Soroti couple in bitter fight over daughter's body
For seven days, the body of Ikipi, a former Primary Three pupil at Obule Primary School, remained unburied as her father, Geoffrey Egwelu, and his estranged wife, Christine Aliao, each insisted on a different burial site.
Soroti Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajji Imuran Mulunga, who mediated the couple's dispute. (Photo by Godfrey Ojore)
_______________
What should have been a solemn farewell for 11-year-old Andrea Ikipi has turned into tug-of-war between her estranged parents, forcing police, lawyers, district leaders and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to intervene before she could finally be laid to rest.
The unusual dispute, which has gripped residents of Ocokican sub-county in Soroti District, saw the estranged couple battle over where the little girl's body should be buried.
For seven days, the body of Ikipi, a former Primary Three pupil at Obule Primary School, remained unburied as her father, Geoffrey Egwelu, and his estranged wife, Christine Aliao, each insisted on a different burial site.
Ikipi died at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital on July 6 after a short illness.
Aliao and her relatives insisted that the child be buried at her maternal grandparents' home in Owalai village, arguing that the girl was living with her (mother) at the time she died.
But Egwelu's clan stood firm, maintaining that under both custom and the law, the child belonged to her father's family despite the separation.
The disagreement quickly escalated beyond the family.
Authorities intervene
It was first reported to Katine Central Police Station before being referred to Soroti District Chairperson Bob Owiny, who later involved Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Imuran Mulunga. State prosecutors were eventually called upon to interpret the legal position.
Soroti District Police Commander Moses Olang said the law was clear. "If the mother was disputing the child's paternity, then that would have been a different matter. Even then, the father would have demanded a DNA test before burial. But in this case, the child legally belongs to both parents, and culturally the burial is conducted at the father's home," Olang explained.
After several mediation meetings, RDC Mulunga ruled that the body should be buried at Egwelu's ancestral home.
Even after accepting the ruling, Aliao's relatives presented another demand.
They asked Egwelu to refund more than sh3million, saying they had already dug a grave, hosted mourners for a week and incurred funeral expenses while expecting the burial to take place at their home.
Mulunga declined the request, saying Egwelu could not be blamed for the delay.
Instead, Mulunga ordered the father to contribute sh400,000 towards the funeral expenses as a gesture of goodwill.
Marriage broken by migration
The burial dispute traces its roots to a marriage that slowly fell apart.
According to Egwelu, financial hardships forced the couple to make a life-changing decision in 2023.
They agreed that Aliao would travel to Saudi Arabia for work while he (Egwelu) remained in the village taking care of their two children.
"She left me with our two children, and I raised them alone for two years," Egwelu recalled.
Egwelu's father, John Ebaru, said the family patiently waited for Aliao's return, hoping she would come back with some savings to improve their lives.
When Aliao finally returned to Uganda, Egwelu claimed she did not immediately return to the marital home.
Instead, Egwelu said she stayed elsewhere for about a month before informing him that the marriage was over.
Aliao reportedly took the couple's younger child to live with her parents.
The elder daughter, Ikipi, initially refused to leave. "She loved staying with her grandmother and ran away when her mother tried to take her," Ebaru said.
During the first school holiday this year, Aliao allegedly persuaded Ikipi to spend holidays with her, promising she would return to her father's home when schools reopened.
That never happened. Instead, the girl was enrolled in another school within the parish.
Then came the devastating news: On July 7, Egwelu's family received information that Ikipi had died at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital.
"When we went to verify, we found it was true. That is when the battle over where she should be buried began," Ebaru said.
Solomon Edolu, the councillor representing Ocokican sub-county and Secretary for Finance at Soroti district, said the dispute exposed growing confusion over cultural practices in cases involving separated couples.
He praised security agencies and district leaders for preventing the situation from escalating.
"I am happy for the timely intervention by security and district leaders. The body will finally be buried at Egwelu's home on Wednesday July 15," Edolu said.
For many residents, the week-long standoff became a painful reminder that even after death, family conflicts can deny a child the peaceful farewell every parent hopes to give.