Alice Auma, also known as Alice Lakwena, was a Ugandan spirit-medium who led the Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) in a millennial rebellion against the Ugandan government forces of President Yoweri Museveni from August 1986 until November 1987. Born in 1956, Auma was the daughter of Severino Lukoya, a self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the Jerusalem Melter Church in Gulu.
Auma’s life took a dramatic turn on May 25, 1985, when she reportedly went insane and claimed to have been possessed by the spirit Lakwena. After a 40-day disappearance in Murchison Falls National Park, Auma returned as a spirit-medium, a traditional ethnic religious role.
The Holy Spirit Movement, led by Auma, aimed to fight evil, end bloodshed, and retake the capital of Kampala. Although the movement gained support from various ethnic groups, it ultimately suffered a final defeat in November 1987. Auma fled, claiming that Lakwena had left her.
In her later life, Auma lived in the Ifo refugee camp in northern Kenya, where she was implicated in child trafficking in 2004. She also claimed to have discovered a cure for HIV/AIDS in 2006. Auma passed away on January 17, 2007, after a week-long illness, reportedly due to HIV/AIDS.
