Mzee Joel Hunter Wacha-Olwol, a former Presidential Commissioner was on Sunday evening laid to rest at his ancestral home in Alit village Banya parish, Amach Sub County in Lira district.
Olwol was accorded a full state burial. Initially, there was confusion among the family members who ignored Mzee Wacha Olwol's will to have him buried at the site where his late parents were buried at their home.
Where as his lawyer, Bosco Twonto Oba and other members of the family wanted the elder statesman buried exactly where he wanted, his children decided to bury him at his home where his two wives and other children were buried.
Ministry of Public Service that led the burial arrangement agreed to follow the children and buried Mzee Wacha - Olwol where his wives were buried.
As a Presidential Commissioner, Mzee Wacha-Olwol was accorded a state funeral, and given a 21- gun salute as his body was lowered in the grave at exactly 3:20pm. Other presidential commissioners who worked with Mzee Wacha Olwol were Justices Saulo Musoke and Polycarp Nyamuchoncho.
Thousands of mourners thronged Alit to bid farewell to Mzee Wacha Olwol described by many as a true democrat and a nationalist who brokered peace and mentored many Ugandan leaders.
As members of the three-man Presidential Commission Wacha-Olwol and his colleagues governed the affairs of the state of Uganda between May 22 and December 15, 1980. This was after the Military Commission headed by Paulo Muwanga and deputized by Yoweri Museveni overthrew the government of President Godfrey Binaisa.
It is this commission that handed over power to President Milton Obote after the December 12, 1980 general elections.
At the time the three-man Commission took over office, Uganda had changed presidents three times in just over a year, beginning with the April 11, 1979 overthrow of Idi Amin by a combined force of Ugandan exiles and the Tanzania People's Defence Forces. Amin's successor, Professor Yusuf Lule only lasted 68 days in power and was replaced in June 1979 by Godfrey Binaisa, who had served as Attorney General in the first Obote Government that Amin overthrew in 1971.
Binaisa would himself be removed by the military in May 1980 paving the way for the presidential commission to assume the role, albeit in ceremonial capacity.
Wacha-Olwol started out his career as a teacher at a rehabilitation centre in Lira, before joining the then Lango African Local Government at the beginning of 1953 as a clerk to the Lango District council. After his studies in the United Kingdom from where he graduated with a Diploma in Social and Public Administration, he was appointed the district council secretary.
He was later elected on the delegation from Lango that attended the two constitution conferences in London that paved the way for Uganda's Independence in 1962.
Leading the final requiem mass that preceded his final send off today Bishop John Charles Odur Kami of Lango Diocese described Mze Wacha Olwol as was a clean man who offered a self service which quality is yet to be challenged by any of the current Ugandan leaders.
Boshop Kami said Wacha -Olwol was better placed in positions in government that most leaders would have used to amass wealth for themselves and family but that instead he decided to die a poor but left a legacy that is desired by many who are true nationalists. He challenged Ugandan leaders to desist from using their positions and status to defraud tax payers and abuse ordinary citizens.
Cecillia Atim Ogwal, the commissioner of Parliament also Dokolo District Woman Mp said she remembered Mzee Wacha Olwol for his four key messages to Langi at the Constituent Assembly which was later developed into Lango Agenda.
Ogwal said in his messages jointly developed by Mzee Adoko Nekyon, Wacha told the Langi to always opt to adopt a peaceful means of resolving conflict, fight for the return of multi-party politics, ensure they do not joke around with issues concerning land and to ensure they receive fair distribution of the national cakes.
Ogwal said since then Lango has endeavored to play key roles in national unity, something she said government should never underrate the region and their leaders for.
Miria Kalule Obote, former first lady said Wacha-Olwol should be remembered for his selfless dedication that led Uganda to Independence in 1962.
President Yoweri Museveni who was chief mourner reminisces the good days when they worked together in the office of the President together with Mzee Wacha-Olwol. He said Wacha Olwol was a peace loving person whom he adored to work with closely if the government of Idi Amin never interrupted their leadership.
Museveni however said he regrets not meeting Mzee Wacha again before he died. He said he had always wanted to meet Mzee Wacha to remind and share with him their time when they were still working together in Obote's Office.
He asked Ugandans to emulate the characters of Mzee WachanOlwol as a way of remembering him for his good work for the country.
Wacha-Olwol was born in November 1923 to Erieza Olwol and Cakaya Akulo in Loro Sub-county in the present day Oyam district. He died on Tuesday at Victoria Hospital in Kampala few days after he was admitted after he fell in his bathroom at his home in Kampala. He is survived by 12 children.
