The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Koboko, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nearly two months after the conclusion of the 2025 Northern Uganda Peace Week, concerns have emerged among members of the Central Organizing Committee (COC) and the leadership of Koboko District regarding UGX 200 million reportedly donated by President Yoweri Museveni to support the event.
The annual Northern Uganda Peace Week was hosted by Arua Catholic Diocese in Koboko Catholic Parish from January 20th to 24th, attracting over 5,000 visitors, including five bishops, district khadis, cultural leaders, and other dignitaries.
Although the event had a budget of over UGX 200 million, less than UGX 40 million was realized in cash for its organization. It was only a day before the event’s conclusion that the UGX 200 million donation from the President was handed to Arua Diocese.
Tom Obeti Adraka, the Chairman of the Central Organizing Committee, claims that since the money was given to Arua Diocese, they have not accessed or used it, despite having financial obligations exceeding UGX 100 million.
Adraka says he has been pressured by fellow organizers and Koboko leaders to explain the funds’ whereabouts, yet he has not seen the money apart from UGX 20 million from the NRM Secretariat and a UGX 10 million personal contribution from Hajjat Madinah Ojale, the Director of Finance at the NRM Secretariat.
Koboko District LC5 Chairman Ashraf Mambo, who led the presentations of political leaders during the Peace Week and played a key role in organizing the event, had promised to lead a delegation—including organizers and the press—to the Chancery of Arua Diocese last week to seek clarity on the missing funds. However, this has not yet materialized.
Speaking in the Kakwa dialect, Hajjat Madinah Ojale expressed concerns over why the UGX 200 million was deposited into Arua Diocese’s account instead of the official Peace Week account.
“I heard that the money has been diverted to the Arua Diocese account, which I find unfair because President Museveni gave it for Peace Week activities. I will follow up with the President to understand why this happened because we expected this money to support church programs in Koboko Parish,” she said.
When contacted by URN, Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki, the Bishop of Arua Catholic Diocese, confirmed that the money was received but warned against politicizing the matter or discussing it publicly.
The annual Peace Week was initiated in 2005 by now Gulu Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama as a platform for reconciliation and unity among the people of northern Uganda, who have historically been affected by political conflicts.
Since its inception, dioceses from Gulu, Lira, Nebbi, and Arua have continued organizing the event on a rotational basis, involving different denominations. The 2025 celebrations in Koboko featured a peace march, presentations by cultural and political leaders, the generation of action points, and a concluding Holy Mass.
The theme for the event was “Forgive Us Our Trespasses and Grant Us Peace.”
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