Justice Amoko’s Burial Postponed As Family Runs To Court
The burial of former Supreme Court judge, Stella Amoko Arach has been postponed pending resolving of an ongoing family row over the burial grounds.
A family row broke out between the children and the husband, Ambassador, James Amoko who wanted the deceased judge buried in Adjumani.
The children want their mother buried at the ancestral grounds in Nebbi.
In a circular on Thursday, the Judiciary Chief Registrar, Sara Langa indicated that the burial had been postponed.
“This is to inform you that due to factors beyond our control, the burial of the late Hon.Lady Justice Stella Amoko Arach, justice of the Supreme Court will not place on Friday, June 23, 2023, as had been planned. New dates will be communicated in due course,” Langa said.
Children run to court
The development comes at a time when the deceased’s children run to court to challenge plans to have their mother buried in Adjumani as had earlier been announced.
In an application before the Family Division of the High Court in Kampala, the deceased’s children including Annette Yossa, Amony Jackie and Komakech Emmanuel want court to issue an order to have her remains buried at Juba Village, Jukia Hill Ward, Nebbi Municipality in Nebbi district.
“The applicants are desirous of having their mother buried in a dignified, peaceful and prompt manner at her ancestral home in Nebbi Municipality as per her expressed wish at the time of her demise,” court documents read in part.
The deceased’s former justice of the Supreme Court says that through her oral will, Justice Amoko through her brother, sister and niece sought to be buried at her ancestral grounds in Nebbi.
These say the judiciary was earlier “misguided” to publicly announce Adjumani as the burial grounds for their mother which they say is contrary to her oral will.
According to the deceased’s brother, Godfrey Picho, on June, 10, while on the sick bed, the late told him that she thought would not live for long but asked that in case of case, she should be taken to her ancestral grounds for burial.
“She told me that if anything went wrong, she would wish that I ensure that she is taken back home in Nebbi and laid to rest near her late dad Michael Pacho and her aunt, Julia Angeyo at their ancestral home at Jukia Hill Ward, Nebbi Municipality,” Picho says in his affidavit.
“It is in the interest of justice, equity and fairness that this court grants the order to bury Justice Stella Amoko Arach at her ancestral burial grounds.”
The court is set to determine this application later today.
Earlier, in a communication to the Judiciary’s Chief Registrar, the deceased’s family and children through their lawyers of Gem Advocates said a family meeting that sat on May, 18, a day after her demise had unanimously agreed that her final resting place is Nebbi in “fulfilment with her life long wish known by all close family members and other persons we do not wish to disclose in this letter.”
“However, to our clients’ dismay and utter shock, Ambassador James ldule’s relatives went to a meeting at the president’s office and communicated contrary positions regarding the final burial place for our client’s mother.”
The lawyers said they had been given instructions to pursue legal actions in order to protect and preserve the wishes of the deceased in case their communication is ignored.
Source: Nilepost
