A Young LRA rebel soldier on Guard in the Jungles of Garamba

Healing wounds

Evaline one of the young girls who had her face cut off by the LRA, Appears on the OPRAH show and is sent for sugery in the USA to reconfigure her face.

Exorcist strategy

Local Acholi Elder kills a Goat, so as to perform an evil spirit exorcist or self cleansing procedure on a Young Acholi girl who was an LRA rebel fighter since she was 11 years old. The girl experiences bouts of violence and attempted to kill her mother with weapons.

A Line Up of LRA Mid Ranking Field Commanders with Ranks of Captains and Luitenants. Names are Unknown.

Genocide?

Over 5 Women and 13 children were mowed down in a hail of Bullets by the UPDF (Uganda government soldiers). The Soldiers claimed that they Mistook the Women and Children for Rebels. Other Accounts of this Massacre claim that the women where killed by a hail of Bullets from a Uganda Government Gunship Helicopter, who using Night Vision, indiscriminately fired upon the women and their Children.

Caught up between the state and the rebels

A womans pleads with the Uganda Security forces in Lira. Begging them to stop shooting in the crowd. The Villages were rioting after a Massacre of over 250 People by the LRA. Barlonyo Massacre.The woman lost his son to the LRA and later lost a sister to the Government anti Riot Security Forces.
There is considerable anger and anguish amoungs the people. They accussed the Government of failure to protect them from the LRA. The after Math of the LRA attack caused farther retribution deaths to certain Acholi tribe members in lira. The LRA which is attributed to be an ACHOLI creation caused the people to avenge on any acholi who seemed to be linked to LRA. This farther created a divide between the people of Acholi and the Lango tribe in Lira. Very Sad and Tragic.

..........Like a donkey

A donkey takes a stroll in Mucwini IDP camp, northern Uganda.

Uganda is so tight that wanainchi have to work like a donkey do.

The struggle for health care

In Northern Uganda, the struggle for decent health care remains a dream. Wanainchi line up at a health facility in Mucwini.

Peering at the sky

Don't ask! Just watch and shut up.

Larger than life

Don't you just think i strike a "Larger than life" portrait? Don't mess with the bounty hunter!

The morning clouds

The morning clouds keep their blanket over the hills in Agoro an a typical morning.

Sight precision

From the shoulders of the hills, i couldn't lose out on this sight. The IDP camp from afar.

The trek

After climbing the mountains, i looked back and the view was absolutely captivating. What a background? I reckon this will become a tourist site in the post conflict era in Acholiland.

Innocence??????

In our innocence, evil only prevails in the minds of the ones passing judgement. This belle is as innocent as yours truly, but you-the corrupt society, may think otherwise.

Seductive!?

This belle had no idea about the eagle eye nature of my zoom lens. In a world where belles are as free as this, the hyenas of this world may conquer substantive territories like Leopold did in Zaire. However, thank God, Hyene is a theoretical as the kamulali itself.

Dangeroulsy seductive

In the valleys of Acholiland, where the cool rivers flow downhill from the Agoro mountains, the belles have not lost an inch of their seduction. I was mesmerised by belles swimming in knickers and leaving very little to imagination. This partcular one stood out with her well rounded boobs, or are they? The experts can let me know: okema.lenny@gmail.com

Back at last

Its been quite some time since my last up date, but am finally back from my escapades. And as usual, the pictures will tell the story of the hills and valleys that i traversed. Just flip thru my pages.

Long walk to freedom

When a man attempts to walk away from the vestiges of cruelty, deprivation and despondency, it is the begining of a long long journey. A journey one may never live to tell. But still we have to walk the walk.

Give a little Love

These innocent souls offer their only cloth to a fellow kid. How sweet! Love builds bridges, so they say, and i think we need exactly it.

Family Affair

No species-segregation! Children practicall demonstrate that unity is strength regardless of looks. Chant down segregation! Chant down Babylon.

"Hello" to a long lost cousin

You do not have to know the language to say "Hi". The bottom line is we are all primates.

Not washed out yet

Not even the floods can deter our movement. Its about time for society to tame weather instead of being at the recieving end of its vagaries. Without this, the tropics will be a safe haven for poverty and under-development.

The curse of the tropics

"Wanainchi" navigate through one of the many new rivers created by the August rains running riot in the northern and Eastern heavens of the Pearl of Africa.

In Heaven There is no Beer!

Gurus of liquor consumption do what they do best:

Defending Uganda's boozing gold medal.

Supporting the cause

A BIG "thank you" to the NGO sector for filling in where society is undergoverned by the powers that be. Big USAID, UNICEF,IMC and WFP.

Wonder tree

This "wonder tree" is older than anyone known to be alive today in Uganda. It is believed to be over 100 years old. It collapsed several decades ago and regenerated to its current size.

A lighter moment

The learning process never ends. One of man's distant cousins attempts to ride a bicycle.

Journey to Damascus

Its a long way to prosperity. A deserted bushy road in Northern Uganda. When primitive accumulation of wealth infects a people, such dismal levels of infrastructural development should not strike you by suprise.

Tayari for CHOGM. Are u?

Innocent and Elegant! Isn't she?

Ready for CHOGM indeed

When you have over 1.6 million wanainchi living in squalid conditions up north, and kids wearing such faces, and you are indifferent, then you know Butabika hospital is not enough. We need a new VIP mental referall hospital. Don't we?

We are ready for CHOGM

UGANDA: Ready for CHOGM. This is the next miss Uganda-2020 and she is ready for CHOGM like Maggie Kigozi.

Nasasira's roads

Can u imagine that Eng. John Nasasira's ministry built this road? Someone tell him to visit this site. Maybe we can use this image for the "Ready for Chogm campaign". We are ready indeed. MY FOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Resilience and determination

Am the dare devil. Guess where this picture was taken from? Apart from the bit of the Codan radio in our vehicle, do you see the gallant UPDF infront. This is bounty hunting.

Today's victims, Tomorrow's heroes

Children innocently bask on the terraces of the River Aringa en-route to Mucwini from Kitgum town. They maybe the victims of today's tragedy in the north but certainly they will be the protagonists of tomorrow's Uganda.

Representing

Representing my grandfather's oratory prowess.

The need for social redemption

Social redemption? Does the need for it ring a bell in your head? Then just maybe we need it. I think we do. What do you think? A group of NGO colleagues pose with children in an IDP camp in Northern Uganda. A smile can reduce distress and togetherness can break down those barriers between us.

Shelter does not make a home

Looking at these structures in the IDP camps and the life there-in, i was left with just one lamentation: Shelter does not make a home. There is no way these grass thatched structures can be a home to the multitudes who take refuge in them. The small white structures in the foreground are some of the emergency latrines built by the NGOs that have tried to supplement government's efforts. Hygiene and sanitation remain as huge a challenge to the people in this camp (Omiya Anyima) as eating an elephant is to a lion.

Don't turn your backs

Much as i was standing with my back to the camp, i honestly hope that our attitude will not be that of turning our backs to the challenges that continue to bedevil our brothers and sisters. On this particular day the winds were blowing so hard. Its hands were shaking all in its way including my garments. Just look at the background and think of those who call these squalid hoods their home. Don't you think such images are a sad commentary on the history of this nation?

Bird's Eye view

This is a bird's eye view of Omiya Anyima-one of the camps in Northern Uganda. Of late i've been thinking that much as the life in the camps is horrible, publicity can instigate change, i actually think if some of these pics are used for post cards, some money could be raised to help these folks. If you share my view, holla at me: okema.lenny@gmail.com

The sky is the limit

A graphical illustration of just how true or high the sky can be the limit.

Remember all this is still Agoro, part of Acholiland in Uganda. Behold the beauty of the motherland.

More industrialism

More images of the production chain.

Anyhow now i have a deeper insight into why Uganda is ranked highly with honour as a land of drunkards. An

honour indeed!

Industrialism amidst unrest

The Brewery.

Maybe the small scale production process in the camps can actually be tapped into and made bigger: A pervasive thought, isn't it? Who knows, maybe one day northern Uganda will be the portugal of Africa- a great craddle of wines and spirits. What do you think? So we shall have a spirit called Letter O instead of Jack Daniels. Or maybe we shall have "Apye-Anyoni" instead of "Guiness the power".



Talk of hoping against hope!

Civil Unrest and Drunkenness

Brewery: A booming offshoot of the war industry. A woman spreads fermented flour for the next production process.

Drunkenness remains a stern shadow scar of the civil unrest that had bedeviled Acholiland. Several women rely on brewing local alcohol otherwise philosophically referred to as "apye-anyoni". The resultant effect is a bunch of drunken husbands who spend more time drunk than sober.

Deplorable sanitation

Children swim in a river in Agoro. A new generation of great swimmers may effectively improve our future medal hopes in olympics, and one of these kids may be the next African Ian Thorpe or maybe not just Eric the eel. But at what cost, in such circumstances?

How safe are these heroes and heroines of tomorrow? I leave it to you to decipher.

Contemporary explorer

For those of you who last saw me ages ago, am still in the business-bounty hunting.

Am here to thrive not survive. Here i was in Agoro-over 480 km from Kampala doing nothing but gathering ideas, as usual. In the background is the IDP camp in the locality.

Where the land meets the skies

Just check out the rendezvous between land and sky.

Amazing, isn't it?

Beauty in the air

Just look at the undulating hills in the background. Don't you just think this place is indeed a revelation to some of you arm chair readers and speculators?

The beautiful scenery

Look at the misty hills in the background. Note that beyond those hills lies the vast Southern Sudan. In the foreground is the IDP camp.

Beautifiul scenery

Still in Agoro, the scenery should demystify Kabale-an area once considered the most beautiful part of Uganda by a section of several poorly travelled fellas. Look at this beautiful scenery in Agoro and tell me what you think. I think Uganda is indeed gifted by nature though spoilt by a few Ugandans who have made it hard for some of you to reach Agoro and stare at the beauty of the landsacpe.

Agoro in pictures

This time am not delving into stories because the pictures here speak volumes. Am more interested in your feedback. You can drop me an e mail at okema.lenny@gmail.com

I was in Agoro, some IDP camp a stone's throw away from thje Uganda-Sudan boarder. I got a chance to capture alot of memories in pictures. From the beautiful scenery to the poor sanitation to the congestion and to the alcoholism.

Give me your feedback.

Nice viewership.