Awich received the award during the school's Platinum Jubilee celebrations held under the theme, The Lion Roars.
The Order of the Lion is reserved for exceptional old boys whose contributions embody the values of Ntare School. Before this year's ceremony, the honour had been conferred on only a handful of alumni, including President Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and the late Eriya Kategaya.
Three more distinguished old boys joined the elite list this year: Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, Minister of Internal Affairs; Prof. Charles Kwesiga, Executive Director of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute and chairman of the Ntare School Board of Governors; and Maj (Rtd) Pollar Awich.
Awich, an old boy of Ntare School, served as a kadogo in the National Resistance Army before rising to the rank of Major in the UPDF. He later practised law and served as a United Nations human rights expert and judge in Geneva. He is currently the Director of External Affairs at the National Resistance Movement.
He has remained closely associated with his alma mater, serving twice as chairman of the Ntare School Old Boys Association and supporting initiatives that strengthened the Ntare fraternity, including Ntare School Rwanda.
Reflecting on the values that shaped his leadership, Awich once said President Museveni had been his greatest inspiration.
"President Museveni is my hero. I attended Ntare School, where I began to closely follow how he consistently acted above self," he said.
Congratulatory messages poured in after the award, with one admirer writing: "Congrats Director External Affairs NRM Maj. Rtd Awich Pollar upon this incredible award 'Order of the Lion' — your dedication and service mean a lot."
As Ntare School celebrates 70 years of nurturing leaders, Awich's induction into the Order of the Lion recognises a lifetime of service to the country and enduring commitment to the ideals of his former school.