QFM
  Stream radio
Menu
QFM
  2. Politics
  3. Awich Pollar receives Ntare School’s Order of the Lion

Awich Pollar receives Ntare School’s Order of the Lion

26 July 2026, 11:20 am

Second left, Major (Rtd) Awich Pollar poses for a group photo with the Vice President, second right, after receiving his award.

By Frank Oyugi

MBARARA / KAMPALA — Major (Rtd) Awich Pollar, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Director for Mobilisation in the Diaspora, has been awarded the Order of the Lion, the highest honour bestowed by his alma mater, Ntare School, in recognition of his leadership and public service.

The award was presented on Saturday, 25 July 2026, during the school’s 70th anniversary celebrations in Mbarara City. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Her Excellency Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, who presented the honour on behalf of the institution and its alumni.

The Order of the Lion is Ntare School’s most prestigious distinction, awarded to old boys who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, patriotism, and outstanding service at national and international levels.

Before Saturday’s ceremony, the award had been presented to only three distinguished old boys in the school’s history:

  • H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.
  • H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
  • The late Rt Hon. Eriya Kategaya, former First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda.

During the 70th anniversary celebrations, three more alumni were inducted into the distinguished group:

  1. Hon. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, Senior Presidential Advisor and former Cabinet Minister.
  2. Prof. Charles Kwesiga, Executive Director of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI).
  3. Maj. (Rtd) Awich Pollar, NRM Director for Diaspora Mobilisation.

With the conferment, Maj. Awich becomes the sixth old boy in Ntare School’s history to receive the Order of the Lion.

A legacy of national and regional service

Maj. Awich, a seasoned political figure who previously contested for the Lira Municipality parliamentary seat before it was elevated to city status, currently leads strategic mobilisation efforts for the NRM among Ugandan diaspora communities.

Speaking after receiving the honour, Maj. Awich expressed gratitude to the Ntare School Old Boys Association (NSOBA) and the school administration for the recognition.

“I am deeply humbled to be selected by the Old Boys for this monumental honour. Joining a lineage that includes our regional Heads of State and eminent statesmen is both a privilege and a reminder of our duty to serve with integrity, discipline, and dedication to our nation,” he said.

Founded in 1956 in Mbarara, Ntare School remains one of East Africa’s prominent academic institutions, having produced heads of state, diplomats, cabinet ministers, and scholars across the continent.