Over 6,500 students complete patriotism training in Serere
"Ignore early marriage and say no to early sex," Seku advised.
Serere: A total of 6,500 students have graduated from the National Patriotism Programme after completing a two-week training in various secondary schools across Serere District.
The pass-out ceremony was held on Tuesday, July 22, 2026, and was officiated by the Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps, Hellen Seku. The event was attended by Serere County Member of Parliament Emmanuel Omoding Okabe, Resident District Commissioner John Stephen Ekoom, teachers, local leaders, and education stakeholders.
The students were drawn from several secondary schools, including Halson SS Serere Campus, Kamod Secondary School, Serere Township Secondary School, Kateka Secondary School, Serere Secondary School, Halson High School, Atiira Seed School, Kamod High School, Kadungulu Secondary School, Kyere Secondary School, Olio Seed School, and other institutions across the district.
Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner Hellen Seku said patriotism is a government programme implemented in educational institutions to nurture responsible, disciplined, and patriotic citizens.
She urged learners, especially girls, to protect their future by avoiding risky behaviour.
“Ignore early marriage and say no to early sex,” Seku advised.
The Teso Sub-region Patriotism Coordinator, Pascal Obutu, appealed to the National Secretariat to decentralize the printing and distribution of patriotism training certificates, saying schools face difficulties obtaining them because they are currently printed only at the headquarters.
“The certificates are now printed at the head office, making it difficult for many schools to access them,” Obutu said.
The Chairperson of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) in Serere District, Michael Onyege, said the trainees underwent two weeks of instruction in patriotism, leadership, and self-defence.
“We are happy today that we are commissioning these patriots, and we believe what they have learnt here will help them to live in the community and become good citizens of this country,” Onyege said.
He also appealed to the government to provide facilitation funds for district patriotism coordinators to enable patriotism clubs to operate effectively and sustainably.
Meanwhile, Serere County MP Emmanuel Omoding Okabe used the occasion to call on the government to upgrade Serere Health Centre III into a district hospital, citing the growing demand for health services.
“Once the Health Centre III is upgraded to a district hospital, the health-related challenges will be addressed because the current facility is overwhelmed by the number of patients,” Okabe said.
Serere RDC John Stephen Ekoom said the patriotism programme would strengthen security and civic responsibility from the grassroots level.
“This exercise is supported by both government and private institutions because it is a government directive. The patriots will boost security right from the village level,” Ekoom said.
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