Members of the Creative Industry during the media engagement regarding the SACCO support. Photos by Arnest Tumwesige
By Komakech Jimmy
Gulu: More than three decades ago, life in northern Uganda was reduced to fear and survival. Thousands of people were herded into camps or forced to flee their homes as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, unleashed one of the most brutal insurgencies the country has known.
Villages were razed, livestock looted, and families torn apart by killings, abductions and mutilations that left permanent scars on the region.
During those years, the sound of gunfire often drowned out the rhythms of everyday life. Rebels locally referred to as Lakwena-Adwii stalked communities, amputating limbs, beheading civilians and abducting children.
To imagine that, amid such horror, music and art could survive let alone become tools of resistance and healing seems almost impossible. Yet it was precisely in that darkness that northern Uganda’s creatives stepped forward.
Songs that carried hope through war
As bullets flew and communities scattered into the bush, a generation of musicians chose not silence, but song. Artists such as Joyce Bosmic Otim, Tam Noffy, David Cream, the late Black Angel, Pamella Peace Anena and others turned their voices into instruments of peace.
Their music carried messages of resilience, unity and survival, broadcast on radios and shared in whispered gatherings.
These songs did more than entertain. They warned communities, comforted the grieving and reminded people of their shared humanity.
In a time when formal peace messaging barely reached the grassroots, music became a moving archive of pain and hope one that crossed camp fences and ethnic divides.
Even after the guns fell silent, the role of creatives did not end. Musicians and performers continued to compose songs encouraging displaced families to return home, reclaim their land and rebuild livelihoods through farming and trade. Long before large reconstruction programmes took root, artists were already shaping narratives of recovery and coexistence.
Creativity after conflict: surviving without support
Despite their immense contribution to peacebuilding, northern Uganda’s artists largely operated without institutional support. As political tensions ebbed and flowed, creatives continued to document past violence and caution against renewed unrest through music, theatre, painting and storytelling often at their own expense.
An early attempt to unify voices under the Northern Uganda Musicians Association (NUMA) briefly offered hope. But internal challenges led to its eventual collapse, returning artists to fragmented, individual struggles.
Many survived by performing at social events, educating communities through edutainment, or juggling art with subsistence farming.
A turning point for the creative ecosystem
In early 2023, a renewed sense of possibility emerged. Recognising the power of creatives as agents of social cohesion, economic transformation and cultural preservation, leaders and stakeholders rallied to form a stronger, inclusive umbrella body: the WALK Creative Arts Foundation, bringing together artists from West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Karamoja.
The creative industry which as nine domains include the song writers, the musicians, the producers, fashionistas, publishers, DJ’s, and among others.
The initiative benefited from technical guidance and support from Sylvia Damalie Owori former Miss Uganda, fashion designer and Director of Operations at Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) working alongside renowned music promoter Solomon Aboda, popularly known as Solo Aboda.
Backed by the counsel and support of Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho (Rtd), the Chief Coordinator of OWC, the foundation sought to unify a previously divided sector around a shared vision.
The journey was not smooth. Opposition emerged, with critics questioning the foundation’s legitimacy and leadership. Social media platforms became battlegrounds of accusation and counter-accusation.
Yet, as public fatigue with infighting grew, WALK pressed on focusing on structure, accountability and service to its members.
In the absence of immediate funding, the foundation improvised. Artists were offered a free weekly live band platform Jam Sessions to keep talent visible and skills sharp. Members were also encouraged to pursue agriculture for sustainability, receiving maize and coffee seedlings under OWC.
A billion shillings and renewed hope
On the chilly morning of November 16, 2025, optimism filled the air in Gulu City. At the WALK Creative Arts Foundation offices along Airfield Road, journalists, artists and cultural advocates gathered for an announcement many had waited years to hear.
With visible relief, Simon Oyoo Nyigiling the General Secretary announced that the foundation had received UGX 1 billion from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to support the creative industry across the WALK regions. The room erupted in smiles some likening the moment to the Vatican’s white smoke, signalling a long-awaited breakthrough.
The funds will operate as a revolving SACCO-based facility, enabling registered members to access loans tied to savings and shares. While Oyoo described the amount as “a drop in the ocean,” he acknowledged it as a critical starting point. Loan disbursement is projected to begin in January 2026.
Chairperson Solomon Aboda described the grant as a long-overdue recognition of creatives as development partners. “This region has suffered for too long,” he said. “This support may not be everything we asked for, but it helps wipe away some of the tears as we continue to seek more funding.”
Women, inclusion and the future
Pamella Peace Anena, the Acholi sub-region chairperson, urged women across music, dance, crafts, design and visual arts to join the foundation, buy shares and secure economic independence.
Fellow executive member Amony Robin Mbabazi echoed the call alias Robi T, noting that women dominate many creative sectors yet remain underrepresented in decision-making.
With over 250 registered members and growing, WALK’s leaders emphasise that the billion shillings is not a handout but a revolving fund meant to grow through discipline, transparency and shared ownership.
Aim at Internal Growth
According to the World Bank’s 2018–2019 study and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), the Creative industry contributes an estimate of US$1.6 billion annually to Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product.
Godfrey Odoki Ocitti the Nwoya district commercial officer, advised leadership of the foundation to serve with oneness, ensure clear and up-to-date accountability to members to circumvent audit query and mistrust from the public. “Members should be availed with the Sacco’s’ guiding rules, regulations by law and public finance policy management guide,” he advised.
However, Odoki emphasized that if members want the Foundation to expand financially and support more members, they should prioritize purchasing shares since it will serve as a gateway to more loan offers .
