UGANDA: CITY ALL OVER DEVELOPED ON RESEARCH, GULU UNIVERSITY IS FOR THAT-GUNYA

Form Toronto City, to Gulu City with transformation investment

GULU CITY-JANUARY 19, 2026.

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Our Correspondent

On January 17, 2026 the curtain was open in Gulu City to Julius LaBeija Gunya meeting with 17 journalists from Northern Uganda Media Club at Forest Hill Manor own by Ojok Acii, Canadian based Prosecutor addressing media for need of developing Gulu City to become industrial hub as it sits on corridor of DR. Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Julius Labeja Gunya, an independent candidate began to address NUMEC journalists, by introducing himself. I was born and raised in Gulu City, my grandparent called Gunya, owned a Purudi restaurant.

I started my school at Gulu Public Primary School, later I joined St Joseph College Layibi, and finally I went to study Social Science at Makerere University. During my “O” level I worked at a Barber shop where I learned how to save hair in salons.

During my “A” level vocation I worked as a volunteer with Uganda Red Cross Society, after my graduation I worked with the Ministry of Education as peer trainer. Later I worked with Richard Todwong in the President Office, in 2014, I worked with Concordia University as Director of the Organization.

I challenged Concordia to change the program to promote Afforestation, in 2018, I moved to Canada where I worked as a Refugee program officer. My field work is to work for Refugees where I reigned. Because my focus is to work with Gulu City, even bird fly, but come back to rest.

While I was away in Canada, Gulu became a city, now I want to feel how a city looks for development. If its engagement with the Fourth Estate is my program. Gulu has a huge opportunity to instill our desire, what is our collective, what we are holding as building blocks, what foundation I offer myself to lead, then politicking, you all agree with me that there has been politics among the leaders.

My focus is centered among the people, I have vision, while my solution hunger is on that, what is my understanding to build the estate, with foundation. I bring this vision practical approach, I bring the ideas that originate with people, these ideas must be tapped, these ideas are robust prospection in all that we are going to do, it has a solution originated. We can really, people around I have this focus

First, smart and sustainability, smart has component about environmental, we can speak greening, when I talk about robust collection, we talk about Waste development when people talk about Taka Taka when I enter into the office, I want to meet how we need to talk about that because institution is power, without money you cannot live in the city.

Secondly, infrastructure development, what are building, our water channel is blocked, without sustainability we have to talk with the people, we talk about things that block development, and people build on the roads reserved in Gulu City, look at Ring Road is built as a highway, but there is no access root into the people home.

Safety and living in the city, there no living in a city which is not safe for the public, we are talking about the Gulu Regional Hospital which has incinerator at the back of hospital, where we have issues in residential areas and big Hotel, the likes of Kakanyero Hotel, and Bomah Hotel, are we not exposing our people in environmental pollution?

When we talk about meat in Gulu City, how about the cow which is sick being slaughtered to our community, food vendors being cock in the open in Gulu Main Market, the Sapati and roasted pox being served on metal steel wire along the roadside in open places.

“Let us talk about food science, there is no food in the world that is cock in the open public health, how about Mosquitoes that spread Malaria.”

We cannot be silly about those things, jubilance who live on the streets should have opportunity about their safe city life without people, we are all part of the building block, we need to save Gulu City as the adage says it takes the whole village to raise a child. We must have prosperity with money; my work speaks on those. Your life is built; our priority is to have water, Electricity, rent and clothing is money.

You find our girls standing on the streets, all about money, our old mother sent to sweep the road, they are not being paid. We have people who live necked, we have become of Uganda, people selling things, like medicine selling drugs which have expired, other things which are bad, the boda boda business, you find people buy motorcycles at UGX 10 million on loan.

I always says unless we begin to sell commodity produce like Soybean, Cassava, and started mass production of coffee, then we are okay, the 80 percent of goods in the market come from outside Acholi Sub Region, what are producing here in Northern Uganda, when you go Toro Fort Portal, they sell Tea, Ankole Sub Region they sell Milk and Meat, Busoga sub region they sell Sugar, and all goes on and on land we are the biggest issues, although we have it we are not buying from us.

We have a big market on food, the market is from the South of Uganda and Kenya, I am doing that to sell our product to the market, whatever, take place on January 22, 2026. Does not stop me.

Water, electricity and road are the issues here in Gulu City, we have to prioritize our priority, what are those resources do we have enough of power, and if we have industry, Gulu City has all power Hydroelectricity that should have more industry. Gulu University had the Cassava Industry, but where is the Cassava Industry now? But do we have it?

Gulu City sit in two major National Game Park, Kidepo National Game Park and Kabalega National Game Park, Gulu City has the biggest market, because our sister’s districts like Amuru, Pader, Kitgum, Omoro, Lamwo, Agago and Pakwach they are our opportunity, because they have the land. Success means unity to tackle corruption.

Acholi Sub Region has demonstrated in just January 15, 2026 polls, they voted for Acholi has line that is Acholi, when you talk the language, they have voted for Norbert Mao, the template Acholi has done the DP on Laroo-Pece East Division, Betty Aol Ocan the PFF, and Martin Ojara Mapenduzi the NRM in Bardege-Layibi West Division.

Should we treat our city on the level of international Cities, where is the deal, where is opportunity, when we talk about hospitals, we need people.

“My symbol is a table.” City all over developed on research, Gulu University is for that.