I am the son of Lucima-Aruk, Ciliman, Akwanga, of Pobira clan in Madi Opei, Lamwo County Kitgum District in Northern Uganda. My father was the son of Ameda Mollo the Great. My father are meaningful. His first name Lucima-Aruk, simply means “Pointing to the hunch-back of a bull.” The second name Ciliman is a corrupt Lwo name for Solomon, most probably adopted from the Moslem community in Uganda. His last name Akwanga simply means, “The long- horns of a big bull.” These names show that he was born in a well-to-do family.
My father was not only a man of high integrity and vision, but he was also a great leader of his people. He was also a peacemaker whose care and love for the travelers who came and lived with him was well known throughout the neighborhood. He gave the travelers the right to use the land, and he welcomed them to stay permanently among his people. He made all the travelers who lived with us in our village feel very much at home, as part of the community.
My mother was Atek Kerowiny Dina. She was a princess from the royal family of Bura kingdom. She was the daughter of Ogwang Buryangamoi of Pobura clan. My mother was married to my father’s oldest brother who, unfortunately, died suddenly soon after their marriage. They had no children in this brief marriage. After this misfortune that robbed my mother of her dear husb, she was left with no choice in life.
She had chosen her husband, however, his unexpected death forced her to understand the Lwo saying, ‘onguka pe duro’ which means that death strikes suddenly and unexpectedly. After the tragic death of her husband, my mother could not go back home among her people of the Pobura clan because she was had already been married to the people of Pobira clan through her late husband. She could not go back to her own people, and, since she was no longer married, she was not a member of the Pobira clan either.
According to Lwo culture and tradition, a woman’s commitment is totally to the clan she has married into. That was precisely the case with my mother. After the death of her husband, she had no choice, but to remarry his youngest brother. This was a custom that allowed my mother to remain with the Pobira clan.
Her second husband became my father. She had eight children, seven of which were boys although two of the boys died in their infancy. Six of us survived and grew up into adulthood. Unfortunately, however, three of our brothers were killed during the reign of murder and terror in Uganda under Idi Amin Dada. Only three of us are now left alive: my eldest brother who is now 88 years old, our only sister , and me. I was the sixth child in the family.
I am the son of Ameda Mollo, the son of Okinga, the son of Omwonycobo, the son of Bira. The Bira clan is the blessed clan. One of the clan’s members caught a live black bird that was prophesied to be caught and offered as a sacrifice for the whole community of Madi Opei. The black bird was caught alive and sacrificed for the good health of the whole community.
The Bira clan have the freedom and liberty to express their joy and happiness by laughing. The freedom to laugh as much as possible is one of the characteristics of the Bira clan. They are very self-confident. It is also a sign that the Bira clan take care of themselves very well.
I am the grandson of Ameda the Great who was more famous than all the Rwodi (Kings or Lords) in the whole neighborhood. Ameda the Great was a runner who was faster than a gazelle or an ostrich.
Once upon a time, his mother-in-law village sent a message that she wanted a red-buck to be caught alive as a sacrifice for her family. It took Ameda no time to get one of the red-bucks from his Uncle Arwon’s hunting ground. However, when he took the live red-buck to his mother-in-law, he was told that he was supposed to bring a Zebra, not a red-buck, to be captured live as a sacrifice for the family.
As it was the tradition for the Lwo people, Ameda could not argue with his mother-in-law. He had to obey her without question. He went immediately to the hunting ground of Loguli. As soon as he came across a group of zebras, he chased them with much enthusiasm and caught one of them live. It was therefore his greatest delight to deliver the live zebra he had caught to his mother-in-law to be used as a sacrifice for her family.
Ameda was equally a skillful hunter who used to kill many giraffes. Whenever it rained heavily, Ameda used to go hunting at the Lipan hunting ground to chase and kill a giraffe. He used to smear his feet with animal fat and run bare-foot after the giraffe. The giraffes were usually at a disadvantage whenever it rained heavily because they could not run fast on the muddy ground. During the rainy season, the hunting ground of Lipan would become very muddy, so it was the best time for Ameda to do his giraffe hunting. As a skillful hunter, Ameda would select one of the biggest giraffe with the longest tail. He would then chase it vigorously through the mud and kill it in no time. He would then cut off its tail and put a piece of stone inside its mouth.. Then he would run back home as fast as he could and bring his people back to help carry the meat home.
By cutting off the tail of the giraffe, Ameda confirmed his ownership of the animal, so that no other hunter might claim the carcass left behind in the wilderness. The removal of the tail and the hiding of the stone inside the mouth of the dead giraffe was clear evidence of who killed the giraffe.
When I was young I was told a story about the time my grandfather and his brother went to visit their uncles in Chua at Namokora. When they arrived, they found that the people of Chua had been without water for a week because a lion was sitting by the well and would eat whoever dared to come to the well to get water. As soon as Ameda was told about the problem, he and his brother went straight to the well to face the lion.
As the lion ran towards them with his mouth open and ready to attack, Ameda immediately speared the lion with one spear that cut off its head. Soon they came back with the dead lion to show their uncles who were overwhelmingly grateful to their powerful nephews. The women were able to get water again.
Ameda’s greatness was recognized in the famous war that was led by Rwot Ogwok of Padibe Kingdom against the people of the Sudan before the coming of the Europeans to Uganda. It was in this barbaric war against the innocent people of the Sudan that the Acholi looted lots of cattle. In this war, the Acholi people also acquired a lot of modern guns from Ethiopia through the Sudan. Ameda was one of those who received a modern gun in recognition of his swiftness and greatness.
After the war of the Sudan, Ameda decided he wanted to build his new home at Lagot-Ocomo which was very far away from the rest of his clan. As soon as he completed building a well fenced home, he took his wife and the children, to the new home at Lagot-Ocomo. Ameda felt great and happy in his new home that stood completely isolated in the wilderness of Lagot-Ocomo.
However, his immigration into the wilderness of Lagot-Ocomo with his whole family became an issue to the members of his clan. The people of his clan were very concerned about the safety and security of his family in such an isolated place, like Lagot-Ocomo, which was far away from the rest of the community. For days the people of his clan pleaded with him to reconsider his decisions to stay alone at Lagot-Ocomo, exposing his whole family to great danger from the world of barbarism. The strong fence of selected hardwood and one modern gun in the hands of one man, however powerful he was, would not be able to save the lives of the members of his dear family from the barbarity of the ancient time.
After many days of serious negotiations and pleading for the sake of his family, Ameda the Great eventually yielded to the pleas of the clan and allowed his family to be taken back into the community.
