Song of Lawino, written by Prof. Okot P’ Bitek long, long time ago, has described the bold episode of the root causes of social dysfunction brought by capitalism and socialists’ rule and divided political hegemony.
GULU CITY-WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12, 2026
By Okumu Livingstone Langol, (Uganda Correspondent)
Acholi elders described the stalemate between Western cultural beliefs and African cultural beliefs as the dominion and part of slavery being displayed by political leaders at work; it’s the hegemony and the long-term alienation strategy in motion.
Orach Luke, 83 years old, and Okot Yosaloni, 82 years old, both believe that the Western cultural beliefs and African cultural beliefs have never been in conflict, as the African Cultural institutions that welcome the Western Cultural Institution at the advent of European Colonial came to Africa.
According to Okot Yosaloni, quoting from the book Song of Lawino, poetry written by Prof. Okot P’ Bitek. describes politics as follows:
“While the Pantheon of sickness swallow the children, and the Buffalo of poverty knock down the people, and ignorance stands there like an Elephant.
The war leaders are tidally choked in bloody fuse, eating his or other livers, as if the Democratic Party (DP) is a Leprosy and the Uganda People Congress (UPC) party is Yaws. Both parties claimed that they are fighting sickness, ignorance and poverty, but these three things are destroying the country because they are busy fighting each other instead of fighting problems.”
Okot Yosaloni argued that the Civilization that brought religions, and later conflict developed between the two parties, its politics, because they have caused conflict between African culture and Western Culture the religions.
Orach Luke supported the notion brought by Okot Yosaloni that when the religions came in the 18 Century, they went to Traditions African Cultural institutions, which were under the apex of African Deity cultural beliefs.
“They were living together and shared some ideas; Christianity, on the big day, African deities instructed their subjects through their leaders to respect Christian days like Christmas, the birth of Jesus, and. And in the morning, each of the denominations greeted each other because they were living in one place.”
The Christianity began to baptize the converts, while African traditions used to carry on to baptize the children as they followed, for example, Acholi people beliefs that when woman produce baby boy, the new baby boy stayed indoor for three days, and while the new baby boy are introduce to the outside world, the mother has to go traditions ritual of giving names.
“The mother of the baby boy is not allowed to touch the private part of the new baby boy; she has to observe a three-day command: neither wash the new baby boy; once she touches his private part, the boy becomes important. And on the third day, a helper, especially an old woman, will cook dek kwer; for example, the Bolo clan’s ritual dish is green vegetable, dek boo.
At dawn, the Lakwer, the ritual woman, will call the mother who is locked inside the house, you people who you are inside the hut, what is your name. the mother will say that our name is Okello, or Opobo, the ritual woman will re-echo her words three times.
Then she will open the door, and the ritual food is served to the newborn baby three times, while the mother of the newborn baby also receives food three four times accordingly.
Orach Luke revealed that when the Pa-cuah clan, who happened to be nephews of the Bolo clan, were losing newborn babies, they had to migrate to their uncle’s place, and they were told to carry out the Bolo ritual of Kwer ki Boo.
When they adopted Kwer Bolo, they began to have children, but being nephews, they abused the goodwill of being okeyo; they Cuah started having affairs with their uncle’s wives. When the issues of their adultery came out, the Bolo clan planned to alienate them, but they escaped to date.
Now, because of politics, religions used to fight among themselves; the war goes further, as the Born-Again Pentecostal church claimed to be Godlier than the others, yet we are all under Jesus Christ’s foundation.
Also, we are witnessing Islam war of dominion with the Arab advent in Africa in 700 AD; what I can describe is Demonology: always a constant war set between the kingdom of Satan and the Holiness.
Okot Yosaloni claimed that in the book of Jude, when Satan came to take the body of Moses, God sent Archangel Michael, who revoked Satan; the Archangel Michael did not use strong condemnation words like today the Pentecostal Born-Again used to the other Jesus followers.
“The Archangel Michael told Satan, ‘ The Lord revoked you, and Satan left and walked away.”
The Principality, the Bible talk about the kingdom of Satan, sometime they talk about the principality and power, in the book of Daniel, chapter 8, the power that was under control of Persia, the agent of Satan who was controlling Persia, blocked the Archangel Michael for 21 days the Archangel Gabriel was sent to fight to fight for Angel Michael to deliver the message to Daniel.
Satan governs the entire Persia, which is now Iran; however, we have a Pope, Archbishop, Bishop, Father, reverend. The world has to be prepared to preach good news for the peace of humanity, as Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu Catholic Diocese, who was at the center of the Northern Uganda Northern Conflict, was always agitating.
Thus, in a nutshell, the worst enemy of cultural institutions is the rise of the cults, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and some of the born-again, and how they deliver their message.
Orach Luke outlines that in Africa God used to see traditional herbal medicine; God communicated to people to reveal traditional herbal medicine to someone who is making it to his wisdom.
We have to guard the communication between cultural and religious institutions, sometimes entertainment beliefs. Jesus Christ gave a warning in the book of Revelation not to change culture.
