Man Who Went Missing In 1957 Reunites With Family After 66 Years

A man who mysteriously disappeared from his home in 1957 while aged 45 years has finally resurfaced 66 years later.

Ugandan-born Patrice Okubal from the Iteso community was reunited with his family on Tuesday after returning to his ancestral home of Guyaguya Village in Soroti District which was formerly known as Katakwi.

Okubal who is now 111 years old made his dramatic return to his ancestral village in the company of his clan members from Bukwo District and was cordially received with a two-day celebration that saw the family slaughter a cow, goat and hold thanksgiving prayers.

Having sired five children at the time of his disappearance, Okubal was welcomed by only two of his remaining children, Pascal Awojat, 66 and Ms Rupina Amongin, 70, together with 139 grandchildren.

Okubal is believed to have left his home after reportedly losing his fortune to a gambling game, known among the Iteso as Epiki where he gradually staked his family wealth to the extent of including his wife.

Awojat who is the last-born son of Okubal explained that after his father lost the bet, fellow gamblers approached his Ibokora Atekok Clan members seeking to be given his late mother Berite Olinga as their due.

Following the incident, Awojat said his clan together with his late elder brothers beat up the father, for offering their mother as a stake in a gambling sport.  “It is then that he mysteriously disappeared from home in protest, I was being breastfed, he left us with our mother Berite Olinga, she died in 2003,” Awojat told the Nation.

The family expressed joy and gratitude to the Bukwo family for keeping their father safe for close to seven decades and ending their desperate search, which they however admitted to have already given up more than 10 years ago.

“We tried but along the way, we literally shelved any search. All that mattered was our own survival,” teary Okubal’s daughter Amongin who could not hide her joy said.

Throughout the years, Okubal has been disguising himself as Odeke according to one Robert Kapsandui Zik who is part of the Bukwo family that has been taking care of him over the years.

He also revealed that his grandfather Aloni Muzungyo, who was Sebei County Chief in 1957 received Okubal and after he passed away in 1976, his family continued to care for Okubal as their own.

Throughout his life in exile, Kapsandui says Okubal neither engaged in any relationship nor had any other children.