Lango Chief Odur Ebii to Step Down

Lango Cultural Foundation’s Paramount Chief, Yosam Odur Ebii, has agreed to step down from his position and transfer leadership in December 2024. Odur, aged 94, has held this role for two decades since his historic election in 2003 by the council of Clan heads (Owitong) in Apac district.

Odur released a transition roadmap from his Teboke residence on October 10, 2024, to facilitate a smooth transition of Lango cultural leadership. He expressed his gratitude to all those he had worked with during his tenure, both in government and cultural leadership.

According to Jacob Ocen, the Lango Cultural Foundation Spokesman, Odur’s decision to retire is due to his advanced age. Odur is now urging the government to expedite the construction of the Lango Cultural Palace, whose groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by the late Jacob Oulanya, former Speaker of Parliament.

The transition plan outlines that the electoral body responsible for organizing the election of the new paramount chief will be sworn in and inaugurated in October 2023. During the last council of Owitong meeting, five proposed names for the electoral commission officials were approved.

Odur has also organized farewell tours in all nine Lango districts, spanning from February to June 2024. From June to August 2024, legislators from Lango and well-wishers have the opportunity to make farewell visits to him at his residence in Teboke, Apac district.

In the roadmap, the cultural leader also intends to host visits by the Kabaka of Buganda and Omukama of Bunyoro to the historical sites where Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda and Kabalega of Bunyoro sought refuge with the people of Lango during their resistance against colonial incursions on their respective kingdoms.

Finally, Yosam Odur is scheduled to make a farewell visit to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at State House Entebbe in December 2024 before formally handing over the instruments of power to his successor.

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