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Court to decide Justice Amoko burial place today
Speaker Anita Among and other Members of Parliament pay respect to former Supreme Court judge Stella Arach-Amoko at Parliament on June 21, 2023. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The widower of the former Supreme Court judge wants her buried in Adjumani while three of her children want her buried in Nebbi Town.
The Family Division of the High Court is this afternoon expected to decide the burial place for former Supreme Court judge Stella Arach-Amoko, a matter that has posthumously polarised her family.
Her husband, now widower, Ambassador James Idule Amoko, wants the body of Justice Arach-Amoko who was his wife by the time of her death on Saturday, interred at his home in Adjumani.
However, three children that Justice Arach-Amoko got before her marriage to the diplomat, with whom she has no biological child, have asked court to order that their mother be buried on Jukia Hill in Nebbi Town in what they said was her wish.
In an application filed yesterday, the trio and two of the deceased’s siblings also want court to terminate the original plan to bury the judge of Uganda’s highest appellate court in Adjumani or, if done, authorise them to exhume the body for reburial in Nebbi.
The applicants are Ms Annet Yossa, Mr Emmanuel Komakech and Ms Jackie Amoni - children of the deceased - and her brother Godfrey Richo and sister Christine Onyok.
The respondents in the case, according to an order issued yesterday by presiding Judge Justice Ketrah Kitariisibwa Katunguka, are the Attorney General and Ambassador Amoko.
“It is hereby ordered and agreed as follows; the application shall be served on the respondents by 10am (this morning), the respondents shall file their response by 12:30pm (today), the matter is fixed for hearing at 3:30pm (also today) and the matter shall proceed by oral testimony,” the order signed by Justice Katunguka reads in part.
Justice Arach-Amoko was, according to the official programme, to be buried today in Adjumani after Parliament paid tribute to her on Wednesday.
However, her biological children and two of their maternal relatives opposed the decision they argued was made without their input.
A last-minute effort by Speaker of Parliament Ms Anita Among on Wednesday to broker a consensus among the feuding family members remained deadlocked following a night meeting she chaired, leading to filing of the application in court yesterday to resolve the impasse.
Asked about the court process yesterday, Ambassador Amoko said “we have not been told about anything, but if given enough time we shall respond because my lawyers need adequate time to prepare my defence”.
Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the attorney general, told this newspaper last evening that he was not aware of the application filed for court to determine the burial place for Justice Arach-Amoko.
The body of the deceased was returned to a funeral home after the dispute among family members erupted, and the Judiciary which she served for decades, said a new burial programme will be decided once the dissenting parties resolve their differences.
