Tribal Persecution in Koboko: “The Shadow War Against the Alur”

By PATRICK JARAMOGI

KOBOKO, Uganda Feb 13 2025 [SHIFTMEDIA]  Obedgiu Justin sits quietly in the dimly lit room of his rented house in Koboko, his hands clasped together in frustration. His journey to becoming a laboratory assistant at Dranya Health Center III was long and tedious—an application submitted in 2020, a rigorous aptitude test by the Public Service Commission, an oral interview, and finally, his appointment.

He had earned his place, or so he thought. Now, he is being cast as an outsider, a symbol of an ethnic war he never signed up for.

In the heart of Koboko District, whispers of a tribal purge have grown into an open secret. The alleged architect of this campaign is Hajat Naham Medina, a powerful member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Director of Finance at the party’s secretariat. Medina, a self-proclaimed “daughter of the soil,” has reportedly mobilized the State House Anti Corruption Unit to scrutinize the employment of Alur professionals in the district. The accusations? That former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) John Bosco Akera, now transferred to Agago, deliberately recruited Alur individuals into key district positions.

But Obedgiu’s case presents a glaring contradiction. According to the Koboko District Chairperson, Mambo Ashraf, Obedgiu applied for his position before Akera was even posted to Koboko. “His qualifications and appointment were purely on merit, yet his name appears on a growing list of those being targeted. And he is not alone,’ he said.

The Marked Ones

Cwinyai Emmanuel, a clinical officer working at Lurujio Health Center III, was hired under a contract supported by UNHCR funding. Despite the clear legal basis of his employment, his name became a point of contention. In 2020, Hon. Mawa and Mabe Ismail, the now-interdicted Senior Human Resources Officer of Koboko, lodged a complaint against Cwinyai, leading to an investigation by the Inspectorate of Government(IGG). The case was handed to a one  Bernard Oite, but to date, no official report has been released.

Then there is Adokorach Gloria, a midwife at Koboko Hospital, who pursued further studies in imaging and secured a part-time job at Yumbe Hospital. Rather than being lauded for her dedication, she found herself under attack. Accusations of “double employment” surfaced, and soon the IGG was drawn into her case as well. Like the others, she now waits in uncertainty.

The Politics of Persecution

Medina’s actions have sparked a debate in Koboko and beyond. Some local leaders whisper that Medina’s goal is to consolidate power by ensuring that no outsiders—especially Alur professionals—hold influential positions in the district.
A senior government official, speaking anonymously, suggests that Medina’s motivations are rooted in maintaining tribal dominance. “She has positioned herself as the ultimate gatekeeper of Koboko. To her, allowing Alur professionals to work in the district is a threat to her influence,” the official said. The Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) President, currently chairperson Kole, Andrew Moses Awany described Medina’s action as not in line with patriotic movement. “I have heard of her attacks on non Kakwa’s in Koboko, and we where due to meet with the Koboko district leaders to discuss these issues. She needs to know that Uganda is one, and every Ugandan has a right to work in any part of Uganda,” he said.

Alur elders who met in Zombo said they were planning to petition President Museveni regarding the continued attacks on Alur persons.

Medina’s Call For Uprising

The Koboko District Local Government Speaker notes that such sentiments against the Alur when in one of the Watsup Forum’s {KOJUSA), Medina was reportedly seen asking locals with any complaints against the then CAO John Bosco Akera to come forward and present them to be forwarded to State House. “In the same forum, the interdicted Norman Galla, a renowned relative of Medina made celebration comments that Medina a “big tree” in the NRM had finally fallen on the CAO,” said one of the district councilor on condition of anonymity.

 

But amidst all these, scores of locals in Koboko accuse Medina of “misusing” her powers. “People like Ali Kalifan, Medina’s blood brother who had been serving in the position of secretary to the commission without the required qualifications refused to upgrade until he was interdicted in 2025, after serving since 2007,” said a top district official. Added the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid being targeted: “So its wrong for Medina who hails from Lubule to accuse the former CAO, Akera as being corrupt, Medina is misusing her authority and powers.”
Ali Kalifan was booted as secretary District Service Commission even when the accused Akera had left for Agago, his new posting. On her part, Hajjat Medina remains non committal when contacted, preferring to remain at the egde.

The IGG’s Silence and the Unresolved Allegations

Beyond the targeted individuals, another striking element of this controversy is the lack of clear resolutions. The IGG, which took up multiple cases—including the allegation that Akera facilitated the repair of a motor vehicle used by the then Medical Superintendent, Dr. Kaggwa—has yet to release its findings. The chief mechanical engineer from the Ministry of Works and Transport already verified that Akera’s actions were legitimate, yet Medina’s camp continues to push these allegations.
For many, the silence from the IGG is telling. Is it bureaucratic delay, or is the institution caught in the web of political influence?

A Community on Edge

For the Alur professionals in Koboko, every day feels like a gamble. Will they wake up to another summons? Will their names be smeared in political corridors as symbols of corruption? The uncertainty is suffocating, and the absence of justice only fuels their fears.
Meanwhile, Medina remains untouchable, her influence deeply embedded in the ruling party’s structures. The question lingers—if meritocracy can be sacrificed at the altar of tribalism, what hope remains for fairness in Uganda’s civil service?
As Obedgiu Justin looks out of his window into the dimly lit streets of Koboko, he sighs deeply. “I worked for this job. I earned it. But now, just because of my tribe, I am being told I do not belong here,” he says.
His voice carries the weight of a thousand unspoken fears—the fear of losing his job, of being exiled from a place he called home, and of watching justice slip further from his grasp.
For now, the war in Koboko rages on, unseen yet deeply felt, a silent struggle for identity, justice, and the right to belong.

Further Findings

An investigative piece on a purported tribal witch-hunt in Koboko District, West Nile, has brought to light new developments. Our findings indicate that the inspectorate of Government (IGG) has already issued a report on the repair of the hospital vehicle, and action has been taken. The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament also examined this matter in an audit report and made recommendations, which were duly implemented, we discovered.

Sources in Koboko revealed to us that Hajjat Medina is reviving these allegations due to the interdiction of Mr Mabe, her close relative from Lobule, who was until recently the Senior Human Resources Officer, and the arrest of a one Norman Galla, the former Koboko District Agricultural Officer. Meanwhile, when contacted, the IGG informed us that they are yet to release the report regarding the investigations of the UNHCR contract appointments case, which allegedly targeted Cwinyai Emmanuel, and an Acholi woman. Additionally, investigations regarding the recruitment of laboratory Assistants, a process said to have targeted Rev Sr Francesca, an Itesot, and Obedgui Justin, as well as the inquiry into Adokorach Gloria.

These widespread investigations, is according to the Alur elders, a form of witch-hunt aimed towards the Alur community in Koboko, despite their un-weavering support for the NRM. Some voices in the region are calling on H.E President Yoweri K. Museveni and the First son and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to audit the sources of Hajjat Medina’s funding for such investigations

Additionally, concerns have been raised about why Medina is celebrating her alleged role in influencing the transfer of John Bosco Akera, the former CAO Koboko to Agago. Close sources in Koboko are also questioning why is purportedly lobbying the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government to interdict John Bosco Akera, further fueling suspicions of politically and tribally motivated actions.