Ngorok’s last phone call to cousin before his death

Loud wailing echoed as female mourners rolled themselves on the ground, reciting native words of mourning.  

Ngorok was reportedly stabbed in a brawl in Entebbe with Catholic priest Rev Fr Dominic Alinga, his close friend from childhood, whom police have since taken into custody to help with investigations 

Detectives are investigating contrasting accounts of how late Ngorok met his death and the motive; one being money arrangements gone-bad and the other an alleged fall-out over an unnamed lady.

Ms Oliver Pulkol, a cousin, said he spoke to the deceased each of the three days preceding his demise and hours after the fatal stabbing. We reproduce below a slightly edited version of her account to us in a telephone conversation last evening about Ngorok’s last moments on earth.

“He (John Baptist Ngorok) was like my brother. We grew up together, in the same village, same home. In our home, they knew him as our brother. In their home, they knew me as his sister. Whenever I had a problem in my home, I would share with [Ngorok]. Even when he had something annoying him, he [would] text and share with me as a sister. 

On that day [Wednesday last week], he happened to be attending a training in Kyambogo (Kampala) and he put that thing on his [WhatsApp] status. Then he called me and said you first comment on what I have put on my status. Then I told him (inaudible) was not feeling well. 

He told me when you come around [in Kampala], you call me and we train together because at home [in Nakapiripirit], he [was] our [choir] trainer … The next day (Thursday) he called me and said ‘there are some friends of [mine] who want beads’ because he knew that I made beads; that they want[ed] to go for [the Karimojong] cultural event the next time. 

Then he asked, ‘when do you think you will be in Kampala?’ I told him I might come either on Friday or Saturday … The next day, on Friday, he called me and asked, ‘when do you think you are travelling exactly?’ I told him that they have called me from school and told me that my daughter is supposed to go for a [study] tour. 

I said I might use the money I have to first send this girl for the tour. He told me may be I might get back to you later. That was on Friday (August 2), at around 10am. Immediately after his call, they called me from school and said, ‘madam, send money for the tour … for your girl’. 

I was [on a visit and] residing at the place of my friend’s sister. Then in the evening, she said ‘you come [from the trading centre home’. Then when there, she said ‘I have come home, you come’. Reaching home, she said ‘I have remembered a song that JB (Ngorok) trained us [to sing]’. So, we began singing that song. 

I told this lady that when we are praying, at least let’s put Rev Fr Dominic Alinga (the suspended Catholic priest who was a close friend and is detained by police over Ngorok’s death). From the time they said they had suspended him, I have been praying for this man. [The Bishop of Moroto Diocese suspended Rev Fr Alinga on July 17, 2024].  

In the night, I didn’t have sleep, my friend also didn’t have sleep. Then my phone [battery] was at 31 percent. Then I told this lady (host) that at least let me [redeem some minutes] because it is not good to have a phone without airtime [because] in case of anything, you cannot communicate. 

I had some [mobile] money on my phone and I bought minutes for Shs5,000. Then we tried to sleep, but nothing. The time when I had just started to sleep, I saw a call coming from JB (Ngorok). 

Now I was wondering, why should this boy be calling me at this time? It was 12:03am. Then my colleague told me, ‘you receive the call’. The moment I received the call, he was calling me using my daughter’s name. He was saying ‘mama Vale, mama Vale’, in loud voice, ‘çome for my body, come and take me home … has killed me. I’m on Entebbe Road. I collapsed.’”