President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced that the government will create a technical school in memory of the late Brigadier General Pierino Okoya in Palaro sub-county, Gulu district. Brigadier Okoya, who served as the deputy army commander during President Apolo Milton Obote’s regime, was tragically killed in 1970. President Museveni made this commitment during the reburial ceremony of Brigadier Okoya, which took place on September 29, 2023. The late military officer’s family has generously donated 10 acres of land for the school’s construction.
President Museveni praised Brigadier Okoya for his dedicated service to Uganda, highlighting his long career in the military since 1948. He also reflected on the mistakes made by political leaders in post-independence Uganda, emphasizing the importance of focusing on people’s needs rather than identity. Museveni acknowledged that these mistakes had resulted in various problems, including killings during previous governments.
During the ceremony, the community of Palaro donated 50 acres of land to President Museveni, which will be used to establish a demonstration farm by the State House in the area. Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo expressed the devastating and traumatizing nature of Brigadier Okoya’s death and commended Museveni for his efforts in healing the wounds of the past.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Henry Okello Oryem, whose father represented President Obote at Brigadier Okoya’s 1970 burial, shared his condolences and noted the close relationship between their families. Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Chief of Defense Forces, remarked on the intriguing circumstances surrounding Brigadier Okoya’s death and praised him for his exceptional service.
The Pageya clan chief, Rwot Yusuf Okwonga Adek, appreciated President Museveni for extending an olive branch to political opponents and encouraged him to promote more leaders from the Acholi region. Lt. Gen. Charles Otema, head of the organizing committee for the ceremony, thanked President Museveni for giving Brigadier Okoya a dignified burial.
Brigadier Okoya’s son, retired Capt. Johnson Lajolo, expressed gratitude to the President and urged similar gestures for other families with fighters across Uganda. Gulu district chairperson Christopher Opiyo Ateker also used the opportunity to discuss agricultural development and the coexistence of nomadic herdsmen in the Acholi subregion.
