Acholi Leaders Celebrate Former Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo at Homecoming in Gulu

Acholi Leaders Celebrate Former Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo at Homecoming in Gulu

BY DOREEN GRACE ACIPA

Leaders from the Acholi Sub-region have praised former Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo for his contribution to Uganda’s justice system during his tenure.

Owiny-Dollo served as the Chief Justice of Uganda from 2020 until January 2026 when he attained the mandatory retirement age of 70. Before his appointment, he served as Acting Chief Justice from June 2020 and as Deputy Chief Justice from September 2017.

The remarks were made during his homecoming celebrations held at Kaunda Grounds, where political and community leaders gathered to recognize his service to the nation.

Acholi leaders highlight his legacy

In a joint statement read by the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Hilary Onek, leaders from Acholi Sub-region commended the retired Chief Justice for strengthening the relationship between the judiciary and communities.

They noted that his leadership helped bring courts closer to the people and acknowledged his involvement in peace initiatives, including efforts aimed at resolving the conflict involving Joseph Kony during the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency.

The leaders also applauded his record of non-sectarian and impartial judgment throughout his service in the judiciary.

They further thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for giving Owiny-Dollo the opportunity to serve the country in such a high judicial office.

Judiciary praises reform efforts

The Chief Justice Flavian Zeija commended Owiny-Dollo for championing reforms in the administration of justice in Uganda.

In a message delivered by the Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo, Zeija noted that the retired Chief Justice played a key role in promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms and strengthening community-centered justice.

He also highlighted Owiny-Dollo’s efforts to bridge traditional justice systems with the formal judicial framework and to bring courts closer to ordinary citizens.

The Chief Justice described him as a tower of inspiration whose contributions remain firmly recorded in Uganda’s judicial history.

Call for socio-economic transformation in Acholi

During the celebrations, Owiny-Dollo unveiled his next initiative dubbed “Community Revival for Acholi,” aimed at promoting wealth creation across households in the sub-region.

He observed that Acholi continues to face a wealth creation deficit due to the prolonged conflicts that affected the region for decades, leaving many communities in poverty.

Owiny-Dollo said his vision is to promote people-centered economic initiatives, including the productive use of large expanses of idle land and strengthening agricultural mechanization through community participation.

He also acknowledged support from Salim Saleh, whose Operation Wealth Creation program has supported agricultural mechanization in the region.

The retired Chief Justice urged the people of Acholi to abandon divisive rhetoric and instead focus on rebuilding household economies.

He also proposed the establishment of an irrigation scheme at Agoro to enhance agricultural productivity and called on government to assess the effectiveness of socio-economic empowerment funds previously injected into northern Uganda.

Additionally, he urged local governments to enact by-laws encouraging communities to actively participate in wealth creation initiatives.

Leaders urged to drive development

Owiny-Dollo further called on political and cultural leaders in Acholi Sub-region to take the lead in promoting socio-economic transformation in their respective areas.

He emphasized that development efforts must focus on strengthening household income through productive activities such as agriculture and enterprise.

Government development interventions highlighted

Meanwhile, Alfred Okwanga, the Mayor of Gulu City, highlighted several government development projects aimed at transforming the Acholi Sub-region.

These include the construction of a 10-million-litre water supply system drawing water from Karuma to Gulu City, ongoing construction works on the Tororo–Gulu railway, establishment of a regional cancer treatment center, and plans for a logistics hub to support trade and industry.

Okwanga also noted ongoing agro-mechanization support provided through religious institutions.

He appealed to President Museveni to further strengthen regional socio-economic empowerment programs, fast-track the construction of a specialized hospital at Gulu University, and implement cattle restocking initiatives using national census data to identify genuine beneficiaries.

NRM leaders call for unity

The Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement, Richard Todwong, urged public servants from Acholi to balance their professional duties with meaningful engagement in their communities.

Todwong described Owiny-Dollo as a living example of leadership that remains connected to the people and encouraged those still in active service to emulate his dedication for a respectable retirement.

He also praised President Museveni for nurturing leaders from Acholi and strengthening the relationship between the ruling party and the region.

Todwong noted that recent election results demonstrated growing support for the NRM and called on the people of Acholi to maintain their partnership with the government for continued development.

President Museveni backs wealth creation agenda

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni endorsed Owiny-Dollo’s “Community Revival for Acholi” initiative, emphasizing that wealth creation remains central to the government’s development agenda.

Museveni said government programs such as Entandikwa, Operation Wealth Creation, NAADS, and the Parish Development Model (PDM) were designed to promote household income and economic transformation.

He explained that many leaders had previously confused wealth creation with general development, which slowed progress in improving household incomes.

The President commended Owiny-Dollo for recognizing the importance of prioritizing wealth creation and pledged government support for the initiative.

Museveni also encouraged the people of Acholi to focus on the seven key sectors for wealth creation, drawing lessons from the successful economic transformation experienced in the Ankole sub-region.

He further applauded the retired Chief Justice for his integrity, noting that throughout his service in the judiciary he was never implicated in corruption.

The President also thanked the people of Acholi for their continued support for the NRM and its candidates in recent elections.