The Mayor of Gulu City, Alfred Okwonga, has launched OKTOBERFEST 2026, which will run from October 3-12, 2026. The outgoing Mayor Okonma Alfred hurried to announce the Oktoberfest to avoid a political storm ahead of May 27, when his predecessor, Ochira Julius Labeja Gunya, would be in office.
“We are announcing that the Gulu City Oktoberfest event is open to new people. Gulu City Oktoberfest is partnered with Gulu City Rotary Club, a cultural institution and building on the achievement of Oktoberfest 2025. City Marathon, Mayor Motor rally, Acholi Traditional Cultural Gala. And the traditional cultural dances that are attached to 10 regions, including all food vendors, which had colourful Gulu City Oktoberfest events.
One woman who was selling porridge on the day when Gulu City Marathon runner took place, she sold 20 Jerrican, the price of a cup was UGX 500, but later she sold it at UGX 1000 and she got UGX 800,100 which to me it and hachement, we did not charge fees entrance to anyone because we wanted all the local businesses men in Gulu City and Ugandans to sell their good. That is the objective of Oktoberfest.
GULU CITY-WED. APRIL 29,2026
By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Uganda Correspondent.
Senior Counsel, Walter Okidi Ladwar, in an affirmative commanding voice, celebrated Oktoberfest 2025, an achievement that included how the Ghetto youth, both boys and girls, turned up to pick up waste at 5:00 AM local African time to avoid mischief.
“We were not prepared for the immense turnout of crowd numbers during the last Oktoberfest 2025, for example, on October 9, Independence Day celebration, the crowd that turned up overwhelmed us, we were surprised to see the Geto Boys and Girls turning up at dawn picking all the waste which was littering Kaunda ground to our bemusement. We had no budget for that activity of collecting waste.” Senior Counsel Walter Okidi Ladwar observed during a press conference at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City.
In Addition, the achievement we, the organizer, was proud of, which was feeding Mrs. Santa Obwoya of Gulu Catering Food Vendor, who cooked food that fed all our 10 different dances from the 20 regions. They even cooked food to feed all the securities agents who were minding crowds, feeding security people.
Today, as we launched the Gulu City Oktoberfest, we have partnered with Uganda Independent Motor Rally to participate in Gulu Oktoberfest 2026, part of the rally, one of the teams promoting and support Local economy, which we did.
From our own assessment of Gulu City Oktoberfest 2025, we have got UGX 1.4 billion from the local business’s men got from the sales of their products. We expect the German Ambassador to come and grace the Oktoberfest 2026.
Counsel Walter Okidi Ladwar insisted, when asked whether Mayor Alfred Okwonga, the outgoing Gulu City Mayor, in his absence, will make the end of Oktoberfest?
Counsel Walter Okidi Ladwar responded. “This Oktoberfest is not a political event and has nothing to do with whether whoever comes into the political scene does not matter. For clarity, Gulu Local Council did not give anyone a cone; that is, public funds have nothing to do with private business. This is not an event organised for political purposes.” The President of Gulu City Rotary Club is in a quarrel.
Elaborated, Gulu Mayor Alfred Okwonga traveled several times to Germany, but with not the funds from Gulu City, he traveled to Monic City in Germany, and the benefit for his advocacy Gulu City benefited from Water from Karuma servicing Gulu City, other benefits include Agwee waste landfill UGX 7.5 billion, this not personal project, to me Gulu City new leadership to write official of the office of Germany, Monic City to get such project.
The Representative of the Rotary Club, Olum Tonic Obita, the President of the Rotary Club, outlined the goal of the Rotary Club’s support for Oktoberfest; among others, it focuses on peacebuilding, prevention of communicable diseases like Malaria and Polio, and supporting the country’s economy.
President of Rotary Club, Mr. Olum Tonic Obita further stressed, Rotary Club focus on community development, citing that the Rotary Club supported the construction of Atiak Hospital recently and every yearly Rotary Club support runner of Cancer, polio before you. I am a Rotarian, before you pay your money to join the Rotary, we paid for Rotary cancer and polio money.
“Gulu City Rotary Club planned to plant 1 million trees. Layibi High, we offer them to set up the tree seedlings. We have trained over 30 women, our partner tailor for Africa. Rotary planned to have the Heart Institute in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. The Rotary Club is a friend of Gulu Community economic empowerment. Because of Oktoberfest 2025, there is a lady called Atim Dominic who has been empowered to work in Germany.” President Rotary Club Olum Tonic Obita stressed.
Additionally, for the first time, we have a leader of the Rotary Club in Gulu City. We are going to support this festivity, and we have appointed Walter Okidi Ladwar as our leader to head the Gulu City Oktoberfest. The Rotary Club increases the local economy and the number of tourists.
Gulu City Mayor, Okwonga Alfred, outlined his major achievement in the last Oktoberfest 2025, as the Gulu City Marathon, Gulu Cultural traditional dances that attracted both the local community within the Acholi Sub Region, and 10 regional cities, including Buganda in the central region and Mbarara City in the Southern Region.
The Mayor Okwonga also mention that other support is coming from Gulu Light Ray, tourism site the likes of Fort Patiko, Sir Samuel Baker’s Fort, Amuru Hot Spring, Guru Guru hill, Awere hill home to Joseph Kony, the former LRA warlord, Aruu falls, the Agago mountainous ranges including Acholi world dishes, the likes of Malakwang, Lamala, Akeyo, Lalar, Otigo Diri, Olel Toke, Lawinya Kic, Lawinya Moo Yaa, Nyuka Toke, Olel Toke, Boo Lagwok Otingo, and Boo Lapwori quick meals.
Mayor Alfred Okwonga implored that another key event will be motor rally sports activity participation in great occasions, where we have the best food items in the world, to showcase.
Heike Nesner, a German origin who now calls herself a local investor, having a piggery in Akonyibedo, 10 kilometers outskirt of Gulu City, greeted Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC), and encouraged everyone to come and grace the Oktoberfest 2026, come all, she insisted.
“We realised that we can promote the Oktoberfest as one of the organisers, people are asking when the next Oktoberfest will be.”
Sunil Taela, the Chairman of the Indian Community in Gulu City, who doubles as a Gulu City Rotary Club Member, was pertinent about the Gulu City Oktoberfest advisement says the community came particularly to sell their products without taxing them; this is a good economic opportunity for market vendors in Gulu City and the Acholi Sub Region.
“I want to thank those who came from far and near to participate, including Operation Wealth Creation from the Prime Minister’s Office, and the success of last year’s 2025 Oktoberfest, we are riding on it.
Remember, Germany suffered the two world war consequences years, and they rose up, and the Acholi Sub Region also suffered the Northern Uganda conflict for over two decades. If we are starting to build up our chartered economy, why not now fast from the ruins and partner with Germany?”
Gulu City Mayor Alfred Okwonga, in conclusion, says the Acholi Cultural Revival Rocco Paco have joined Gulu City Oktoberfest 2026. With good ideas of a noble cause
