THE #LJfiles: Is Alarika Alo, the oldest living Japadhola at 108 years?

Alarika and her grand daughters.
PHOTO BY VERON OPOYA - FACEBOOK

📍 Uganda 🇺🇬 population figures

✳️ Aged 0-14yrs - 46%

✳️ Aged 10-24yrs - 34.5%

✳️ Aged 15-64yrs - 52%

✳️ Aged 65+ - 2%

✳️ Life expectancy 64yrs

There are a lot of undiscovered gems hidden in the heartland of Padhola. It is not easily accessible as the main roads going through West Budama from the mineral-rich main town Tororo have oddly remained murram, despite the fabulous tarmac figures the country displays to the world annually

There was John Paul Ofwono, who a New Vision Photographer bumped into accidentally deep in Yokolo in West Budama, Tororo in February 1999.

It turned out eventually that at a verified height of 7ft 6 1/2inches, he was one of the tallest men on earth, but was lying 'undiscovered' in the West Budama hinterland.

Now, the Padhola heartland may just be home to one of the oldest Ugandans alive.

Deep in Nagoke village, Soni Lakwari in Kirewa sub county, lives Alarika Alo of Amorikagulu clan. She is frail, but recently marked her 108th birthday, as she was born in 1913.

Alarika (Ulrika) had only two boys in her life, Ochieng Simeon and Opoya Christopher Columbus (RIP), but is now surrounded by dozens of grand, and great grand children, and their children.

"Pray for our grandmother. She is not well and is on treatment - her legs and breasts are swollen. Even the hand where she was injected is swollen too. She can't walk or stand. Her age is now 108 years," her grand daughter Veron Opoya said.

Veron Opoya says Alarika has 27 grandchildren, 104 great grand children and 10 great-great grand children.

The world's oldest verified living person is Japanese Kane Tanaka at age 118 (born 2 January 1903)

The Ofwono Story

Ofwono was at first declared the world's tallest human at 8 feet 4 inches, until a Muzungu travelled all the way from London to Padhola (land of the Jopadhola of Tororo) to see for himself. He realized the locals had simply gotten excited.

"I did the measurement on behalf of the Guinness Book of records, who asked me to," Richard 'Dick' Stockley of the Surgery, British High Commission told Sunday Vision. "You have to take three different measurements because the body shrinks during the day. I measured him at 8:30 a.m., at 2:00 p.m., and at 8:00 p.m."

Ofwono measured an average of 228.5 centimeters (7ft 6in) standing, and 230.5 cm (7ft 6 1/2in) when lying down.

Ofwono died aged 43 from complications related to his height, and diabetes, in 2003.