CAO orders reinstatement of Kilama Fearless Wodacholi to office

28 August 2025, 22:36

By  Ekel Bonny Daniel

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Pader District, Michael Wanje, has directed Mr Kilama Fearless Wod Acholi, the elected Chairperson of Pader Town Council, to resume his duties with immediate effect, following guidance from the Solicitor General.

In a letter dated 27 August 2025, addressed to the Town Clerk of Pader Town Council, the CAO stated that the Solicitor General had clarified that a six-month custodial sentence does not automatically result in the vacation of an elected chairperson’s seat.

This decision comes after months of uncertainty regarding Mr Kilama’s status following his conviction and custodial sentence, with questions raised about whether his conviction disqualified him from holding public office.

“The purpose of this letter is therefore to communicate the advice of the Solicitor General to you, and secondly to advise you to allow the Chairperson to resume his office and duties accordingly with immediate effect,” Wanje wrote.

The guidance effectively reinstates Mr Kilama, who had been absent from office during his custodial sentence. His temporary absence saw Hon Labongo Dicken serve as the caretaker Chairperson of Pader Town Council.

On 20 March 2025, the High Court in Kitgum upheld a six-month sentence for unlawful assembly against Mr Kilama, ordering him to serve the remaining 89 days after accounting for time spent on remand. His legal team maintains that this judgment, together with a pending appeal, does not disqualify him from office.

Before serving his custodial sentence, Kilama had formally delegated his duties to Finance Secretary Macklyn Adong in a letter dated 6 March 2023, citing court commitments. However, during his time in custody, the council passed a resolution appointing Hon Labongo Dickson as caretaker Chairperson.

According to Kilama, this move was unlawful and amounted to an abuse of his earlier delegation to Adong. In response, Mr Kilama confirmed receiving a copy of the CAO’s letter but said he had referred it to his lawyer for review.

He argued that the contents of the CAO’s letter appeared to suggest that the Town Clerk had the authority to reinstate him, yet he is an elected leader, not a civil servant.

Kilama stressed that, as Chairperson, he is the supervisor of the Town Clerk and not subordinate to him.

He criticised the CAO’s directive, saying it amounted to encouraging insubordination by implying that the Town Clerk had authority over his office.

“There is nothing in the law that stops me from resuming my office,” he asserted, adding that he had previously written several letters to the office of the CAO regarding his situation but had never received a response.

The letter has also been copied to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and the District Chairperson to ensure smooth coordination as Mr Kilama resumes his leadership role.

The clarification and subsequent developments are expected to ease tensions within Pader Town Council, where leadership had been uncertain, and restore stability in the council’s operations, although Kilama’s strong remarks highlight ongoing friction between the political and administrative leadership of the district.