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DP Delegates, Mayor’s Family Face Hurdles in Detained Mayor Visit

Elizabeth Pacuryema, mayor’s wife, said they are feeling the emotional and financial impact of the detention on their family. She appealed for forgiveness and reconciliation, urging those who oppose her husband to end the ongoing conflict and restore peace in the community.
21 Jan 2025 13:05
National DP Vice chairperson Hon. Simon Opoka addresses the press after prison's visist - Photo Lakomekec Kinyera

Audio 2

The family and a Democratic Party (DP) delegation, led by Vice National Chairperson Simon Opoka, faced challenges on Monday while attempting to visit the detained Pader Town Council Mayor, Fearless Kilama Wod-Acholi, at Pader Government Prison in Kineni.

The visit aimed to gather critical facts ahead of Kilama’s appeal hearing, scheduled for January 30, 2025, at Kitgum High Court. He seeks to overturn his conviction on charges of incitement to violence and unlawful assembly. However, prison authorities, led by Donato Owor, the Prison Officer in Charge, imposed several restrictions on the delegation, limiting their access to the mayor.

The prison authorities blocked some members of the delegation from entering the prison. Only three members were permitted to meet with the mayor. All their communication devices, including mobile phones, were confiscated before entering. This raised concerns about the transparency of the process, with the DP delegation describing the restrictions as a further attempt to block access to justice. 

Mayor Wod-Acholi was arrested in 2021 along with 32 others during the enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines on charges of incitement to violence, unlawful assembly, and malicious damage. Although he denied the charges, he was convicted on two counts; unlawful assembly and incitement to violence. The mayor later appealed the verdict. Opoka while addressing the members of the press after the visit, raised concerns about the Mayor’s January 16, 2025 arrest. 

According to the mayor, he was apprehended violently by four armed men in civilian clothing as he was entering the Kitgum High Court premises before his appeal hearing. The men, who were driving a silver car with the number plate UBF 332 Y, forcefully detained him. Wod-Acholi claimed that the men, who were with a local district leader, refused to identify themselves after he was denied access to police leadership at Pader Central Police Station before he was transferred to court premises. 

The DP delegation condemned this as a violation of the mayor's rights and an abuse of power by security forces. The delegation also criticized the conditions at Kineni Prison. They cited several instances of inmate mistreatment, including the death of a cancer patient who was allegedly denied proper medical care. 

Mayor Wod-Acholi expressed concerns about receiving similar unfair treatment and referred to the death of another detainee while on remand as further evidence of the prison's harsh conditions. Elizabeth Pacuryema, the mayor’s wife, said they are feeling the emotional and financial impact of the detention on their family. She appealed for forgiveness and reconciliation, urging those who oppose her husband to end the ongoing conflict and restore peace in the community.

//Cue in; “Tye ni Wod-Acholi matye…

Cue out; …lega ne enu kiken.”//

Opoka fumed at the government’s blanket pardon for individuals involved in COVID-19-related offenses. He questioned why Mayor Wod-Acholi had not benefited from this pardon that the president declared for such cases. He vowed the DP would continue to push for justice and accountability, warning against the misuse of the judiciary and security forces for political purposes.

//Cue in; “The precinct of court is…

Cue out; …commands guns in Pader.”//