Uganda Martyr Daudi Okelo
During the weekend of 18-20 October 1918, long before dawn, five people headed for the hut where Daudi and Jildo were staying with the clear intention of killing them. Despite the intervention of the elder who tried to block the intruders, Daudi appeared at the door of his hut and entreated the elder not to get involved. Then the intruders entered into Daudi’s hut and insisted with him that he gave up teaching catechism.
Realising that Daudi was not giving in to their threats, they dragged him outside, pushed him to the ground and pierced him with their spears. His body was then left unburied until a few days later some people, tying a rope around the neck, dragged the body over a nearby empty termite hill.
Daudi Okelo was born around 1902 in Ogom-Payira, a village on the Gulu- Kitgum road. The son of pagan parents, Lodi and Amona, at 14-16 years of age he attended the instruction to receive baptism. Baptized by Fr. Cesare Gambaretto on 1 June 1916, Daudi was confirmed on 15 October 1916. After completing his formation, Daudi accepted to be enrolled as a catechist. At the beginning of 1917, Antonio, the catechist in charge of Paimol, died. Daudi went to Fr. Cesare, then superior at the mission of Kitgum, offering to take Antonio’s place.
Daudi’s appointment came only towards the end of that year, during one of the catechists’ monthly meeting. The young Jildo Irwa was to go with him as his assistant. Before setting off, the two of them went to Fr. Cesare who informed them of the difficulties of their work, like the long travelling distance—the village was about 80 km from Kitgum—and, in particular, the frequent in-fights of the local people, instigated also by gangs of raiders and traders of slaves and gold, sporadically visiting the area. But Daudi was ready to take on the work of God nevertheless.
So around November-December 1917, with Fr. Cesare’s blessing, Boniface, the head-catechist of Kitgum, accompanied Daudi and Jildo to Paimol where they were to begin the work that would later lead to their martyrdom.
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