Ebong Michael

Alebtong, Uganda | The Paramount Chief of Lango, H.H. Eng. Dr. Moses Michael Odongo Okune, on Thursday visited Amindit Village in Awei Sub-county, Alebtong District, to console Government Chief Whip and Ajuri County MP, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, following the death of his brother, Maj. Armstrong Obua. The late Maj. Obua, a decorated officer of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), passed away on August 29, 2025. During the visit, the Speaker of the Lango Cultural Institution, Willy Omodo Omodo, emphasized the cultural significance of the Won Nyaci’s presence. He explained that tradition does not permit the Paramount Chief to view the deceased’s body, as this could compel him to shed tears. He noted that instead, Eng. Dr. Odongo Okune chose to extend his condolences directly to the bereaved family, particularly mindful of Hon. Obua’s support during the early arrangements for his coronation. The visit drew several leaders and dignitaries, including Hon. Tonny Ayo (Kwania County MP), Hon. Samuel Okwir Odwe (Moroto County MP), civil servants, and senior UPDF officers, who joined the Paramount Chief in paying their respects. In his message to mourners, the Won Nyaci encouraged road safety and environmental preservation, stressing the importance of protecting trees as part of Lango’s heritage. He also underscored the need for deeper research into the historical migration of the Lango people from Ethiopia and highlighted the importance of fostering unity by overcoming jealousy and hatred within the community. Hon. Obua welcomed the Paramount Chief and mourners to his home and shared a brief history of his late brother’s life. He reflected on Maj. Armstrong Obua’s contributions to family, community, and country, noting that his legacy would continue to inspire many. Source

Lira, Uganda | Youth leaders have been urged to take advantage of government contracts and development programmes set aside for them in order to fight poverty and strengthen their participation in governance. Youth in Attendance at GWED-G’s Empower You – Annual Youth Conference on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City. This call was made on Thursday, 4 September 2025, during the Empower You – Annual Youth Conference at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City. The event, organised by Gulu Women’s Economic Development & Globalisation (GWED-G) in partnership with CARITAS Switzerland and StartHub, brought together more than 100 youth from Lira City East and West Divisions. Osborn Turyasingura, Executive Secretary of the National Secretariat for Special Interest Groups at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said contracts worth less than UGX 10 million at the local government level and below UGX 30 million at the central government level are prioritised for youth, women, and persons with disabilities. He reminded participants that 30% of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds are earmarked for youth but warned that poor financial discipline and misuse of funds had slowed repayments. Turyasingura also expressed concern over the behaviour of young people in politics, pointing to the recent NRM Delegates’ Conference at Kololo where some youth reportedly prioritised money from candidates over their manifestos. The conference was held under the theme “Rethinking Youth Participation and Inclusion in Policy, Decision-Making and Development Process.” Uganda’s population is currently 72.5% youth, making their involvement in governance and development critical. Pamella Angwech, Executive Director of GWED-G, said young people continue to lack opportunities to engage and voice their concerns despite years of capacity building under the Empower You project. She highlighted persistent challenges such as weak participation in governance, limited accountability work, and exclusion of youth with disabilities from government programmes. She cautioned youth against being bribed or commercialised during election periods. Conor Walsh, Country Director of CARITAS Switzerland in Uganda, said the Empower You project has supported more than 1,000 youth over the past two years, half of them women. He explained that the initiative provides financial literacy, business plan development, and mentorship for young entrepreneurs through StartHub, helping small businesses with big ideas to grow. Patrick George Okol, Deputy Town Clerk of Lira City, commended the youth who have benefited from the project and urged them to continue driving development in their communities. CARITAS Switzerland has invested €2 million in the Empower You project over the past three years in partnership with GWED-G, with the programme scheduled to run until January 2026. Source

Lira, Uganda | Leaders of the Lango War Claimants have warned that many politicians could lose their seats in the 2026 general elections for failing to pressure government to pay long-pending cattle compensation claims. Speaking during a meeting at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira City on September 3, regional coordinator Moses Ogwang Adonyo said the claimants had presented five demands to President Yoweri Museveni. Key among them is that only Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti (Kole North MP) and Julius Acon (Otuke East MP) should lead their delegation to State House. The group also wants the full list of delegates made public, coordinators paid regardless of age, and all individuals who went to court compensated for their lost cattle. Saidi Ogwang Lango War Claimants Coordinator of Oyam insisted that only Dr. Opio Acuti and Acon have the trust of the claimants. Alex Okello Opio Lango War Claimants Coordinator of Kole urged voters to carefully assess their leaders’ track records on compensation, warning that those who “think only of their stomachs” will be rejected. Betty Ouni, Lango War Claimants secretary for Lira District, criticized politicians who only raise the matter when elections approach. President Museveni last month toured Lango, Teso, and Acholi sub-regions to discuss ways of handling cattle compensation. Communities across the three regions lost thousands of animals during the LRA insurgency and through raids by Karamojong warriors, leaving compensation as one of the most sensitive unresolved issues. Source

Kampala, Uganda | Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Jimmy Akena has expressed concern over the alleged disappearance of his and his wife Betty Amongi’s names from the national voters’ register. Akena, who represents Lira City East in Parliament, said he was surprised to learn that their details could not be traced despite his long history of voting in Lira City. He explained that he has participated in four consecutive elections in the area and questioned how his name could now be missing from the register. Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, recently transferred her voting details from Oyam District to Lira City ahead of her bid to contest for the Woman MP seat in the 2026 elections. The seat is currently occupied by Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng. She said her transfer was cleared by the Electoral Commission but her details have not been reflected in the Lira register, raising concern about the integrity of the process. The development comes at a time when political activity in Lira is heating up, with the Woman MP contest expected to be one of the most competitive in the region as it will pit two serving cabinet ministers against each other. Both Akena and Amongi have called on the Electoral Commission to urgently explain the alleged omissions and restore confidence in the register. By press time, the Commission had not issued a statement on the matter. Source

Dokolo, Uganda | Private schools have emerged as the best performers in the 2025 Primary Seven Mock Examinations in Dokolo District, according to results released on Tuesday at the District Council Hall. Isaac Okoth, Secretary of the Dokolo District Examinations Board (DDEB), reported that 3,088 candidates registered for the exams, down from 3,382 in 2024. Of these, 135 candidates passed in Division One, 1,009 in Division Two, 911 in Division Three, 614 in Division Four, 377 in Division U, and 42 in Division X. The top-performing private schools included Dokolo Central, St. Mary’s, The Grace, Iguli, Forest View, Kwera Lake View, St. Maglex, and Bright Future Nursery and Primary School. In contrast, schools such as Adeknino, Adok, Amatiburu, Abyece, Okwongodul, Adagnyeko, Bataebwol, Oyirogole, Bata, Amunamun, and Angeenya were among the worst performers. Board chairperson James Ogwal Lima observed a notable improvement in the district’s performance compared to 2024, with the overall pass rate between Divisions One and Four rising from 82.3% to 86.4%. English emerged as the best-performed subject, followed by Social Studies, Integrated Science, and Mathematics. Nine pupils from Dokolo Central Primary School Acar Emmanuel, Agal Brian, Angwech Dafine, Etap Daniella Okello, Obwor Zerah, Ocen Allan, Okwir Emmanuel, Olili Joshua, and Otim Ignatius scored aggregate five, marking them as top achievers in the district. District Education Officer David Eryatu announced that head teachers of the worst-performing schools would be summoned to appear before the Chief Administrative Officer and the District Education Committee to explain the poor results. Resident District Commissioner Babra Akech also directed government school head teachers to submit the names of teachers involved in absenteeism for disciplinary action. The board highlighted several challenges affecting performance, including parents withdrawing candidates after registration, private schools failing to present candidates for mock exams, low syllabus coverage in some schools, and head teachers registering underprepared learners under parental pressure. To address these challenges, the DDEB recommended that head teachers register only competent candidates, teachers undergo annual Continuous Professional Development (CPD), authorities follow up on pupils who drop out before PLE, more funding be allocated for examination management, and teachers use the remaining weeks to intensively revise candidates for the upcoming final exams. Key 2025 Mock Results at a Glance: Total Candidates: 3,088 Pass Rate (Div 1–4): 86.4% Government Schools Pass Rate: 84.1% Private Schools Pass Rate: 98.9% Division One: 135 candidates (107 private, 28 government) Source

Lira, Uganda | The Office of the President in Lira City has stepped up efforts to instill patriotism among young Ugandans through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, under the leadership of Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Lawrence Egole. On Monday, 1 September, principals of 13 technical institutions in Lira City convened at the RCC’s office for a strategic engagement on patriotism. The following day, directors of the same institutions met to consolidate plans for a ten-day patriotism training programme scheduled from 21st to 30th September 2025. Both meetings were chaired by Assistant Resident City Commissioner Bonny Otucu, who commended the principals and directors for their dedication to nurturing a generation grounded in national values. He noted that patriotism had been a core foundation of leadership since H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni assumed power in 1986, and that the government had institutionalised patriotism in 2009 to instil these values among youth, particularly in schools and training institutions. The upcoming training in vocational and technical institutions follows successful sessions conducted in medical training institutions across Lira City, which have already produced over 10,000 young patriots. Principals and directors expressed optimism about the initiative, indicating that it would complement technical skills by instilling discipline, responsibility, and a sense of national service among students. Committees to oversee the training have already been established, and preparations are underway. The programme is expected to inspire learners to translate their technical and vocational skills into service for Uganda’s development. Source

Lira, Uganda | The Catholic community of Lira Diocese is preparing for a landmark celebration as Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok will ordain two deacons to the priesthood and ten seminarians to the diaconate on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The solemn liturgy will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the ordination grounds of Uganda Martyrs Cathedral, animated by Aloi Deanery. Deacons George Olwanda Ochieng and Ray Atula will be ordained priests, committing themselves to shepherding God’s people through Word and Sacrament. They will be joined by ten new deacons, including David Onyango and Brian Obbo of the young congregation Sons of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (SSPP – Sons of Mercy). The ordinations, Bishop Wanok noted, reflect both the vitality of the Church in Northern Uganda and the enduring strength of vocations in Africa. He has often reminded the faithful that the call to priesthood and diaconate is not about prestige but about love, expressed through serving God’s people with faithfulness and mercy. Behind the ceremony lies the quiet perseverance of the candidates, Onyango and Obbo, members of the SSPP, embody the congregation’s charism of mercy, service, and closeness to the poor. Their stories, together with those of their fellow ordinands, symbolize the faith and resilience of many young Africans responding to God’s call in today’s world. The Lira ordinations take place against a wider backdrop: while vocations in Europe and the Americas continue to decline, Africa remains the only continent recording growth. Vatican figures show nearly 34,000 major seminarians currently in formation across Africa, and the Catholic population has expanded from 176 million to more than 280 million in just over a decade. For Lira Diocese, the ordination of 12 young men is not just a local celebration but part of a wider African story of hope and renewal. The Diocese will join the global Church in Thanksgiving, welcoming a new generation of priests and deacons committed to service in Lango and beyond. Lira Diocese News Agency Source

Gulu, Uganda | The Government of Uganda, in partnership with East African Holding Ltd, is set to establish one of Northern Uganda’s largest Integrated Industrial Development Initiatives, with Amolatar youth earmarked to play a leading role in the workforce. The $250 million project will occupy a 20,000-hectare nucleus estate and include an out-growers’ scheme, a bagasse-based cogeneration plant to generate electricity and steam, and a distillery unit for anhydrous ethanol production for fuel blending. Rtd. Col. Dr. Francis Ongia, a parliamentary aspirant for Kioga County in the 2026–2031 elections as an independent candidate and Vice Chairman of the NRM Veterans League Northern Uganda, highlighted that the initiative is a major opportunity for young people in the Lango sub-region to gain employment and build careers in industrial and agro-processing sectors. He emphasized that the focus is not just on creating jobs, but also on equipping youth with skills and long-term career paths, noting that Amolatar and other Lango districts will be prioritized for recruitment. The project is expected to generate between 4,000 and 9,200 jobs over time. A review meeting held in Gulu on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, brought together officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Works, and Energy. Government officials urged these ministries to expedite road construction, electricity supply, and land acquisition to ensure timely implementation. Officials say the initiative will not only transform the economy of Northern Uganda but also empower local communities by providing sustainable employment and supporting agro-industrial growth. Source

By Haron Okwir Otuke, Uganda | Private schools have once again outperformed government-aided schools in Otuke District following the release of the 2025 Primary Seven end-of-term two mock examination results. The results were released on Tuesday, September 2, at the district headquarters in the Council Hall, in a ceremony attended by headteachers, deputies, the District Inspector of Schools (DIS), the District Education Officer (DEO), Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Secretary for Education and Sports, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Assistant RDC, Senior Education Officer and the LC V chairperson. According to acting DIS Akwar Macdonald, 1,615 candidates registered for the examinations compared to 1,507 last year, a 6.7 percent increase. Of these, 718 were girls and 897 boys. Overall performance showed 47 candidates passed in Division I, 245 in Division II, 152 in Division III, and 457 in Division IV. However, 703 failed in Division U while 11 candidates were absent. Bright Star Junior School, the only private school that registered candidates for the mocks, topped the district with a 93 percent pass rate. This single private school outshone all 45 government-aided schools in the district. Among government schools, the best performers were Barjobi Primary School with 79 percent, Barlegi (71 percent), Olilim (61 percent), Orum (52 percent), and Oluro (46 percent). Other schools that made it to the top ten included Aleri (39 percent), Adwari (42 percent), Atirayon (36 percent), and Atanggwata (38 percent). In sharp contrast, several government schools mostly from Ogor Sub-county failed to register any candidates in Division I, II or III. These included Omwonylee, Ader, Okune, Ogweno, Ociro, Anyalima, Abongower, Adyerakonya, Barkeo, Okeremomkok, and Oderokech primary schools. Speaking on behalf of headteachers, Grace Auma of Okum Primary School urged colleagues to address weak areas, conduct regular tests, and work collectively in preparing candidates for the national examinations. DEO Lucy Acheng appealed to the Chief Administrative Officer to eliminate this year’s Pre-PLE exercise, arguing that teachers need more time to prepare learners for UNEB. Akwar Macdonald highlighted major challenges behind the poor performance in government schools, including incomplete lower primary syllabus coverage, lack of reading and writing skills, poor handwriting, and inadequate guidance from teachers. He noted that 48 percent of the candidates scored Division U, with some failing even to write their index numbers correctly. Deputy CAO James Engoi blamed headteachers for tolerating absenteeism among teachers, which he said has left large portions of the syllabus uncovered. RDC Rogers Masiga closed the ceremony by urging teachers to recommit themselves to their profession, stressing that they play a critical role in shaping communities and must serve as role models. Otuke District has 45 government-aided primary schools, yet the 2025 mock results reinforced a consistent trend private schools continue to outperform their government counterparts. Source

Amolatar, Uganda | Hundreds of residents of Namasale Town Council, Kioga Constituency in Amolatar District, on Tuesday 2 September 2025, staged a mass protest over what they described as attempts by Katusabe Juliet to grab community land. The Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Francis Okello Odoki Rwotlonyo, warned that Katusabe would be arrested if she attempts to set foot in Amolatar. He directed the District Police Commander (DPC) to enforce her immediate arrest should she enter the district. The conflict stems from a 90-acre piece of land in Bung Cell, Namasale Town. A letter dated 21 August 2025, signed by Resty Nakayenga Kiguli, Senior Presidential Advisor on Underprivileged and Youth Affairs, revealed that Katusabe petitioned President Yoweri Museveni, claiming her family of over 50 members are the rightful owners of the land. According to the petition, Katusabe’s family lived on the land for years but fled to Namika village in Nakasongola during the 1986 liberation war. In their absence, local chairman Okello Moses reportedly occupied the land. Katusabe accuses him of seizing the property illegally and using it as a burial ground for the family of the late Kaweki Nafutali. Katusabe further alleges that Okello has threatened her life to prevent her from repossessing the land. Kioga Constituency Member of Parliament, Junior Moses Okot Bitek, told residents that land is the only asset the Lango people depend on, declaring that he is ready to die defending it. He explained that land can only be acquired in four legitimate ways and dismissed Katusabe’s claim as fraudulent. District Chairperson Geoffrey Ocen linked the dispute to the recent discovery of minerals in Amolatar, alleging that Katusabe and her associates planned to evict residents and sell the land for profit. He warned that such a scheme would only succeed “after all of us are killed.” The chairperson of the Lango community in Namasale, Yapi CP, went further, warning that Katusabe would face deadly consequences if she tries to grab land in the area. Community members also demanded the transfer of the Officer in Charge (OC) of Namasale police station, accusing him of colluding with Katusabe. Community leader Akite Ester echoed the sentiments of many, insisting that “land is life” and residents would not back down from protecting it. In response to the residents’ complaints, RDC Rwotlonyo ordered an investigation into the OC of Namasale police. He assured the community that if wrongdoing was proven, the officer would be disciplined or transferred. The dispute has left Namasale on edge, with local leaders and residents vowing to resist any attempt to take their land. Source