UGANDA: FROM CULTURAL REVIVAL TO NUCLEAR GOVERNANCE TRANSFORMATIVE APPOINTMENT-PROF. KINERA OBWOYA SAM

“I thank, initiator of Rocco Paco, Amb. Olara Otunnu, and Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo Cihgamoi to work for them in Rocco Paco, Acholi Cultural Revival Imitative. I got a new appointment as Chairman of Uganda Atomic Energy as Uganda moves to develop Nucellar power energy in 2031.

To be appointed to this prestigious position of Chairman of Uganda Atomic Energy, you must be a trusted Ugandan, and the world must also place its trust in you

GULU CITY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025.

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Our Correspondent

(Monday December 8, 2025. Prof. Kinyera Obwoya Sam, made a record, Otigo matidi tyeko kwon theory, literally not the side of a Dog that determines the fight, the fight in Dog that determines the fight), to become Chairman of Uganda Atomic Energy.

Prof. Sam Obwoya Kinyera is a Ugandan academic and public figure with multifaceted leadership and socio-economic background. He is widely known for his role as the Executive Director of Rocco Paco, an Acholi cultural revival initiative aimed at restoring value, identity, education, community cohesion and socio-economic regeneration in Northern Uganda after decades of war and displacement.

Rocco Paco focuses on healing communities, reviving indigenous structure, and promoting socio-cultural development among the Acholi people

Prof. Kinyera Obwoya Sam, as he introduced himself during press briefing with Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC), mooted, I worked with Uganda National Planning, the Rocco Paco founding members and they asked me to write Acholi Strategic Development Framework, Amb Olara Otunnu asked me to be the Executive Director of Rocco Paco. We formed 16 members of Acholi to write the Acholi Development Strategic Plan.

Allowed me to work with Rocco Paco, for the last 40 years I have not been coming home, which I thought would be prudent for me to stay home, our home is in Akonyi Bedo, the outskirts east-north of Gulu City.

When I was appointed Chairperson of Atomic Energy Company, it was not a full-time job, but it was very sensitive. The Atomic Energy Uganda is developing is for a peaceful purpose, we want to have a Hydro plant by year 2031, the world wants all the regulations and Atomic Energy law put in place.

The major significantly, Atomic Energy also works in hospitals, Agricultural plants, the nuclear power for generation, we are going to have one of the kinds in this country, we have been having electric power and Solar energy.

That one has not been effective in giving the amount of energy to the consumers.

How nucellar energy is used in Agriculture, medicine processes and industries these are the nucellar. But in Africa there are very few countries that are building nucellar, Uganda is coming in January 2031. Ghana is not in operation, Egypt is not very far, the next country after South Africa is Egypt that will get their power through nucellar power.

The former UN Under Secretary for Children and Woman Conflict, Amb. Dr. Olara Otunnu praise Prof. Kinyera Obwoya Sam for working for Acholi Development Framework, of being the first Founder Executive Director of Rocco Paco, we release you to go and do national and international duty for Uganda and the world.

“To be Chairman of Uganda Atomic Energy, Uganda must have trust in you and the whole world must have trust in the person.” The former UN Under Secretary for Children and Woman Conflict, Amb. Olara Otunnu, registered his happiness as he stressed.

Roles of Atomic nuclear energy

Atomic energy, primarily through the use of radioisotopes and radiation technology, has diverse and impactful applications across agriculture, industry, and medicine. These applications range from improving crop yields and diagnosing diseases to ensuring structural integrity in engineering.

Atomic energy, primarily through the use of

radioisotopes and radiation technology, has diverse and impactful applications across agriculture, industry, and medicine. These applications range from improving crop yields and diagnosing diseases to ensuring structural integrity in engineering.

In Agriculture

Nuclear techniques play a significant role in enhancing food security and sustainable farming practices.

• Mutation Breeding: Radiation is used to induce genetic variations in crops, leading to new, improved varieties with desirable traits such as higher yield, early maturity, and increased tolerance to drought, salinity, and pests.
• Pest Control (Sterile Insect Technique): The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) involves mass-rearing and sterilizing male insects using gamma radiation before releasing them into pest-infested areas. These sterile males’ mate with wild females, producing no offspring and significantly reducing pest populations over time without the use of harmful pesticides.
• Soil and Water Management: Isotope tracing techniques, using isotopes like nitrogen-15 (N-15) and phosphorus-32 (P-32), help scientists understand how efficiently plants absorb water and fertilizer. This allows farmers to optimize fertilizer use, reduce waste, and minimize environmental contamination of water resources.
• Food Preservation (Irradiation): Ionizing radiation (gamma rays, X-rays, or electron beams) is used to treat food products to kill bacteria, parasites, and insects, extending shelf life, reducing foodborne illnesses, and facilitating the international trade of perishable goods like mangoes and spices.
• Animal Health and Productivity: Nuclear techniques assist in diagnosing and controlling animal diseases and improving livestock breeding programs to enhance productivity (e.g., increased milk yield).

In Industry

Radioisotopes and radiation technologies are extensively used for quality control, process monitoring, and material modification.

• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): Radiation (gamma rays and X-rays) is used to inspect the internal structure of materials and products, such as welds in pipelines, boilers, and aircraft parts, to detect flaws or cracks without causing any damage.
• Gauging and Process Control: Nucleonic gauges use sealed radioactive sources to measure and control various parameters in production lines without physical contact. Applications include measuring the thickness of paper, plastic films, and metal sheets, and monitoring liquid levels or material density in tanks and pipelines.
• Tracing and Leak Detection: Radiotracers are introduced into industrial processes to track material flow, mixing rates, and to locate leaks or blockages in complex systems or buried pipes in petrochemical and mineral processing plants.
• Material Modification: Radiation processing is used to modify the properties of materials, such as cross-linking polymers for heat-resistant wiring and cable, and vulcanizing rubber for improved products like surgical gloves.
• Environmental Applications: Electron beam technology is used in some coal-fired plants to treat flue gases by removing sulfur dioxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), producing a high-quality fertilizer as a byproduct.
• Sterilization: High-intensity gamma radiation is used on an industrial scale to sterilize single-use medical equipment and supplies, ensuring high sterility assurance and preventing the spread of infections in hospitals.

In Medicine

Nuclear energy plays a vital role in both diagnosing and treating diseases, a field known as nuclear medicine.

• Diagnosis (Nuclear Medicine Imaging): Patients are administered small amounts of radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) that accumulate in specific organs or tissues. Specialized cameras (SPECT and PET scanners) detect the emitted radiation to produce detailed images of organ function and structure. This helps in the early detection of diseases like cancer, heart conditions, and neurological disorders, often before structural changes are visible on other scans.
• Cancer Treatment (Radiation Therapy): High-energy radiation (X-rays, gamma rays, or charged particles) is used to precisely target and kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Teletherapy machines, often using Cobalt-60 sources, deliver external beam radiation, while brachytherapy involves placing a sealed radioactive source directly inside or near the tumor.
• Targeted Radionuclide Therapy: This therapeutic approach uses radiopharmaceuticals linked to cell-targeting molecules to deliver a high, localized dose of radiation directly to specific diseased cells, such as thyroid cells in hyperthyroidism treatment or cancer cells in targeted cancer therapies (e.g., Lutetium-177 for neuroendocrine tumors).
• Sterilization of Medical Equipment: As in industry, gamma radiation is widely used to sterilize disposable medical devices, surgical instruments, and implants, ensuring they are free from pathogens