The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Paramount Chief of Acholi, David Onen Acana II, has urged the youth to refrain from selling land simply to marry women, warning that such actions contribute to the region’s ongoing land conflicts.
Addressing thousands of attendees on the final day of the Acholi Cultural Festival at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City on Saturday, Acana attributed the current land disputes in the region to the unregulated sale of land.
He emphasized that the fertile land in the region offers immense potential for agricultural production, an opportunity that many youths are yet to fully embrace to drive social and economic transformation.
Acana noted that while many young people have resorted to selling land to settle personal problems, land itself offers more significant opportunities for wealth creation and economic growth. “You aren’t the first to marry and you won’t be the last. Today you sell land to marry, tomorrow another person will want to marry, go and farm if you need wealth because land is wealth,” Acana warned.
He further highlighted the importance of food security and the need to cultivate cash crops such as coffee, bananas, and other perennial crops, as well as reviving rich cultural practices. “See your rich dances, see your rich cultures which you don’t get money from. You must put personal efforts to get you out of poverty and your cultures can help you do that,” Acana added.
Acana also urged Acholi elites to promote peace and unity, set aside their differences, and lead by example to help recover the region. He explained that the festival’s concept is not only to promote Acholi culture but also to attract investment opportunities and encourage the youth to engage in economic activities.
“We have come out with them to promote Acholi cultures and to see alternatives for creating wealth for people while looking at what the youths are doing. The Acholi Cultural Festival is also to attract other people to come and see the beauty of the Acholi people … to see investment opportunities so that they can bring money and wealth.
The tourists shall see Acholi people and bring development home here in terms of cultural usage or tourism…” Acana also pointed out internal challenges within the region’s chiefdoms, particularly the issue of non-royal elites attempting to assume the role of chiefs. “The problems the chiefs are facing are the elites who retired and want to become chiefs even if they aren’t royals. It’s a big problem in Acholi and in Northern Uganda,” he stated.
The Paramount Chief of Lugwara, Kari Yuma Manase Amuku, noted that unresolved conflicts within Northern Uganda’s chiefdoms continue to weaken cultural institutions. “We have those who are impersonating as chiefs and they aren’t just fighting cultures but dividing people and we are struggling with them, but traditions have its set norms,” Chief Manase observed.
He also highlighted the need to address alcohol consumption and drug abuse to increase economic viability and productivity. Northern Uganda, he noted, ranks second in the country for high alcohol consumption, which negatively affects the productivity of the youth. Dr. Kenneth Omona, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, emphasized the importance of culture in defining people.
“The festival is the right way to consolidate cultural practices and good morals,” he said. He also encouraged traditional leaders to invest their energies in land conflict management to ensure peace and enhance land utilization. The festival provided an opportunity for people to showcase their crafts, traditional foods, and the rich culture of the Acholi people, attracting visitors from Uganda, Kenya, and even investors from China and Russia.
Joyce Akello from Abim District in Karamoja Sub-Region praised the festival for highlighting the richness of Acholi culture. “It was a learning point to me for the things I have never seen in my life. The dances, their crafts will tell you why a gathering like this must continue,” Akello told Uganda Radio Network.
A 52-year-old resident of Pabbo Town Council, who exhibited wildlife hides at the festival, shared that he had inherited these practices from his grandparents and was determined to preserve them for future generations. After being halted for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Acholi Cultural Festival resumed its Fourth Edition from December 12th to 14th at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu.
Acana announced that next year’s festival will aim to expand participation from the Luo communities in Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and beyond. “I am going to meet the Luo of Kenya in their festival this month and debate more, but I think Uganda shall host all the Luo Nations for the biggest festival next year,” Acana added.
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