DNK International By Our Correspondent,Soroti
His Highness Emorimor Papa Iteso III, Paul Sande Emolot Etomeileng, is the paramount cultural leader of the Iteso people and one of the prominent custodians of Teso culture, traditions and identity in East Africa.
He is based in Soroti, Uganda.
Emolot became the third Emorimor of the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) when he was installed at Soroti Mayor’s Garden on October 22, 2022.
Emolot succeeded Emorimor Papa Augustine Osuban Lemukol Adugala, who died on February 5, 2022, after serving as Emorimor for about 22 years.
The title Emorimor is associated with the role of unifier of the Iteso community.
His installation followed months of disagreement within the Iteso Cultural Union over succession, with Emolot emerging as the successful candidate after serving in several senior positions within the cultural institution.
His installation was subsequently recognised by the Ugandan Government through a Gazette notice published in December 2022.
Emolot was reported to be 61 when he was gazetted as the new Emorimor in January 2023 which makes him to be approaching his mid 60”.
He is married to Toto Akaliait Juliet Among, who has accompanied him on several official cultural tours and community engagements.
Before ascending to the throne, Emolot had already established himself as a senior figure within the Iteso Cultural Union.
He served as Prime Minister, or Ekirigi, of the ICU and was also involved in the institution’s trade and communication portfolio.
In 2017, official Iteso documentation identified him as Prime Minister of the Iteso Cultural Union.
By 2018, he was serving as Prime Minister when he represented the Emorimor at the Karamoja-Teso Conference in London.
He later became chairman of the ICU and assumed the position of paramount chief.
As Emorimor, his role is primarily cultural rather than constitutional or governmental.
The institution is responsible for preserving Iteso customs, traditions, language and identity, while bringing together clan leaders and communities.
The traditional leadership structure includes a clan council and a cabinet headed by the Ekirigi, or Prime Minister, who works under the Emorimor.
Uganda’s traditional or cultural leaders act also provides that recognised cultural leaders should promote and preserve cultural values and practices that enhance the dignity and well being of their communities and promote community development.
His sphere of cultural leadership extends beyond Uganda.
The Iteso community straddles the Uganda-Kenya border, with substantial populations in eastern Uganda and Busia County in Kenya.
Estimates as sought by Daily News Kenya-International vary considerably depending on the source and methodology.
Uganda’s 2024 census is reported to have counted about 3.15 million Iteso in Uganda, while other demographic sources give higher estimates.
A widely cited people-group estimate puts the Iteso population at about 3.96 million in Uganda and approximately 499,000 in Kenya, or roughly 4.46 million across the two countries.
These figures should therefore be treated as estimates rather than an exact number of people personally “controlled” by the Emorimor.
In July 2024, Emolot met President Yoweri Museveni and Vice President Jessica Alupo at State House, Entebbe, as Uganda prepared to host the first Ateker Cultural Festival in the country.
The three day event, held in Soroti in November 2024, brought together communities with shared historical and cultural connections, including the Iteso of Uganda and Kenya, Karamojong, Turkana, Toposa, Nyangatom and Maasai communities from Tanzania and Kenya.
Emolot played a prominent role in the festival and used the occasion to call for peace, unity and economic transformation.
The 2024 Ateker reunion festival became one of the most significant cultural events associated with his reign. In his address, Emolot urged Ateker communities to overcome internal divisions and recognise their shared history and destiny.
He also encouraged economic integration, education and improved living standards.
His message reflected his growing emphasis on using cultural leadership not only to preserve tradition but also to promote development.
Another important milestone was the second anniversary of his coronation in October 2024, which was held under the theme, “Youth Socio-Economic Empowerment for the Nurturing of Iteso Cultural Legacy.”
The celebration was designed to bring together Iteso from different parts of Uganda and Kenya while placing young people at the centre of the community’s cultural and economic future.
Emolot has also been active in protecting Teso cultural heritage.
In November 2024, he condemned the destruction of the Ongima initiation, or Asapan, cultural site in Katakwi District and threatened legal action, arguing that important cultural sites should be protected.
The intervention illustrated the importance he attaches to preserving traditional institutions and historical sites.
Education has emerged as another major theme of his leadership.
During his 2025 Coronation Run in Soroti, organised to raise funds for scholarships for vulnerable and out-of-school children, he declared a “total war” on school drop outs in Teso.
He has repeatedly linked education with the long term development of the community and encouraged parents and young people to prioritise schooling.
He has similarly promoted economic empowerment.
During engagements surrounding the Soroti Fruit Factory, Emolot encouraged farmers to take advantage of agricultural value addition, arguing that increased incomes from fruit production could help families educate their children and improve household welfare.
In September 2026, he launched the distribution of 100,000 coffee seedlings in Tororo as part of an initiative involving the Iteso Cultural Union and the Ugandan Government to promote commercial agriculture among the Iteso.
In March 2026, the ICU launched the Ere Iteso Palace project in Soroti, with the proposed palace intended to become the official seat of the Emorimor and a permanent centre for the preservation and promotion of Iteso culture and traditions.
The project was launched in the presence of Vice President Jessica Alupo and is projected by the cultural institution to cost billions of Ugandan shillings.
His leadership has also increasingly crossed the Uganda-Kenya border.
In September 2026, Emolot presided over cultural activities in Busia and installed President William Ruto as a Teso elder, giving the Kenyan side of the Iteso community a prominent place in his cultural engagements.
He has described his mandate as extending to the Iteso in Uganda, Kenya and the diaspora.
Among his memorable messages is his repeated appeal for unity.
t the 2024 Ateker festival, he told the wider Ateker community to “look beyond divisions and embrace our shared humanity,” describing them as “one family, bound by history and destiny.”
He has also urged the Iteso to embrace their cultural identity, promote education and remain united for development.
Another important statement associated with his economic vision came during discussions on regional trade, when he argued that the shared ancestry of the Ateker communities gives them an opportunity to use their numbers for business and economic integration.
He said the communities have a “golden opportunity to trade with each other” if governments provide the necessary approvals for cross-border commerce.
In 2026, his cultural diplomacy has continued to expand.
He has been involved in initiatives promoting African cultural cooperation, youth empowerment, peace building and economic development, while his foundation’s activities have also focused on youth and social development.
As Emorimor Papa Iteso III, Paul Sande Emolot Etomeileng’s tenure has therefore been characterised by an effort to combine traditional authority with contemporary community development.
His public agenda has revolved around unity, education, preservation of culture, agricultural transformation, youth empowerment, peace and stronger links among the Iteso and other Ateker communities across East Africa.
His continuing challenge is to maintain the cultural unity of a community divided by an international border while ensuring that the institution remains relevant to a younger generation.
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🗓️ [Daily News Kenya-International@September 28,2026]
