Ocer Joins the Rest of Uganda in Celebrating Independence Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORw93X7k95U

Today, 9 October 2026, marked 64 years since Uganda gained independence from British colonial rule. Across the country, Ugandans celebrated the day—a public holiday—in different ways.

At Ocer, the day did not pass unnoticed. Several aspects of the college’s daily routine were adjusted to reflect the significance of this national occasion.

OCJC scouts raise the national flag after Mass

First, instead of waking up at 4:30 a.m. as usual, students were granted an extra 30 minutes of sleep. After all, shouldn’t independence mean having a little more room for dreaming?

Others celebrated the day by contributing to the building of Ocer and Uganda.

Second, students gathered for Mass in the Bl. Seelos Chapel to give thanks for the gift that Uganda is to us all. The main celebrant, Fr. Lawrence Kyaligonza, SJ, invited the congregation to reflect deeply on the message conveyed by the national anthem.

Some S2 students spent the day working on a physics project aimed at improving water pumping at Ocer.

Our forefathers, he reminded the congregation, had hopes and aspirations for this country. The national anthem, he added, reflects those hopes and aspirations:

that God may uphold Uganda;

that Ugandans place their hopes and aspirations in the country that sustains them;

and that, united, free, and committed to liberty, they may stand together.

Sixty-four years later, these aspirations remain as relevant as ever. The students were therefore reminded of their patriotic duty to contribute to building a better Uganda.

Students line up for the much-awaited Independence Day lunch.

Mass was followed by a general clean-up exercise. After all, how can one claim to be patriotic while finding the simple tasks of sweeping, mopping, or slashing the grass in one’s own country disturbing or repulsive? Fortunately, the students responded positively, demonstrating that patriotism can be expressed even through the seemingly small tasks entrusted to them.

The clean-up exercise was followed by lunch and then sports. In honour of the occasion, lunch was special. Yes, for once, the usual posho-and-beans combination took a holiday—but not for long!

Perhaps cows had the least to celebrate this day, having witnessed the greatest loss among their own.

As evening approached, students returned to the Dining Hall to share the familiar posho-and-beans combination, which some have jokingly dubbed their daily bread. Some could not help wondering how Independence Day could be celebrated—or, more precisely, brought to a close—on such a note. Wouldn’t a more luxurious menu have been appropriate? They wondered.

Although chickens, too, suffered losses among their own, those that escaped the slaughter had plenty to feast on—including, ironically, their own cousins.

Yet, as unfitting as it might have seemed for the occasion, the posho-and-beans combination may have been appropriate after all. Perhaps it served as a stark reminder that, 64 years after independence, Uganda has yet to fulfil all the aspirations that inspired the struggle for freedom. There is still much work to be done.

A water project aimed at making Ocer and Uganda better.

Perhaps Independence Day is not merely a day for celebration and enjoyment. It is also an occasion to reflect on the work that remains unfinished and on our individual and collective responsibility to help build a better Uganda for all.

For God and My Country. Happy Independence Day!