By Our Reporter
SOROTI CITY
In a commendable effort to promote cultural pride, Soroti Resident City Commissioner John Michael Okurut is encouraging community members to learn the verses of the East African, National and Cultural Anthems.
This initiative comes after he observed that many adults struggled to sing the full versions of the East African, national and cultural anthems at various events he attended.
During his security meetings and other public gatherings, Okurut plans to bring along a choir master who will conduct sessions aimed at training adults to sing the anthems properly.
“I noticed during our anthem singing that some parents were not able to keep up, even though students and teachers sang along beautifully. This highlights the need for Ugandan adults to learn the anthems thoroughly, rather than relying on recorded versions from public address systems,” he remarked.
Okurut shared these thoughts while serving as the chief guest at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Bethany Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Soroti City on Friday November 21st, 2025.
He emphasized that the Iteso and Kumam communities should embrace their cultural identity by learning to sing their anthems.
Additionally, he encouraged everyone to express their patriotism by mastering both the national and East African anthems.
New headteacher Paul Opesen echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of actively participating in singing cultural anthems.
He warned that if not addressed, the tradition of singing these anthems could diminish, as people are often inclined to rely on radio broadcasts, leaving little room for memorization and practice.
“Even when they play on the radio, people often don’t engage with them. It’s crucial to learn these anthems by heart because they define us,” Opesen stated.
He emphasized that at their school, they have mandated the singing of these anthems, including the school anthem, three times a week to ensure students can memorize them.
The headteacher warned that the songs could fade away if they aren’t given enough time for memorization, adding that they are even offering sessions for any interested parents to learn the anthems.
Richard Ewalu, a resident of Oculoi sub-county in Soroti district, expressed the need for such teaching, saying he doesn’t know how to sing the Ateso and Kumam cultural anthems because he lives in Lira, far from Teso.
Phoebe Acan, a resident of Anyara sub-county in Kalaki District, explained that their reluctance to sing the anthems stems from the fact that they are usually played through a public address system.
Rev. Godfrey Obone, the diocesan education secretary for the Soroti Anglican diocese, noted that many people don’t take the time to understand all the verses of the anthems since they rely on recorded versions.
“As a church, we encourage our schools to have children sing the anthems without any equipment support, so they can truly memorize them. All documents should contain the anthems along with their verses, allowing everyone to sing while recalling the words and melodies,” he shared.
As a board member of the Iteso Cultural Union, Obone addressed the recent neglect of the Iteso Anthem, attributing it to the internal conflicts that plagued the union in the past. Now, with the resolution of those issues, he encourages the Iteso community to come together in singing the anthem once again.
Bob Owiny, chairperson of the general purpose committee at the school who doubles as the NRM flag bearer for the LC5 Chairperson seat in Soroti District, emphasized the importance of parental sacrifices for their children’s education and urged families to advocate for the school to boost enrollment numbers.
School director Martin Okiria Obore called upon parents to strengthen their commitment and dedication to timely fee payments, which include a termly fee of shs15,000 for each child’s treatment.
