Acholi Regional MDD Meet officially kicks off in Pader

14 August 2026, 5:57 pm

By Geoffrey Okwong

The Acholi Regional Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) Meet has officially kicked off in Pader District, bringing together schools from eight districts, Gulu City and a municipality to compete and showcase their talents.

The two-day regional competition is being hosted at Community Church in Olokilee, Acoro Parish, Pader Town Council.

The opening ceremony brought together educationists from across the Acholi Sub-region, including music teachers, school inspectors and head teachers from participating schools, alongside local government leaders and other stakeholders.

The participating schools include Kitgum Primary School, representing Kitgum District; Anaka Primary School from Nwoya; Pagak Primary School from Amuru; Village of Hope Primary School from Omoro; and Olwornguu Primary School, representing host Pader District.

Awach Central Primary School is representing Gulu District, while Kalongo Primary School represents Agago and Paloga Primary School represents Lamwo. Elsdai Nursery and Primary School represents Gulu City, while Akworo Primary School is also participating in the regional meet.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony, Pader District LCV Chairperson Alfred Akena welcomed the participating schools and education stakeholders to Pader, urging them to observe discipline and ensure the festival is conducted successfully.

Akena called for proper time management, saying activities should start and end as scheduled to allow participating learners to complete the competition and return home safely.

He also appreciated Community Church for hosting the regional festival and for its partnership with the Government in supporting education and community development.

Meanwhile, the Chief Adjudicator, Godfrey Kanaabi, called on participating schools to maintain discipline, punctuality and a peaceful environment throughout the competition.

Kanaabi said the competition would begin with sight-singing and urged participating teams to prepare adequately for each item before taking to the stage.

He also appealed to security personnel not to interfere unnecessarily with the children, saying the festival should provide learners with a peaceful environment in which to showcase their talents.

Kanaabi further urged schools to bring their choirs to the stage on time and asked organisers to adhere to the programme so that learners can complete the festival and return to their respective districts early enough.

Catherine Amony, who represented the Pader District Chief Administrative Officer, cautioned adjudicators against bias during the competition, saying unfair decisions could undermine the rules and guidelines governing the festival.

Amony urged the adjudicators to follow the established guidelines and ensure that their decisions are fair and impartial to all participating schools.

She said this would help maintain harmony among participants and prevent disagreements at the end of the competition.

Meanwhile, Gulu District Local Government Secretary for Health and Education, Bosco Oryema, described the journey from Gulu to Pader as challenging but commended the district education department for mobilising resources to enable the team to participate.

Oryema also appreciated Gulu District Members of Parliament and Save the Children for supporting the team.

He said the support had enabled Gulu to prepare a strong team and expressed optimism that the district would win this year’s regional trophy.

Oryema attributed his confidence to the team’s variety of costumes, talented choir masters and the support received from stakeholders back home.

He also raised concern over the financial burden schools face when participating in MDD and other co-curricular activities.

Oryema said he intends to propose a motion before the Gulu District Council for every parent to contribute Shs1,000 per term towards supporting MDD and other school activities.

He said the contribution would help schools prepare adequately and reduce the financial challenges that prevent some learners from participating in co-curricular activities.

The Acholi Regional MDD Meet will see participating schools compete in various music, dance and drama disciplines as they seek to emerge as the best team in the region.