By Emmanuel Olinga
KATAKWI
The Office of the President under the Department of Chancery has embarked on the process of sensitizing the leaders from Teso sub-region on prevalence and process of recognition, honor and award activity.
According to the legislative framework in the 1995 constitution, Article 98 guarantees that the president, as the fountain of honor, has the right to bestow titles and reward both non-citizens and nationals for their great contributions to the country’s progress.
On June 4, 2026, the Chancery/Presidential Awards Committee team, representing the Office of the President, visited the Katakwi District Local Government top leadership both Political, technocrats and security, their purpose was to provide detailed insights into the National Honors and Awards activities.
During the session, the recipients highlighted the prevalent confusion and instances of corruption that have marred the exercise. They also brought attention to internal conflicts among civilian war victims involved in the process.
The Presidential Awards Committee oversees the selection, vetting, and submission of nominees to H.E. the President for approval and the subsequent conferment of Honors. During the session, they shared key information about the National Honors and Awards Act, which establishes the Chancery, and outlined a simplified framework for identifying exemplary achievers.
Hajjat Zaminah Malole, Secretary of the Presidential Award Committee, which is made up of nine members appointed by the President, stated that in order to strengthen the article, the National Honors and Awards Act 2001, which was signed into law by the President in June 2001, provides for the recognition and conformity of titles of honor as a section that strengthens the basis for honors, medals, or orders as specified in the National Honors and Awards Act.
She highlighted that the Honors given cover a range of categories, including Civilian Decorations and Medals, Military Decorations and Medals, and Uganda Police Medals further detailing, that the National Honors and Awards Act of 2001, the National Honors and Awards Regulations of 2014, and the Second Schedule Amendment Instrument of 2014.
According to Hajjat the nominations are accepted from various entities, including MDAs, NGOs, and public or private institutions stating that the Chancery committee compiles and conducts background checks on individuals before the President can confirm them by granting medals, honors, or orders.
She did, however, invite various stakeholders and leaders to work with the RDC’s office to find people worthy of distinction before presenting them to the president for approval.
Mr.Shaban Ssentongo, department of Chancery departmental in the office of the President responsible for the administration and custodianship of national honorary and awards, stated that the goal of popularizing and sensitizing national honorary and awards is to understand that the continued familiarity with the award process as a prerogative of the President aims to recognize people who have contributed to Uganda’s development.
Despite lack of information, the RDC Katakwi Stephen Ilemukort Okure and Samuel Backer Opio acting CAO expressed gratitude to the Team for the fruitful information shared.
The Team emphasized that the identification process of exemplary achievers should be continuous and must be conducted with utmost confidentiality stating that the majority of people deserve to be recognized, but the conditions for doing so vary.
Samuel Becker Opio, Acting CAO Katakwi welcomed the team, suggesting that the criterion for selecting should also consider technical people because they endure service.
Geoffrey Omolo, the LCV chairperson for Katakwi district, thanked the team for coming to inform and sensitize them.
However, Omolo praised the Presidential team’s efforts to recognize people who have served Uganda, but argued that those recognized should be given additional benefits such as medals of recognition, citing the late Akorimo, who raised the Uganda flag during the independence incident and died without the power or essence of the medal of recognition.
