The Clan Chief of Lamogi in Amuru district Rwot Otinga Yai Otuka has revealed that the chiefdom is set to sue the British government over the gruesome killings, torture and extreme oppression of Lamogi people during the 1911 Lamogi rebellion.
This comes almost 104 years later since the Lamogi rebellion in which British colonialists fought and defeated locals resisting colonial rule at Guru Guru Hills.
Lamogi Chiefdom had earlier in 2007, threatened to sue the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, over the alleged British brutal killings of Lamogi people. At the time, the British monarch was in Uganda to attend the Common Wealth meeting in Kampala.
The Lamogi rebellion resulted into death of hundreds of locals who were trapped in the caves of Guru-Guru hills.
Speaking to Acholi Times in an interview last week, Rwot Otinga revealed that a team of 10 lawyers from Uganda and Kenya have now concluded collection of evidence which reveals gruesome killings of locals by the British.
Otinga said the legal team comprises lawyers who were involved in the case in which former Mau Mau fighters scored a legal victory against the British government. The lawyers are coordinated by the Aruu County Member of Parliament Odonga Otto of Odonga Otto & Co Advocates.
The Chief said early next year (2016), the legal team will serve the British government with letter of intention to sue in the United Kingdom.
Rwot Otinga disclosed the intentions to sue the British government arises from the forceful rule of law the British colonialists subjected their people to, use of ‘poisonous gas’ that killed those who opposed their rules and destruction of their properties, and displacement of Lamogi people.
“It has taken us a while to pile our evidences and get a legal team to help us in suing the British Government. We are now well set to challenge their government to compensate us for the loss of our grandfathers, eroding our culture and loss of properties,” said Otinga.
In March this year, President Museveni, pledged to turn Lamogi hills where the British and Lamogi people fought into a tourist attraction site.
Mr Otto, of Odonga Otto & Co advocates confirmed that the legal team has completed compiling of evidence needed to sue the British.
Kilak County MP, Gilbert Olanya said the British government deserve to compensate Lamogi over the torture the colonialists subjected them to.
“Our clan was a rich one but the British destroyed it by killing our great grandfathers. We started the struggle to sue them since 2012 and now I am happy that finally we shall achieve our objectives,” said Olanya.
In Kenya people who were tortured by the British during the Mau Mau uprising between 1952-60 took the British government court seeking for compensation. In 2012, the British government later accepted to pay out £19.9m in costs and compensation to more than 5,000 elderly Kenyans who suffered torture and abuse.
By Denis Otim
