Kole, Uganda | Norman Destiny Ajwer Ocen, a community health worker and award-winning social impact leader, has announced his bid to contest for the position of Youth Councilor in Kole District in Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
Ocen, best known for winning the BBC Icon Challenge Award in 2017, says his campaign will focus on youth empowerment, girl-child education, vocational skills training and climate change awareness.
Running under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, Ocen is campaigning under the slogan “Tara A Bulu”, loosely translated as “Light For The Youth”.
He has promised to champion effective youth representation at the district level, particularly in advocating for economic projects and educational access for young people.
A trained medical professional, Ocen is the founder and CEO of Vision Bearer Life Spring Medical Centre in Lira. He also lectures at the John Fisher Institute of Health Sciences, where he trains nurses, midwives and medical records assistants.
His grassroots work includes the “One Pad for a Girl” campaign, which aims to improve menstrual health education and hygiene among school-age girls by teaching them how to make reusable sanitary pads.
The project has benefited hundreds of girls in underserved communities.
In addition to his work in health and education, Ocen is a long-time environmental advocate.
On his 12-acre farm, he has planted more than 100,000 trees to support reforestation and climate resilience in the region.
Ocen’s early public engagement began in the media. He hosted the popular “Sunday Missilany” programme on Unity FM in Lira and credits his time in radio with shaping his communication skills and passion for youth engagement.
He is also a published writer and poet, known for his book “The Forceful Arrival” and an upcoming poetry collection titled “Whispers of the Tales of My Mind.”
Uganda’s general elections are scheduled for 2026, and observers say Ocen’s candidacy is likely to appeal to a growing youth electorate in Kole District.
