How two men are standing up to fight corruption

One particular old woman carried a banner that read, “You are one of Gulu’s most treasured sons,” while a male youth carried another one that bore the message, “Thank you for inspiring our lives through your music.”

A few naughty women in the crowd could be heard giving a few cheeky compliments here and there about how deep and loud his voice was, or the nature of his dreadlocks, which were short and black but tinted with a bit of bronze which he covered using a red scarf.
Among the five songs, Otim, who was putting on a black kanzu, sung at the ceremony, included What Have You Left for the Nation which he composed last year and Be Honest, a song he released in 2008.

“Be Honest is a song that contains messages directed to the leaders of northern Uganda urging them to be sincere and respectful to themselves by not getting involved in corruption scandals,” Otim states during the interview that was conducted shortly after his performance. Meanwhile, his other song, What Have you Left for the Nation is directed to all those leaders who have been implicated in corruption scandals.

“I was simply posing the question to those leaders who had mismanaged resources meant for improving various infrastructure in the region,” Otim adds. He says the idea for this particular song came about after an overwhelming outcry from his people who requested him to use his platform as a musician to voice their concerns in the society.

“Most of the people who have approached me have revealed how they are tired of all the self-centred leaders governing them. These have misused funds meant for improving roads, schools and health centres for their own selfish interests,” the 31-year-old says.
Otim, an Acholi from Kitgum District started singing in 2004. He says that at that time, most of the community members in the region were mourning the loss of their family members and property as a result of the LRA war.

It was from this devastating experience that Otim started writing and singing songs that would instil hope. “I wanted them to know that regardless of what had happened in the past, it was not yet the end of the road for them. My songs were meant to inform them that they still had a bright future ahead,” he says in a calm and warm voice.

The northern insurgency claimed many lives, destroyed a lot of property and led to the abduction of children into rebel activity. A report from Resolve Uganda (2009) showed that about 30,000 children were abducted by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) rebels from 1987 to 2006 and more than 1.5 million people from the Acholi-sub region were displaced into camps.
Some of the songs that he composed during the insurgency that received overwhelming airplay include Peace Returns, Revenge is not Good and Equal Rights.

Otim, whose passion for music started during his childhood, lost both of his parents during the 1980s civil war. He was then taken in by now retired Kitgum Bishop Macleord Baker Ochola II.
“While I was under his care, I used to play the adungu and sing in church,” he states.
As the teenager grew up, he started writing songs that had both Christian and political themes. But like many other upcoming artiste, he lacked finances to enable him boost his career.
It was not until his breakthrough in 2004 when Mega FM starting playing his songs that he started receiving invitations to go and perform in different concerts both within and outside the country. “That became my turning point because people began to notice and appreciate my music,” he explains.

Although he is loved and admired for his bold lyrics against social ills, Bosmic has also reportedly received threats from people who feel castigated by his music. His latest song, Akemo Dwong Ento Guvu Pe (literally translated as “I’m angry but I have no energy/capacity”) is a hit on local radio stations. It attacks the judiciary, politicians and basically public servants for the mess in society, using really strong and direct words.

It’s reported that because of that, some security/government officials arrested detained and beat him up in a cell in Gulu before he was released.
However, Bosmic is quoted by a Gulu-based reporter as saying “I have not been arrested or summoned [over the song].” With such a history about advocating for the rights and welfare of his people, it is now clear why Lucky Bosmic Otim is regarded as one of the most beloved sons of the northern region.

The inspiration behind Otim’s music

Bosmic, are you married?
Yes, I am with three children who are aged nine, six and two years.

Who is your biggest source of inspiration in music?
It is the late reggae artiste, Lucky Dube and Uganda singer Joseph Mayanja also known as Jose Chameleone. I love Chameleone because of his complete African style of singing.
On the other hand, I love Lucky Dube because he used to sing about bad leadership, corruption, governance as well as those who were suffering in his country. It is because of him that I started using Lucky as my third name. I began using it while still a teenager.

You got to where you are because of:
Hard work, perseverance and sacrifice.

Is there any event that has had a great impact in your life?
While I was studying senior one in Kitgum High School, I escaped to go and dance. On my way back to the school, I was abducted by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) rebels but I managed to escape unhurt that same night.

What is the weirdest thing a radio station DJ has ever told you?
One recently told me that my music was not selling because they were not in Luganda. Most of my songs are in English and Acholi.

Have you received any music awards so far?
Yes, I have. In 2007 and 2008, I was voted as the Best Artiste for the Northern region during the Pearl of Africa Music Awards. Both years were my happiest ones because of the appreciation my music was getting.

Christopher Opiyo Ateker: Risking his life for his people
It was in Gulu Town where I first saw Christopher Opiyo Ateker. This was during a hot Saturday afternoon.
The tall dark-skinned activist was making a presentation to a large group of women in town during an anti-corruption dialogue that was organised by Action Aid.
“Fighting corruption starts with you as an individual. By doing this, you are being model leaders in your community and this will therefore enable others to follow your example,” Ateker told the women. He also advised the women to impact model behaviour onto their children so that they can avoid mischievous actions.

During his speech, Ateker also pointed out the issues that were affecting the district such as disappearance of drugs from public health centres, the poor state of roads and the subsequent existence of ghost medical personnel and teachers.

The 37-year-old is the brain behind of Coordinator for Community Monitors (CCM), a community-based organisation that was formed to monitor government programmes and sensitise the locals about the role they need to play in curbing corruption. CCM, which operates in Gulu, Nwoya, Pader and Amuru districts, was formed in 2005 after Ateker realised that the service delivery in the district was poor.

“I just could not sit back and fold my hands and watch some of these shameful leaders in these districts use resources that are meant to cater for the needs of the members of the community to quench their own selfish desires and interests,” Ateker said during a one-on-one interview. “I had to do something about it and that is why CCM exists,” he adds.

Ateker says that one of the outstanding achievements of CCM in the recent years has been continuously intercepting stolen drugs from individuals.

In 2008, for instance,, CCM was tipped about two trucks that had been used to steal coartem drugs from Amuru store and was making its way to South Sudan. The vehicles were stopped before they could cross the border. Although the Amuru store man was arrested, Ateker says that the two other officials, the district health officer (DHO) and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the district who were accused of connivance were never questioned because the Resident State Attorney said that they had no case to answer.

The gains made
Some have not been lucky, however, to walk away scot-free. Ateker mentions a medical officer he personally tracked down recently with stolen drugs and is currently behind bars.
Besides the health centre, Ateker says that CCM also monitors funds that have been given by the central government to construct roads. He recalls an incident in 2009 when money was given to Amuru District local government to grade roads. The authorities concerned alleged that they had opened the roads but that was never the case.

“These people were claiming that they had constructed 12 roads and yet we were not seeing them,” Ateker explains.
He says the case was reported to the director of Ethics and Integrity, who then ordered for the arrest of the town clerk, treasury head and the engineer. The money was never recovered though.
Some of the perpetuators involved in these cases have previously tried to fight their way out by using bribes.

“Recently, some of the Acholi War Debt Claimants Association executive members were trying to bribe me with Shs40m so as to keep mum about their activities of swindling compensation funds for its members. But of course I refused their offer,” he explains.
The Acholi War Debt Claimants Association was formed by individuals who had lost family members and property during the insurgency. The government was giving them funds on a periodical basis as compensation.

Besides the bribes, he says that the other way those implicated in embezzlement cases have tried to silence him is by sending him threatening messages and also through personal confrontations.

Fighting on despite the hurdles
He says that this will, however, not stop him from advocating for a corrupt-free society.
“I am immune to corruption and that is why I am fighting so hard to see to it that it is kicked out of our society,” he states.

He says the biggest problem he says in this fight is that most of the jobs are decentralised.
“Individuals want to own jobs for the rest of their lives and by doing so, they use their powers for doing whatever they want,” he states. He says that the only solution to this problem is to hire local government staff only on contract basis.

Ateker uses mostly platforms such as public dialogues, workshops, community visits and talk shows to address issues that are affecting members of his community. He is for instance a regular panellist on the Tee Yat show that broadcasts every Saturday morning on Mega FM in Gulu town.

Ateker is clearly a determined man and although the fight he has is humongous, he is not about to give up any time soon.

Getting to know Opiyo Ateker a little more

With the kind of work that you do, do you really have that many friends?
I actually do not have many friends. They are very few. Most people keep their distance from me because they fear that I will investigate and expose them.
Are your movements restricted because of your work?
Yes, they are. You will never find me for instance walking during the night.
What is the strangest encounter that you have ever had with a stranger?
Recently, someone walked up to me and promised to end my life if I did not stop doing my sort of work.
Do you have any children?
Yes, I do four children with my lovely wife and they include twins aged 14, a boy aged eight and a girl aged five years.
In which schools did you attain your education?
I finished my P7 at Gulu Public Primary School, my S4 at Sir Samuel Baker College and my senior six at Lango College. I later joined Makekere University and studied for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and graduated in 1999.