Bush Ocean

On my way back to Gulu from Kitgum, where I had spent the better part of the day at the National Memory and Peace Documentation Centre, I decided to make a little detour to Aruu Falls. By the way, if you have never visited the National Memory and Peace Documentation Centre, you should. The team at @refugeelawproj has done an incredible job documenting and preserving Uganda’s experiences of conflict, transitional justice, and peacebuilding. There is so much history in that place, including stories we must never allow ourselves to forget. Anyway, back to Aruu Falls. I went there to sit, reflect, meditate, and have a little conversation with the gods. 🤣 Among the things I told them was that I had finally and successfully thrown away the English name I adopted in Primary Four. You see, as a little boy, I was embarrassed by my African name because other pupils laughed at me for not having an English one. So, to fit in and escape the mockery, I gave myself one. Imagine being made to feel ashamed of your own name, in your own country, by your own people! And imagine carrying that shame into adulthood without even realising how much it had shaped your identity. Well, it has taken me many years, but I have finally come full circle. I told the gods that I had returned to my roots, legally, culturally, and unapologetically. No borrowed identity. No shame. Just Ojok Okot, as my people intended. I hope the ancestors are pleased. 🤣 There is something deeply satisfying about making peace with the little boy you once were. Now, before I turn this into a whole sermon about identity and decolonisation, let me tell you something about Aruu Falls. For those planning to come to Gulu for the @TheGuluMarathon on 5th December, please do yourself a favour and include Aruu Falls on your itinerary. The water levels are relatively low at the moment, probably because of the unpredictable weather patterns, but the scenery is still absolutely beautiful. The fresh air, the rocks, the sound of flowing water, and the peaceful surroundings make it a wonderful place to spend a few hours away from the noise of everyday life. And you don’t have to figure out the trip yourself. My friends at @LoremiTours can put together a lovely tour experience that allows you to explore Aruu Falls and discover more of what northern Uganda has to offer. So, as you train for the marathon, start planning your trip too. Come for the run, stay for the experiences, discover the beauty of our region, and leave with stories worth telling. Northern Uganda has so much to offer, and I would love for more people to experience it. Gulu is calling. Come and see for yourself! 🥰👌🏾😍

I passed by the Gulu City Youth Boxing Club, where I am a runaway trainee 😄, to catch up with my good friend Dragon, who is hosting a back-to-school boxing competition for young people at the club. Participants have come from across the Acholi sub-region, and every young person competing tonight will walk away with an assortment of school requirements to help them return to school. If you are looking for a local initiative worth supporting, the Gulu City Youth Boxing Club is one of them. Beyond boxing, they are keeping young people positively engaged during the holidays, teaching discipline and providing a space where they can develop their talent and confidence. They are doing great work with limited resources. With more support, they can reach even more young people. Support them. Help them grow. 🥊

@KimberlyJael09, you may not have taken home the official crown, but you won countless hearts. To many of us, you are our Miss Universe and our true winner. This is not the end. In many ways, it's the beginning of an even bigger journey. Use this platform as a launchpad to inspire others, open new doors, and accomplish great things. Your best is still ahead of you.

Did the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2025, passed by @Parliament_Ug, intend to stifle vocational education by driving smaller vocational training and skills development centres out of operation? Many of these institutions serve the country's most vulnerable populations, with some even offering training free of charge. Or have the @TVETCouncilUg and @UVTABOfficial seen an opportunity to maximise revenue now that vocational education is receiving greater national attention? The current accreditation process appears unnecessarily duplicated. The @TVETCouncilUg and @UVTABOfficial, both housed in the same building in Ntinda, with the Council expected to provide oversight, now require separate accreditation processes and charge separate fees for what is essentially the same purpose. The @TVETCouncilUg currently charges: 1. UGX 200,000 for Application for licensing a private TVET provider. 2. UGX 3,000,000 (Skills Development Centre) to UGX 7,000,000 (Technical College) for a licence to establish and operate a private TVET provider. 3. UGX 1,000,000–2,000,000 for accreditation of a branch or additional training centre. 4. UGX 1,000,000–2,000,000 for a certificate of affiliation to a licensed TVET provider. 5. UGX 2,500,000–7,500,000 for licensing inspection. 6. UGX 1,250,000–3,750,000 for reinspection in case of an unsuccessful inspection 7. UGX 3,000,000 for facilities verification for programme accreditation. These are only some of the fees payable to them. While providers are still struggling to meet these costs, @UVTABOfficial has now introduced another layer of inspections for the accreditation of licensed providers as assessment centres, charging UGX 1,600,000 for Skills Development Centres and up to UGX 3,000,000 for Technical Colleges. This raises an important policy question as to whether this regulatory framework was designed to improve quality, or is it creating unnecessary duplication and financial barriers that will ultimately lock out smaller providers and reduce access to vocational education for the very people the TVET reforms were intended to benefit? CC: @ObothOboth, @Thomas_Tayebwa, @JoelSsenyonyi, @OgwangOgwang, @JCMuyingo, @Educ_SportsUg, @JanetMuseveni, @TonyNatif, @Allen_Kagina, @EnabelinUganda, @giz_uganda, @norbertmao, @pwatchug etc.