The Northern Uganda Filmmakers Association will honour Bishop Emeritus MacLeod Baker Ochola II of Kitgum Diocese at this year’s 2nd Edition of the Northern Uganda Film Awards.
According to Ojok Odong, the NUFA president, the retired Anglican Bishop of Kitgum Diocese will be honoured for his lifelong service to peacebuilding and oral storytelling.
“This year’s Honorary Award will be given to MacLeod Baker Ochola, Bishop Emeritus of Kitgum Diocese, for his lifelong service to peacebuilding and oral storytelling,” he told this blog.
Scheduled for May 2, 2026, at Acholi Inn Hotel under the theme _Stories that Redefine Us_, the event will bring together filmmakers and producers from West Nile, Acholi, Lango, and Karamoja (WALK), along with industry associations and partners.
The gathering seeks to deepen cross-border collaboration and explore opportunities to expand and strengthen the richness of the Greater North Region’s cinema.
Retired Bishop Ochola II hails from Madi Opei, Lamwo District. He is a teacher by profession. He attended Bishop Tucker Theological College, now Uganda Christian University, was ordained deacon in 1969 and priest in 1972.
He also studied at the University of Saskatchewan and obtained a Bachelor of Theology degree.
Prior to becoming the first bishop of the new Kitgum Diocese from 1995–2002, Rev. Ochola worked under the ecclesiastical Church Province of Uganda, including Burundi, Rwanda, Boga-Zaire, and later the Diocese of Northern Uganda. He is well known for his message of reconciliation and forgiveness.
There was no peace in Northern Uganda when he was enthroned as the new Bishop of Kitgum Diocese. His wife, Winifred Ochola, was killed in a landmine blast in 1997 in Kitgum.
Bishop Ochola became an advocate for peace in addition to his spiritual role. Together with other religious leaders in the Acholi sub-region, they formed the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), which became a powerful organization in negotiating peace between the Government of Uganda and the LRA rebels. He is described as the man who dedicated his life to restoring peace to Northern Uganda, and without him and his fellow leaders, Northern Uganda might not have the current peace and stability.
Bishop Ochola is very passionate about education. He loves to see the young generation educated. This is likely because of his background as a teacher.
