Maracha District Local Government employees who recently graduated hosted a thanksgiving dinner to honor God and celebrate the successful completion of their academic endeavors.  The staff are—Ms. Avako Dorish,  Mr. Aniku Maurice, Mr. Ocitia Nelson Mandela, Mr. Aniku Maurice. Others include— Dr. Abirima Abubakar, Mr. Abaa Alia Herbert, Hon. Amazi Sarah, Ms. Deboru Florence (PhD) and Eng. Elema Paul.

Mr. Drachaku Felix, guest speaker, commended the graduates for their commitment to their studies amidst work and family responsibilities. Mr. Drachaku said this should challenge other staff to aim for additional academic qualifications.  He said the academic advancement should translate into improved work performance.  

Similarly, Hajji Walugembe Ramathan, Maracha Resident District Commissioner, said the new knowledge attained should be a gateway for renewed transformation.

Hon. Obitre Stephen, Maracha District Chairman, said the District will embark on tracking graduate beneficiaries of the district quota scheme. He said internal promotions have not been easy because staff have not been furthering their studies, but he was pleased to see that the trend was changing. He thanked Hon. Amazi for going back for further studies which has inspired other political leaders to do so.

Mr. Olila Patrick, Maracha District Chief Administrative Officer, said staff should acquire the requisite qualifications to fill the vacant positions.  He said this will reduce costs involved in recruitment. Mr. Olila said university education has been decentralized with the establishment of Muni University and other universities opening branches countrywide.

Rev. Denis Adoroti, parish priest Maracha, said there was need to appreciate God for success thrust upon one.  

The graduates 

 Ms. Deboru Florence (PhD).  She is the Secretary Maracha District Service Commission. She attained a PhD from Makerere University at the 75th graduation ceremony. Ms. Deboru in her PhD thesis examined the institutional mechanisms for enhancing the use and uptake of doctoral research outputs at Makerere University.  She attributes her success to God, hard work, sacrifice and the mental fortitude she built at the start of the study program. Her studies enabled build a network she can leverage on. 

Dr.  Abirima Abubakar. He graduated from Makerere University early this year with a Degree of Master of Veterinary Medicine. The old student of Maracha Secondary School embarked on the master’s program in 2019.  Dr.  Abirimaserves as Veterinary Officer with Maracha District Local Government.The additional assignments given to him by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer compelled him to return to school. His thesis focused on infections of animal lungs and why they (animal lungs) are not good for human consumption.

Eng. Elema Paul. He is the Senior Agriculture Engineer serving under the Production and Marketing Department. Eng. Elema attained a Degree of Master of Science of Agriculture Engineering in 2022. He did his research in Nakivubo wetland in Kampala. Food is grown in the wetland and sold in several parts in Kampala. His findings indicated that the food from the wetland is contaminated with heavy metals and E.coli, a form of bacteria that causes many illnesses. He says going back to school was by faith following encouragement by several people including his supervisors. As a young boy, his ambition was to become a professor, he remains relentless. 

Hon. Amazi Sarah. She describes herself as a "self-made" person. Hon. Amazi is the Female Youth Councilor in Maracha District Council.  She is very passionate about the girl child and the youth. She is a recent graduate of Uganda Christian University with Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration. She holds the strong conviction "it is not the most intelligent who pass but it is the most prepared."  Hon. Amazi is young and has big dreams to pursue. 

Mr. Abaa Alia Herbert. Mr. Abaa serves as Assistant Agriculture Nyadri Sub-county and Nyadri-South Sub-county. He now holds a Degree of Science in Agriculture from Uganda Martyrs University. He commenced with the program in 2019. He joined public service in 2021, and is grateful that he was granted the support to continue to pursue his studies. He advises learners in primary and secondary schools to concentrate on their education. He says perseverance leads to success.

Ms. Adiru Kevin. She is employed Assistant Veterinary Officer for Yivu Sub-county and Alikua Sub-county. She also bagged a Degree of Science in Agriculture from Uganda Martyrs University. She is indebted to her work supervisors for the support and encouragement accorded to her when in school. 

Mr. Aniku Maurice. His heart beats for environmental conservation.  Mr. Aniku is a forestry officer with Maracha District Local Government. He graduated with Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Environment Management from Ndejje University. His call to learners is a call for hard work.

Mr. Ocitia Nelson Mandela. He is the Commercial Officer of Maracha Town Council.  Orphaned in primary three didn't stop him from making big academic strides. He is grateful to colleagues who kept challenging him to get additional academic papers, instead of avoiding them; he took it upon himself to enroll back in school. Mr. Ocitia is a graduate of Bachelor of Business Administration from Uganda Christian University. 

Ms. Avako Dorish. She serves as Assistant Agriculture Officer Kijomoro Sub-county. Last year, Ms. Avako traveled to Japan for a 6-month course in rice growing courtesy of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). She merited the selection after her exceptional performance in West Nile in the implementation of a JICA rice project in her sub-county. Ms. Avako returned from Japan with a certificate. She has developed a training manual on rice growing and also came up with value addition outputs from rice. A beneficiary of the district quota scheme under Maracha District, Ms. Avako is grateful to the District for employing her. She graduated with Bachelor of Agricultural and Rural Innovation from Makerere University in 2015.