Kony was a quiet youth but seemed possessed
Apr 07, 2004
JOSEPH Kony may still be an enigma, but there is one well-known person who studied with him.
By Caroline Lamwaka
JOSEPH Kony may still be an enigma, but there is one well-known person who studied with him.
Dennis Ojwee, 34, a journalist with The New Vision, has known him since 1981 when he was at Odek Primary School, 64 kilometres east of Gulu.
He has an interesting story to tell.
“My first encounter with Kony was in 1981, when I studied at Odek for one year. Kony was also in P. 7. I was told that was his third year in the class. I was also told he had repeated primary six twice before he was promoted to primary seven,†he says.
During those years, one would not be allowed to go to the next class until his academic performance improved. “I was told by some friends with whom he had repeated classes.
He sat with me the PLE again and did not pass to go to secondary school or any other institution,†he narrates.
Ojwee says Kony used to be a quiet, dull boy. He appeared to me to be already in his 20s. He looked mature, quiet and reserved. He was not very talkative and would not concentrate much in class.
“What attracted me to notice Kony was that he liked playing with the youth of his age in the school compound, kicking oranges as football and playing cubu lawala, a common game in the village among young boys.
They hurl sticks against a round small wooden ring as a form of marksmanship.
“The youth are trained how to hit targets as when hunting wild animals. Swimming was part of his hobby.
He used to swim at Odek river bridge, only about 200 metres from the school. His home was actually near Odek river. He was a typical village youth who mostly used to speak vernacular, with very little English. His English was poor.
Kony used to dig and plant sugarcane along the Odek river.â€
Ojwee, however, did not have much interaction with Kony. “I didn’t associate much with him since he appeared a dull student and reserved.
I didn’t even think he would be a guerrilla leader anyway, but sometimes I used to meet him in church,†Ojwe says.
He remembers Kony as a staunch Catholic who used to lead the youth in evening prayers, citing the rosary at Odek Catholic Parish and would sometimes assist some Italian priests at the altar.
“I knew him because we were in the same school and because sometimes I used to pray at the Catholic church although I am a Protestant. That was the only nearby church there,†he says.
And what about Kony’s discipline? Ojwee says, “I wouldn’t say he was disciplined, but he was a cool boy. He never used to comb his hair. His manner of dress was not smart.
He never used to tuck in his shirt. I remember he used to miss his afternoon lessons. He would not return for afternoon classes after he went home for lunch.
Yet his home was nearby, just opposite the school on the southern part across a stream called Agwengtina in Palaro parish, Odek sub- county,†says Ojwe. Kony walked barefoot to school, although sometimes he wore slippers, a habit which was common in the villages.
Kony’s father is said to be a man from Wol in Pader district. His mother married the late Obol Aluji, who picked her up during wartime when she was already pregnant.
Kony was born at Agwengtina parish in Odek sub-county in Gulu district in the early 1960s. His mother is called Norah Oting.
“He lived in Agwengtina. He had one small hut built for him next to his father on a hilly landscape, some 400 metres from a valley that separated his home and Odek primary school to the north,†says Ojwee.
Kony never caused any problems at school and did not look wild.
“However, he looked like somebody possessed by a spirit already from that time. He also had a relative who was a witch-doctor,†says Ojwee.
“Although we separated after P. 7, I had some friends and relatives whom I visited at Odek from time to time. One day in early 1987, when I had gone to visit some relatives in Odek, Kony reportedly gathered people at his home and told them that he had seven spirits in him who wanted war and he wanted to use the spirits to begin fighting,†Ojwee says.
Kony then told the people that as proof, he would climb on top of his hut and there would be a heavy rain but he would not get wet. Kony then reportedly climbed on top of his hut and when he jumped down, he was still dry.
Two days later, he disappeared from home with seven people, most of them his brothers and went to the bush, where he got in touch with a battalion of the Uganda People’s Democratic Army (UPDA) as a spiritual mobiliser and later became rebel leader.
JOSEPH Kony may still be an enigma, but there is one well-known person who studied with him.
Dennis Ojwee, 34, a journalist with The New Vision, has known him since 1981 when he was at Odek Primary School, 64 kilometres east of Gulu.
He has an interesting story to tell.
“My first encounter with Kony was in 1981, when I studied at Odek for one year. Kony was also in P. 7. I was told that was his third year in the class. I was also told he had repeated primary six twice before he was promoted to primary seven,†he says.
During those years, one would not be allowed to go to the next class until his academic performance improved. “I was told by some friends with whom he had repeated classes.
He sat with me the PLE again and did not pass to go to secondary school or any other institution,†he narrates.
Ojwee says Kony used to be a quiet, dull boy. He appeared to me to be already in his 20s. He looked mature, quiet and reserved. He was not very talkative and would not concentrate much in class.
“What attracted me to notice Kony was that he liked playing with the youth of his age in the school compound, kicking oranges as football and playing cubu lawala, a common game in the village among young boys.
They hurl sticks against a round small wooden ring as a form of marksmanship.
“The youth are trained how to hit targets as when hunting wild animals. Swimming was part of his hobby.
He used to swim at Odek river bridge, only about 200 metres from the school. His home was actually near Odek river. He was a typical village youth who mostly used to speak vernacular, with very little English. His English was poor.
Kony used to dig and plant sugarcane along the Odek river.â€
Ojwee, however, did not have much interaction with Kony. “I didn’t associate much with him since he appeared a dull student and reserved.
I didn’t even think he would be a guerrilla leader anyway, but sometimes I used to meet him in church,†Ojwe says.
He remembers Kony as a staunch Catholic who used to lead the youth in evening prayers, citing the rosary at Odek Catholic Parish and would sometimes assist some Italian priests at the altar.
“I knew him because we were in the same school and because sometimes I used to pray at the Catholic church although I am a Protestant. That was the only nearby church there,†he says.
And what about Kony’s discipline? Ojwee says, “I wouldn’t say he was disciplined, but he was a cool boy. He never used to comb his hair. His manner of dress was not smart.
He never used to tuck in his shirt. I remember he used to miss his afternoon lessons. He would not return for afternoon classes after he went home for lunch.
Yet his home was nearby, just opposite the school on the southern part across a stream called Agwengtina in Palaro parish, Odek sub- county,†says Ojwe. Kony walked barefoot to school, although sometimes he wore slippers, a habit which was common in the villages.
Kony’s father is said to be a man from Wol in Pader district. His mother married the late Obol Aluji, who picked her up during wartime when she was already pregnant.
Kony was born at Agwengtina parish in Odek sub-county in Gulu district in the early 1960s. His mother is called Norah Oting.
“He lived in Agwengtina. He had one small hut built for him next to his father on a hilly landscape, some 400 metres from a valley that separated his home and Odek primary school to the north,†says Ojwee.
Kony never caused any problems at school and did not look wild.
“However, he looked like somebody possessed by a spirit already from that time. He also had a relative who was a witch-doctor,†says Ojwee.
“Although we separated after P. 7, I had some friends and relatives whom I visited at Odek from time to time. One day in early 1987, when I had gone to visit some relatives in Odek, Kony reportedly gathered people at his home and told them that he had seven spirits in him who wanted war and he wanted to use the spirits to begin fighting,†Ojwee says.
Kony then told the people that as proof, he would climb on top of his hut and there would be a heavy rain but he would not get wet. Kony then reportedly climbed on top of his hut and when he jumped down, he was still dry.
Two days later, he disappeared from home with seven people, most of them his brothers and went to the bush, where he got in touch with a battalion of the Uganda People’s Democratic Army (UPDA) as a spiritual mobiliser and later became rebel leader.