6,057 GULU STUDENTS PASSED OUT AS PATRIOTS

Patriots during the pass out event at Gulu high secondary school

By Biko Rombe

Gulu City

A total of 6,057 students from 22 secondary schools in Gulu City have been passed out as fully-fledged patriots after completing a five-day patriotism training programme aimed at promoting discipline, civic responsibility, resilience and love for country.

The students were passed out during the Gulu City Secondary Schools’ Joint Patriotism Pass Out 2026, held at Gulu High School in Gulu City on Wednesday 7^th October 2026.

The ceremony brought together students, school heads, teachers, patriotism patrons, instructors, parents, and UPDF and city leaders to mark the completion of the training.

The students demonstrated skills acquired during the training through marching and other activities before being formally commissioned as patriots.

The Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Gulu City and chief guest, Kambir Amir, said patriotism is important because it creates unity of purpose among Ugandans regardless of their different religions, tribes, backgrounds and education levels.

“Patriotism is good because it gives us peace and security. It prepares someone to defend himself or herself, to defend his country as well.”

Deputy RCC Kambir Amir (first left), The Regional Coordinator for Patriotism Ochaya Anthony, (middle) and other stakeholder inspecting the patriots

Amir said patriotism also promotes civic responsibility, encouraging citizens to participate in national programmes, elections and environmental conservation.

He said it further contributes to socio-economic transformation by encouraging people to work hard and benefit from their labour.

The chief guest commended the students for the physical fitness they demonstrated during the parade. He also encouraged schools to support student-led initiatives, including environmental clubs, saying young people should be given opportunities to contribute to their communities.

At the end of the ceremony, Amir officially commissioned the students.

“I hereby dearly and duly commission and pass you out as fully-fledged and bona fide patriots of Uganda, ready to serve this country.”

The Chief Instructor for Patriotism, Griffin Oloya Oryem, praised the students for their performance, saying they had achieved an impressive level of discipline and coordination despite having only five days of training.

“These people have taken only five days of training, of which if you were to go to military school, it may take nine months for them to portray this kind of wonderful performance.”

He called on the National Secretariat of Patriotism Corps to consider awarding students national certificates after completing the training. He said the certificates could help students in different capacities and potentially provide opportunities when seeking to join security forces.

Oryem also appealed for the training period to be extended, arguing that five days is too short for some students to fully acquire the required skills. He said the quality of the students’ performance demonstrated their effort but that additional training time would help them improve further.

The instructor reminded the students that the pass-out should not mark the end of their patriotism activities. “The training that you’ve attained does not mean it is going to end here in the pass out.” He urged them to maintain the discipline they had demonstrated at the training ground when they return to their schools and communities.

He warned them against stealing, robbery, drug abuse and sexual harassment, saying society would be watching them as future leaders.

The Regional Coordinator for Patriotism in Acholi Sub-region and Gulu City, Ochaya Anthony, said the purpose of the patriotism programme is to mentor young people into disciplined, responsible, hardworking and resilient citizens.

Anthony also clarified that the patriotism programme should not be confused with the Patriotic League of Uganda, which he described as a political pressure group. He said the National Secretariat of Patriotism Corps is a mentorship programme targeting school-going children and operates outside politics.

Anthony similarly urged the students to continue with patriotism activities after the ceremony. He specifically appealed to patriotism club commanders to maintain activities such as morning flag hosting, evening lowering of the flag and ideological training at school level.

He said the clubs should use the skills and knowledge acquired to mentor other students who did not participate in the training. “Today is a pass out but it doesn’t mean end of patriotism.”

Anthony also raised the issue of patriotism certificates, saying the National Secretariat has the responsibility to provide them but that the available supply is inadequate. He said he recently received only 1,000 certificates for the entire Acholi region, despite the large number of students requiring them, making it difficult to distribute the certificates to all eligible students.

The headteacher of Bishop Angelo Negri College and chairperson of the Gulu City chapter of the Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda, Lamwaka Anne Lubwa, described the pass-out as an important opportunity for students.

The patriots

She said the training started the previous term but the joint pass-out had taken place later because of other activities hosted by Gulu City.

Lubwa said ASU supports government programmes, including patriotism, scouting and sports.

She said Gulu City has about 35 secondary schools and questioned why some schools had not participated in the patriotism programme. She said non-participation denies learners an opportunity to understand more about their country.

Lubwa also encouraged schools to use patriotism training to strengthen cooperation among students from different institutions.  She said the training had allowed students to march, socialise and make friends from other schools.

Lubwa also challenged the students to use their energy productively.She linked patriotism to the competency-based curriculum, saying young people should focus on identifying and solving problems in their communities.

“Nowadays, we can ask you that, what problem can you solve?”

She urged students not to waste the opportunity their parents and schools have given them, especially at a time when the cost of education is becoming increasingly difficult for many families.

Lambert Alex Akena, Speaker of Gulu City Council, also congratulated the students and commended Gulu High School for providing the venue. He said patriotism is about loving one’s country, being loyal and being committed.

Akena praised the students for what they had achieved after only one week of training. Akena urged the students to demonstrate patriotism through their daily actions, including protecting the environment and participating in the city’s monthly cleaning activities.

He reminded them that patriotism should continue when they leave the parade ground.

He also called for improvements in future pass-out ceremonies, including providing students with proper patriotism uniforms instead of using school uniforms. He said some of the available patriotism uniforms were already worn out.

Akena also suggested that future participants should be provided with meals after the ceremony.

He said he would engage the regional coordinator and, if necessary, the national patriotism secretariat over the concerns.

The administrator of St. John Paul II College Gulu, Komakech Simon Peter, described the event as a colourful joint ceremony involving schools from across Gulu City.

He said the participation of about 22 schools demonstrated the importance of bringing students together.

He encouraged the students to take the lessons from the training back to their schools, particularly by maintaining discipline, cleanliness and environmental responsibility.

He also called on schools that did not participate to send students for future patriotism programmes.

For the students, the ceremony marked both an achievement and the beginning of a new responsibility. Ocaya Emmanuel from St. Joseph’s College Layibi said the training taught him to demonstrate patriotism in everything he does.

“Among the things they said, they said that we should be patriotic in whatsoever we do.”

He said students were also reminded not to limit patriotism to the training ground.

“They said that we should not do the patriotic thing only here in this field, but we should also portray it outside.”

Obonyo Gerald Steven from St. John Paul II College Gulu said he was excited to be part of the joint pass-out. He said the students learned about patriotism, love for country, respect for others and good citizenship.

“All in all, I feel so good to be passed out. I feel patriotic.”

He said he plans to demonstrate his patriotism through activities such as keeping the environment clean.

Atieng Monica, also from St. John Paul II College Gulu, said the programme had taught her important lessons about environmental responsibility and love for the country where she lives.

She said she intends to take the lessons home and work with her colleagues to make dustbins, collect litter and encourage other students to use them.

For the organizers, the joint pass-out is therefore not simply the conclusion of a five-day training programme, but a transition into a period where the students are expected to demonstrate the values they have learned in their schools, homes and communities.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis