For generations, Ajon, the treasured millet-based brew of the Iteso, has been more than alcohol. It has symbolized unity, storytelling, peace-making, and celebration.
But a cultural shift is underway in Soroti City and parts of Teso: people are no longer gathering around the traditional beer pot.
Instead, they are walking up to a machine, much like an ATM, and buying Ajon using coins or mobile money. Welcome to the era of the Ajon ATM.
In Soroti, customers can now visit modern outlets, select how many litres they want, pay instantly using coins or MoMo Pay, and collect Ajon in a bottle or jerrycan.
Some residents call it a “pack and go” lifestyle—Ajon is no longer limited to evening atem gatherings but can be taken to offices, watched with football games, or enjoyed privately at home.
Dr Merit Bosco, a university lecturer and one of the innovators, says the technology is meant to modernize and protect Teso culture.
“The template of the 19th century is not necessarily going to be the one we succeed with in the 21st century. This time, we need innovation backed by technology,” he explains.
While Teso has long been known for millet, sorghum, cassava, potatoes, and groundnuts, value addition has lagged. Bosco believes the region’s iconic product—Ajon—is the perfect starting point.
“We want to take it from the backyard… to supermarkets, and eventually to export.”
How the Ajon ATM Works
The machine operates using ICT logic control systems, dispensing Ajon in measured quantities:
- Customers select the amount of Ajon they need.
- Payment is made via coins or Mobile Money.
- The system translates payment into litres.
The system also allows remote monitoring.
“If I’m in Kampala, I can tell how much has been sold in Soroti by just sending a text to the SIM card,” Bosco says. Standardization, hygiene, and quality consistency are key goals.
At Nocti, one of the outlets hosting the Ajon ATM, manager Nova Talupo says community response has been overwhelming.
“From the moment we brought this machine in December, people come every day, and we have new customers.”
Customers can buy jerrycans to take home or drink from bottles and tumblers on-site. Jerrycans sell for Shs2,000 each, and the outlet has quickly become a landmark in Soroti City.
Hygiene and Safety
Beyond convenience, many customers highlight hygiene as the biggest advantage. Moses Egwanyu, a regular, says the ATM feels safer than traditional beer pots, where people shared tubes.
Cultural leaders note that diseases like Hepatitis B and COVID-19 changed drinking habits, making people cautious about group consumption.
The Iteso Cultural Union Minister for Information, Stephen Ojacor, says the Ajon ATM should be seen as complementing cultural identity, not replacing it.
He emphasizes that the drink is Ajon—not “Marwa”—and calls it a pillar of community life, historically used during first harvest celebrations, marriage ceremonies, hosting visitors, and peace-making gatherings.
Ojacor stresses that elders were the community’s “library,” passing wisdom to the youth during traditional atem evenings. While concerns exist about technology replacing these gatherings, he says modern systems can coexist with tradition.
Dr Bosco highlights the economic goal behind the Ajon ATM. Women dominate the processing of Ajon, while men are the main consumers.
The project aims to support farmers through better seed selection, direct purchase, and extension services—eliminating middlemen. Increased demand could significantly boost millet consumption in Uganda.
Infrastructure remains a challenge. The Awoja facility for mechanized processing struggles due to limited electricity. The team plans to develop solar-powered versions to expand service to rural areas.
If successful, Ajon could transition from a backyard brew to a fully standardized commercial product suitable for supermarkets and export.
Bosco believes disruptive technologies are essential to increasing productivity in Teso.
The Ajon ATM may look simple, but for Teso, it represents culture meeting technology, tradition meeting hygiene, and the beer pot meeting the digital economy.
As Soroti embraces this trend, Ajon is stepping into the modern world—one coin at a time.o do that next?