Lira | For nearly two decades, the three children of Pulkeria and C. Bongonyinge (RIP) say they have had no peace and happiness as a result of continued torture, division, and assaults by their own blood brother Eng. Joseph Odongo Bongonyinge and his wife Atim Jennet.
Eng. Odongo, who worked as an Alebtong district engineer until around 2013 when his services were terminated due to alleged corruption, is now a senior minister at the Lango Cultural Institution (LCI).
Originally a member of the Otikokin Ocok clan, led by his late father C. Bongonyinge, the clan was dissolved after Bongonyinge’s death, family letter shows. The dissolution, tndNews understands, was made in the late 1990s by the deceased’s cousins who later formed Otikokin Dogola Acel clan.
However, Eng. Odongo chose to lead the disbanded Otikokin Ocok clan with full allegiance to LCI.
While family members say they are not “too bothered with his cultural leadership,” they feel unsafe, threatened, and tortured by their brother, Eng. Odongo, who has caused more than tensions and shame in their family for nearly two decades.
On December 6, 2024, his siblings, Tom Elias Gol Bongonyinge, Anna Bongo Awor, and Hermilia Christine Akoli, wrote a joint letter to their brother, expressing “concern about his conduct that has worsened lately.”
“…we had come to terms with the emotional and physical torture you have always subjected us to since our mothers’ death on 16 April 2007. You have been extremely rude to us, your siblings, and you have shown a high degree of irresponsibility over the family.
“We have tried our best as family to support you whenever you need quorum but the best payment we get back is physical and emotional torture. The best example was on 01 January 2024, when you watched your wife Jennet Atim break the window to Anna’s bedroom and pour cold water on Anna as she slept early morning, you knew very well that Anna is a heart patient and needs complete family support. This incident almost led to her death.”
Since their parents’ deaths, these siblings, including affluent Eng. Odongo and his wife said they have lived in the same family home in Teso Bar, Lira. He and his wife, Atim, believe Tom Gol and wife, Susan Gol are “unfit for purpose” to live in the same family home as them.
“We have received copies of letters you sent to Mzee John Pule…our father-in-law, the father to Susan Gol Bongonyinge, claiming that Susan is not fit for purpose. We have also seen another letter you addressed to the same in-law to pick up the daughter as you claim her husband Tom Gol is mentally ill. You also wrote a letter asking Tom Gol to sit and watch you torture him without seeking for help,” the aggrieved siblings’ letter further reads.
However, the three siblings assert that their brother lacks “any professional authority to claim Tom Gol is mentally ill.” “The medical personnel in the family confirm Tom’s complete wellness and agree that he is a responsible citizen causing no harm to family members and the community.”
Eng. Odongo is accused of repeatedly threatening his brother Tom Gol and his father-in-law and allegedly reporting them to security authorities, while writing letters to the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) and District Police Commander Lira City.
However, family says their bad brother has been blackmailing. “From the letters we have seen, there is no evidence of RCC or DPC being copied in. We are asking you to stop impersonation and blackmail. With this, you are giving the family a bad image to the in-laws. We hereby ask you to stop representing the family to the in-laws.
“You have divided the family land in Teso Bar into two claiming one side (the bigger side) is yours and the smaller side is for the rest. Get it clear Joseph that, it is family land we are dealing with here and you have no legal rights to divide it. Land division can only be done in the presence of all the 5 family members in to six (6) equal parts following the succession law of Uganda.
“To enlighten you about the succession law, customary heir is legally entitled to1% of the estates. This is according to the Uganda’s succession Act Cap. 162 which was amended in 2022. According to the Act, since our mother had no surviving spouse, and no dependent relatives, it leaves us with 99% of the estate which we should share as lineal descendants.”
According to the three aggrieved siblings, the law makes no distinction between whether a lineal descendant is female, male, married, or divorced.
“Lineal descendants are biological children and grandchildren of the deceased. This means the lineal descendant of Mrs. P. Bongonyinge are David Charles Ogwal (represented by his son Jeremiah Odongo Ogwal) Susan Bongo Aguti, Anna Bongo Awor, Joseph Odongo, Hermilia Christine Akoli and Tom Elias Gol Bongonyinge,” Elias Gol and his siblings told Eng. Odongo.
2007 and counting
The trio stated that before their mother, Mrs. Pulkeria Bongonyinge, died in 2007, she built two houses for her two youngest children out of fear that they would suffer if she died. “You (Eng. Odongo) forcefully hijacked the one allotted to Hermilia C. Akoli and lived in it from 2008 until 2024 when you again forcefully displaced Tom Gol and his family from his house on 28 July 2024 by throwing his household belongings and children out of his house, and now you are occupying Tom’s house.”
Tom’s family is currently being hosted at Hermilia’s house after requesting to stay there. “By doing this, you have rudely violated our late mother’s interest pursuing your own.”
Eng. Odongo has been asked by his siblings to settle where their late mother left him, and that is in his home located in Ireda Agali.
Concerning their father’s incomplete house in Amwa Center, Minakulu, and the land it sits on, the trio says they are dividing it among the six of them at a rate of 17.5% for Eng. Odongo as customary heir and 16.5% for each of the other five siblings.
“You have turned the family home to a torture chamber where you have physically beaten us, chased us away from home, burnt out personal belongings, stoned us, denied us the right to host visitors, paid off police on many occasions when we report you for these violence and we always live under fear each time we hear you are within the country.
“You have given your wife all rights to insult us and our deceased parents verbally and using sms and WhatsApp phone applications and you have charged neighbors against us. Each time your wife violates us, we are always been calm and do not respond to her hooliganism, yet you later accuse us of physically torturing her; to this, we have evidence including audio recording and eye witnesses and example of this was 28 December 2024 when your wife threw stones at Hermilia Akoli and Anna Bongo Awor, burnt the mat they were sitting on outside the family house, burnt Anna’s cloths that had been put to dry on the family laundry wire, and burnt Hermilia’s hand bag containing her national identification card, driving permit, health insurance cards, work Identity card, bank ATM cards plus$200,” the aggrieved siblings say.
Torture, assaults continue
According to his sister Anna Bongo, on April 9, 2025, Eng. Joseph Odongo attempted to storm her in the bathroom with the intention of “fighting or harming.” “He pushed the bathroom door; I pushed back. He kept telling me, “I have got your life in my hands.”
When their younger brother Elias Gol heard loud voices, he ran inside, only to be “hit back by his visibly charged brother.”
An assault case against Eng. Odongo was recorded at Lira City CPS under SD REF 32/09/04/2025, and another case against him for assaulting his sister was recorded under SD 26/07/04/2025 by a police officer named I.O Moko.
Eng. Odongo denied the allegations made by his siblings during an interview with reporters at Lira City CPS on April 9, where he was summoned to record statements.
Eng. Odongo wanted out of family house in Teso Bar
Eng. Odongo Joseph, who is currently allegedly working for the United Nations (UN) in Pretoria, South Africa, has been asked to leave the family premises. The three siblings point to “continued violence” that he has “imposed on them for the last 19 years.”
“The family also asks you to stop representing them in any forum at the same time, removing you from the family leadership position due to your incompetence in leadership,” they stated.
However, after receiving the letter, the UN employee is accused of sending his employees to vandalize his younger brother’s banana plantation.
Surprisingly, Eng. Odongo reported his sister Akoli Christine Hermilia to the police CID in Lira City. Meanwhile, Akoli accuses the brother of previously arresting two sisters on false charges.
Akoli reported to police CID on January 23, 2025, after being summoned on January 21, 2025, by D/SP Turyakira Collins for threatening violence under Ref 23/21/1/25.
According to a police officer who is knowledgeable about these family issues, “the matter is beyond understanding, pinning Eng. Odongo for decade-long family saga.”
Part two follows
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