The Essence of A Rwot ki ii Oda

In the history of post-independence Uganda the Acoli have had their fair share 
of darkness and scorn:  Amin slaughtered them;  Museveni slaughtered them;  the 
Baganda put the loss of their Kingdom and  the bones in Luweero at the doorstep 
of  the Acoli; and the Kakwa, Madi and Lugbara blame their post-Amin sufferings 
on the Acoli.  This is why one son of Amin claims that the Acoli are the most 
hated people in Uganda----as revealed by a fierce Acoli Nya P'rwodi.

Let me clear the air here and then I will go on to posit what a typical Acoli 
is all about. There is historic evidence of overzealous Acoli who have been 
loyal to a T,  and could be  aggressive at exacting punishment within and 
without at the order of the master. Even today we see manifestations of such 
deviants in the form of Acoli NRM.

The very fabric, the core of an Acoli worthy of his or her ancestor is about 
uncompromising personal independence. This is where A Rwot ki ii Oda comes as 
an aggressive statement that no man can pee on another. You don't kneel nor 
prostrate to your fellow man. Literally it means: I am a chief in my own house. 
From A Rwot ki ii Oda is where we derive the Acoli clan-based society where 
leadership/chiefdom and succession is based on intellectual, physical and 
spiritual prowess. The Chief is beholden for harmony and against famine and 
hostile invasions. The confederation of the Acoli clans is based on marriage 
and security interests. The Chiefdom is not a taxing entity and does not wish 
to extend its dominion over other clans and peoples. Thus no single egocentric 
chief arose to become a king over the Acoli. 

Having said all this, then what? All over the world people are yearning to be 
with their own kind even when they interact with others. Scotland has just made 
such a statement. Muganga Fred would want his Buganda to have some kind of 
autonomy. He is proud of his Kingdom built on blood and carnage. I don't want a 
similar Kingdom in Acoli. What is the solution? Devolution in one form or 
another. If not and peoples are pushed too far by the current resource 
inequities, then it will be decided by iron and fire. How Decentralized Power, 
Not Democracy, Will Shape the 21st Century

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
How Decentralized Power, Not Democracy, Will Shape the...
Democracy is not the most potent political force of the 21st century. If the 
world wants to see global solidarity of nations, the tribes may need to win 
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