LIRA CITY — The Paramount Chief of Teso, His Highness Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot Etimeileng, has made a landmark visit to Lango Sub-region, using the engagement to promote peace, unity, education and stronger cultural relations between the Iteso and Lango communities.
The visit, which brought sections of normal business to a standstill in Lira City, was part of the Emorimor’s broader efforts to strengthen relations between the Iteso community living in Lango and their Lango neighbours.
Emorimor and his delegation were received and hosted by the Paramount Chief of Lango, His Highness Eng. Dr. Michael Moses Odongo Okune, at the Lango Royal Palace.
The meeting between the two cultural leaders provided an opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding relationship between the neighbouring communities and to encourage peaceful coexistence, cultural cooperation and unity among their people.
The Iteso community living in Lango turned up in large numbers to welcome their cultural leader, with traditional performances forming part of the activities at the Palace.
During the visit, Emorimor also visited Uganda Christian School of Nursing in Lira, where he held discussions on education opportunities, particularly the need to increase access to science education for children from the Teso community.
The engagement has already yielded an education opportunity, with two full scholarship places secured for Teso children pursuing science-related studies, according to Stephen Ojacor, the Minister for Information at the Iteso Cultural Union.
“Papa Emorimor has already secured two full scholarships for science students. This visit to Lango has consolidated the relationship between the two neighbouring tribes,” Ojacor said.
He described the development as part of the wider education agenda being promoted by the Iteso Cultural Union, particularly efforts to expand opportunities for young people in science and other fields.
After the engagement at the nursing school, Emorimor returned to the Lango Royal Palace, where he officiated traditional cultural performances presented by Iteso living in the Lango Sub-region.
The performances provided an opportunity for the Iteso community to showcase its cultural heritage while reaffirming its identity and connection to the wider Iteso community.
The visit comes at a time when the Iteso Cultural Union is increasingly positioning cultural leadership as a platform for promoting social and economic development beyond traditional cultural functions.
Through engagements with neighbouring cultural institutions and communities, the institution has continued to emphasize peaceful coexistence, education, agricultural development, unity and cultural preservation.
The Lango visit also comes ahead of the fourth Coronation Anniversary of Papa Emorimor, scheduled for 29–31 October 2026 in Kenya.
The anniversary celebrations are expected to highlight some of the key areas that have characterized Emorimor’s leadership, including peace and unity, education, agriculture, cultural preservation and community development.
The Lira engagement is therefore being viewed by the Iteso Cultural Union as part of the broader peace and unity agenda, with the leadership seeking to deepen relations between the Iteso and neighbouring communities while creating practical opportunities for young people.
For the Iteso community in Lango, the visit was both a cultural homecoming and an affirmation of the importance of maintaining peaceful relations with their Lango neighbors.
As the two cultural institutions continue to engage, the emphasis remains on using cultural leadership to strengthen unity, create opportunities for communities and preserve the longstanding bonds between the people of Teso and Lango.
