Oteka Okello Mwoka Lengomoi - A Legend Among the Acholi of Uganda (Paperback)

Dr. Jim Ocitti is the author of two highly acclaimed books on Uganda: Political Evolution and Democratic Practice in Uganda 1952-1996 and Press, Politics and Public Policy in Uganda: The Role of Journalism in Democratization, both published by the Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY. He has served as a Senior Communication Advisor to the United Nations and worked as a Journalist in Uganda, Germany and the Netherlands. Dr. Ocitti obtained his PhD from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and attended Harvard University as a Postdoctoral Fellow in International Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He was also a Fellow in International Affairs at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. In this book, he traces the life of one of the most illustrious military and political leaders in Acholi of Northern Uganda at the intersection of history between the 19th and 20th centuries by illuminating the man's contribution to social change in Northern Uganda during the malleable early phase of colonial rule in the area.This book illuminates the life of Oteka Okello Mwoka Lengomoi, a legendary figure in the history of Acholi of Northern Uganda between the 19th and 20th centuries. The book traces Mwoka's life from early childhood to his elevation to the position of Oteka, or military commander, of the Chiefdom of Puranga and narrates his relationship with key socio-political figures within the region, such as the king of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, major chiefs in Lango and Acholi, and the British colonial authorities. The book shows Mwoka's various levels of contribution to social change in Acholi within the British colonial setting, as he became the single most important and dependable local leader for the British in their imperial designs in the area. It documents the circumstances under which the Oteka was assassinated and the implication of his demise on Acholi politics and society. It shows how, in the wake of his death, many of his children and grandchildren rose to various levels of influence within Acholi and Uganda. The book ends with a brief narrative of the history of the Chiefdom of Puranga from which Oteka Okello Mwoka Lengomoi originated and of which he was a principal player.