Museveni calls Late Lt. Gen. Olara a “Good Patriot” as poverty debates dominate memorial

Lamwo: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni over the weekend acknowledged the late Lt. Gen. Bazilio Olara Okello as Uganda’s de facto head of state for two days following the overthrow of President Milton Obote’s government in July 1985.

However, the memorial event, held at Olara’s resting home in Poyamo Village, Madi-Opei Town Council, Lamwo District, took a different turn, as discussions largely centered on poverty alleviation in Acholi.

Leaders highlighted Acholi’s high poverty rate, recorded at 67.5%, the highest among all sub-regions in Uganda.

In a letter read on his behalf by Minister of State for Northern Uganda Kenneth Omona, President Museveni acknowledged Olara’s brief leadership:

“I learned that the late Lt. Gen. Bazilio Olara Okello was the de facto head of state when the UNLA overthrew Obote’s government on July 27–28, 1985. He led the country for two days before handing over power to Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa on July 29, 1985, in recognition of seniority.”

Museveni also praised Olara’s resilience in establishing Kigwa Camp in Tanzania for Ugandan refugees, where he led 1,000 soldiers to cultivate tobacco as a cash crop for economic self-reliance.

He urged Acholi leaders and the community to move beyond the past and focus on the future, embracing government programs like the Youth Livelihood Project, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model to combat poverty.

President Museveni reiterated his commitment to fulfilling pledges made to Olara’s family, stating that some had already been honored, while others were in progress. These include; renovation of Olara’s home in Poyamo, which was taken over by the NRA in 1986 and a double-cabin 4WD pickup for Olara’s widow, Paula Ataro, to assist with transport.

Others are renting a house in Kampala for the widow for one year, a job in Uganda’s Foreign Service for Olara’s daughter, given her experience in international affairs and compensation for the family’s encroached land.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Bazilio Orach Olara expressed gratitude but also urged the government to fulfill outstanding commitments, including; payment of Olara’s pension and gratuities, construction of a new family home and the return of Olara’s personal belongings, for which an inventory has been submitted.

Others are; State House scholarships for youth in Madi-Opei, establishment of a technical school in Lukung Sub-county and construction of an agro-processing factory for maize flour in Madi-Opei.

Minister Omona, representing the President, called on the UPDF to take swift action against cattle raids in Lamwo, allegedly carried out by South Sudanese raiders.

He also warned against human rights abuses, emphasizing that political and military miscommunication had fueled past conflicts in Uganda.

“Poverty is the most urgent problem in Acholi,” Omona stressed, urging community members to engage in wealth creation, practice modern livestock management, and stop free-range cattle grazing, which exposes animals to theft.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo emphasized that historical conflicts had made Acholi the poorest sub-region in Uganda.

He praised Olara’s legacy of peace and resilience and urged Acholi communities to embrace commercial farming by planting coffee and cocoa under the ROCO PACO Initiative, which requires each district to set up two nursery beds for rapid seedling distribution.

Acholi Paramount Chief David Onen Acana II urged the community to uphold honesty, integrity, and hard work, values that define Acholi identity.

Archbishop Raphael Wokorach P’mony of Gulu Archdiocese called on leaders to prioritize public service over personal interests.

“The common good should be our priority. We need roads, schools, and hospitals not for individual gain but for community development.”

He also emphasized the importance of family values and homebuilding, stating:

“Home is where we find comfort and love. A home is a foundation for a strong society. Let’s invest in building strong homes for our families and ourselves.”

Lt. Gen. Bazilio Olara Okello was a key military figure in Uganda’s post-independence history where he led the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), overthrew Milton Obote’s government on July 27, 1985, and briefly headed the Ugandan Military Council before handing over to Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa.

He fled to Sudan after Museveni’s NRA took over in January 1986, died in Khartoum’s Omdurman Hospital in 1990 at the age of 62 and his remains were returned to Uganda in 2015 for a state funeral with full military honors.

Born in Madi-Opei, Lamwo, he joined the King’s African Rifles in 1949 and served in the Mau Mau uprising before rising through the ranks in the Ugandan military.

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