Several people across Teso and other parts of the country have hailed the fallen cultural leader of Iteso, Augustine Osuban Lemukol Emorimor as a unique leader who possessed various skills to pacify, unite and develop Teso.
Emorimor died last Saturday at Mulago National Referral Hospital where he was hospitalized since January 27. He will be buried next Saturday, February 19, 2022, according to the government program released by the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi Ongom.
His Deputy Prime Minister, Valerian Ejalu, says that Osuban was a uniting factor who brought together the Iteso from other places including Katakwa in Kenya. He says Osuban measured highly as a cultural leader in all aspects and was very humble when executing his duties.
Jorem Opian Obicho, a member of Iteso Cultural Union- ICU, says that Osuban has been a very tolerant and all-around leader who understood his role. He notes that Osuban’s calm way of handling issues in Teso was sometimes misunderstood by sections of people as his weakness.
Lydia Agoda Aminat, an elder from Ngora district, says that Osuban stood for the rights of women especially widows and orphans under his leadership.
Dr. Kenneth Ongalo Obote, the State Minister for Teso Affairs described Osuban as a humble, honest and hardworking leader who used his own resources to reach out to his people. While eulogizing Osuban at Parliament on Thursday, Dr. Ongalo urged the Iteso to promote the good values that the fallen cultural leader inculcated in them.
About Osuban
He was born on August 12, 1934 to Isirairi Okalebo and Amoding of the Ikatekok- Icumedeka clan of Kalapata, Nyero Sub County in Kumi district. He later relocated to Serere district where he has lived until his death.
Osuban was a professional Agricultural Specialist with vast experience in Agronomy, Agricultural policy, Agricultural institutions including Training, Research Extension, Marketing, Agro-Industry Organizations, Management and Rural Development.
He retired from civil service at the level of Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and was unanimously elected as the first legitimate Emorimor of the Iteso during the Delegates Conference of the Iteso Cultural Union on November 30, 1998. He was married to Agnes Agwang Osuban Akaliait, a teacher and banker with whom they have children.
His Education
Osuban started his education in 1942 in Madera Boys Primary School- Soroti before joining St. Peter’s College, Tororo for ‘O’ level in 1951. In 1957, he joined the School of Agriculture Houghall, Durham in the United Kingdom for the National Certificate in Agriculture. He continued for Higher Certificate in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at Dundee Technical College, Scotland in 1958 before enrolling for the Bachelors of Science in Agriculture in the United Kingdom between 1959-1963.
Osuban obtained Masters in Agriculture/Economics in 1965 at West Virginia State University, USA. He was also President of Uganda Students Association, Scotland from 1962 to 1963. He received other formal education Agricultural Marketing, Extension Education, Transfer of Technology, Research/Extension Linkage in Agriculture between 1963 to 1983 in the USA, Germany and Argentina.
Work;
In 1954, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Co-operatives as a Laboratory Assistant in Serere Research Station, where he was involved in statistical analysis of variance for various botanical experiments.
In 1965, on return from studies, he was posted to Arapai Agricultural College where he taught Agricultural Economics, Farm Management and Agricultural Extension to Diploma students. In 1968, he was promoted to Principal of Arapai Agricultural College. In 1970, he was posted to the Northern region which comprised Acholi, Lango and West Nile as Regional Agricultural Officer, based in Gulu.
In 1972, he was promoted to the post of Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture and was posted to the Ministry Headquarters where he was later promoted as commissioner, a position he held until his retirement from Government service in August 1989 at the age of 55 years.
He also served as Minister of Works, Housing and Urban Development in 1979. From 1989 to 1998 he carried out several Consultancy studies for various Government Agencies, the FAO, UNDP and USAID on Agricultural related subjects.
In a document issued by the Prime Minister of ICU, Augustine Omare- Okurut, Osuban underwent the requisite traditional ‘asapan’ an initiation ceremony in Usuk, Katakwi district where he was traditionally baptized ‘Lemukol’ before he was installed as the Emorimor in April 2000 in a traditional ceremony witnessed by President Yoweri Museveni and thousands of Iteso from all over Uganda, Kenya and the diaspora.
For more click here
