stages of establishing the clan’s leadership structures.

The clan head, Shaban Alunga Atepo, accused the faction led by Emmy Joe Odongo of violating the clan constitution and appointing individuals to leadership positions without following the established democratic procedures.

Alunga welcomed the court decision and called on the rival faction to return to the mainstream clan leadership and work towards unity.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Counsel Emmanuel Egaru of Egaru & Co. Advocates, who represents the rival faction, were unsuccessful by press time.

While the election process has proceeded and a leadership team has been sworn in, the broader dispute has not been fully resolved, as the main civil suit challenging the legality and constitutionality of the election remains before the High Court.

The court’s dismissal of the interim injunction has allowed the clan’s electoral process to proceed. Meanwhile, calls for mediation continue as the rival factions seek a way forward in resolving the leadership dispute.