A dispute has emerged between Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Director of Operations Sylvia Damalie Owori and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) over the use of the Adungu Cultural Centre in Gulu City.
The facility, located at the former SOS Children’s Village in Laroo-Pece Division, previously served as a rehabilitation centre for former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) returnees before being handed over to OPM in December 2023. Since then, 146 former abductees have undergone rehabilitation there, with the last group reintegrated in June 2025.
After the centre was vacated, Owori’s Adungu Cultural Centre, registered as a community-based organisation in July 2025, requested permission to temporarily use the premises for cultural and skills development activities. In an August 11, 2025 letter to the OPM permanent secretary, she proposed programmes in cultural preservation, digital media training, youth empowerment, and rehabilitation through arts and sports.
However, officials say renovation and other works began before a formal agreement was signed. The OPM has maintained that any use of the facility must be backed by a signed Memorandum of Understanding, noting that the centre remains reserved for rehabilitation purposes.
Government sources also say the facility could still be needed for future returnees, including groups linked to the late Alice Lakwena currently based in Kenya, as reintegration plans continue.
Internal OPM communication reportedly indicates that no formal approval has been granted, although discussions are ongoing. Officials also confirm there is no signed MoU between OPM and Adungu Cultural Centre.
Owori, however, insists she engaged OPM and was granted access through official channels. She says MoU discussions are still ongoing and argues the project supports, rather than conflicts with, rehabilitation work.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) continues to provide security at the facility, saying its role is limited to protecting returning ex-combatants while rehabilitation programmes are implemented by partner organisations.
The disagreement underscores uncertainty over the future use of the facility, which sits between cultural development plans and government-led post-conflict rehabilitation efforts
Stay locked on here for more updates on this developing story.
