Government assures Lango of Sh3.5b palace construction

LANGO – The government is to kick start the construction of Lango palace and 149 offices for clan chiefs to ease their work.

The Minister for Gender, Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi said, the construction would kick off soon because the government has advanced money to the contractor. The contract was awarded to CMD investment Ltd.

The scope of the work according to Amongi who is also Oyam South legislator, includes construction of the administration block, a cultural center, palace and offices for the clan leaders.

Early this year, the government held a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the palace at Lango Cultural Center. The then Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya represented President Museveni.

Since then (May 2021), the construction of the palace which was supposed to last 18 months has not started prompting both the community and cultural leaders to raise red flags.

Minister Amongi, who has intervened in the Lango cultural institution leadership conflict said, the government would request for a supplementary budget as soon as the contractor starts the work.

For ten years now, there has been a rift in the leadership of the institution, since the then Speaker Wakeli Okello claimed he was sidelined during a tour by the Chief and his delegation to Europe and America.

The row escalated and a section of clan chiefs rallied behind former Uganda Road Fund (URF), Executive Director, Eng. Dr Michael Odongo Okune who had shown interest to become the Paramount Chief (Won Nyaci) and elected him in 2017.

The two operated differently with Eng. Dr Odongo calling himself the legitimate Paramount Chief waiting to be gazzeted while Odur remains the head of the institution.

“The confusion has affected many developmental projects which were supposed to come to Lango,” Amongi says.

“As the government, we were not sure of the person we should invite when there is a national function like celebrating independence,” she adds.

“But I want to assure the people of Lango that the palace will be built and the confusion is coming to an end,” Amongi said.

Meanwhile, the government has adopted the resolution passed by 118 Lango clan leaders out of 149 to continue to recognize Odur as the Paramount Chief.

They also resolved that President Museveni should also be informed about the development including banning Eng. Dr Odongo from officiating at cultural ceremonies.

https://thecooperator.news/lango-mps-query-the-verified-cattle-compensation-list-by-government/

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