Jopadhola set to celebrate 25 years of crowning Kwar Adhola Moses Owor

Tororo, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Usher Wilson Owere, the former Chairman General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), was sworn in on Friday 31, May 2024 as the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Coordination of the Jopadhola in the Diaspora, (covering Entebbe, Wakiso, Kampala, and Mukono).

The swearing-in took place during a special cabinet meeting of the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution (TACI), which also discussed the upcoming 25th Coronation Anniversary Celebrations.

The session was presided over by His Majesty Moses Stephen Owor, 98, the cultural leader (Kwar Adhola) of the Jopadhola.

A series of month-long activities to commemorate the 25th (Silver Jubilee) Coronation Anniversary of Kwar Adhola and the existence of the TACI cultural institution are set to commence on Wednesday with a royal tour and a town hall meeting at Pajwenda Town Council.

The celebration organizing committee has also scheduled a marathon, a cultural week, a bicycle race, and a dinner leading up to the Silver Jubilee celebrations.

These events will climax on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Achilet Primary School grounds, with President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni expected to be the guest of honour.

The theme of the Celebration is; “Gender parity a prerequisite for Sustainable Unity, Peace and Development in a fast-changing environment.”

The celebrations return to Achilet, five years after the mammoth 20th anniversary celebrations that had Kirunda Kivenjinja (RIP) as chief guest.

Who is 98-year-old Kwar Adhola Moses Owor?

Twenty five years ago on on the 7th August 1999, His Majesty Moses Stephen Owor was installed as the cultural leader of the Jopadhola. The historic event took place in King George V stadium in Tororo Town after a cultural ritual performed by a one Opeti Obieto (RIP) and His Grace Yona Okoth (RIP) the then Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. Kwar Adhola Moses Owor is now 98 years old.

Kwar Adhola, has a rich profile that has seen him serve the country as Permanent Secretary in the then Ministry of Labour where he played a key role sowing the seeds for the formation of NSSF. He served the Federation of Uganda Employers as Executive Director and later joined the International Labour Organization based in Nairobi, Kenya as Chief Technical Advisor.

He was among others, Chairperson of the Boards of Kilembe Mines Ltd and Produce Marketing Board and served on various other committees of government such as that one which made in 1987 recommendations to rationalize the public service of Uganda.

Also Read: Unveiling Usher Wilson Owere’s 15-year leadership legacy at NOTU

The leader of the Jopadhola was elected by consensus by an electoral college of the 52 registered clans in 1998. Hitherto each clan separately had its own clan leader called Kwar Nono (clan grandfather). And whereas the clan leaders had close association on account of common origin, none of them superintended over the others.

The new cultural leader was given the title Kwar Adhola (grandfather of the Jopadhola), and the new Union of the original and affiliated clans was christened Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution.

In other spheres, he was the first African Head of the Laity of Christ the King Parish in the seventies, was Charter President of Tororo Rotary Club, Member of board of Governors of St. Anthony Hospital, Tororo, the Benedictine Eye Hospital, also in Tororo and St. Peter’s College, Tororo. He has several children, serving the society in various public and private capacities.

Royal Tour schedule