UGANDA: GULU CITY OFFICE ROW: PERMANENT SECRETARY QUESTIONS FIT FOR A MINISTER

Thank you very much. The Minister of Public Services is also in charge of quality assurance in other places we have been inspecting; we were met by overgrown grass surrounding officers’ premises. I hope this is not the case. The Acting PS for Local Government criticize Local Government and Gulu City Authorities.

“I hope Gulu City Mayor knows how many people are on the payrolls; some Cities did not want to tell us.”

The government, where are you? Who is the government? How do they receive the government? It is through you, the Local Government head of the department and District Services Commissioners sitting here, pointing at them while meeting Local Government Services Commissioners in Gulu on Saturday, 2nd October 2026. If we do what is expected of the government, if we do well to deliver the road infrastructure, we are accountable to the people.

In Acholi Sub Region, the government has neglected reconstruction of Gulu Airport, constructing Gulu, Omoro-Awere, Conner Kilak, Patonngo Adilang and Moroto road, denying Acholi Oil and Gas royalty, denying Acholi access to River Nile by creating Murchison National Park and the Apaa mayhem; are we accountable to the Acholi Sub Region?

First edition

GULU CITY-THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1^ST, 2026

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, (Uganda Correspondent)

On Thursday, September 1, tension rose at Gulu’s old District Council Hall when the Acting Permanent Secretary for the Local Government publicly questioned whether a better venue exists to host the visiting Minister of Public Service.

There was total darkness at Noon in Gulu City. On Thursday, September 1^st, there were usual big-mouth utterances and scoring from officials of the Public Services Ministry in Gulu City, as the Acting PS for the Local Government took the podium; she demanded to know if there is no better conference hall than hosting the Minister of Public Services in the old Gulu District Council.

“Is this the best place to host the Minister, suppose the Minister has something with his body, are there any other things better than this. Even if it’s painful, you can put the money into a facelift in this place.” The PS of the Local Government cited loopholes.

Thanks, you very much. The Minister of Public Services is also in charge of quality assurance; that is why we are inspecting the District Local Government. Where we have been going, the grass is long; I hope this is not the case here.

As we begin a new term of service, it is good to have a meeting with the head of Government, provided that the qualifications and quality are vested in the Ministry of Public Services. It further explains the management executive and term of service, we have the right arms of District Services Commissions and political heads.

Hon. Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, Minister for the General Duty, outlined the roles of the Public Services Local Government body, noting that we are here Ten-fold so that the technocrats deliver their services. The moment we create this report, the Acholi Sub Region is the most productive strategic tourism destination.

We want to connect the country both by air and on the ground, and in the future the country can connect to people.

The main theme of the Public Services Minister’s first-of-its-kind tour of Northern Uganda, which began in Arua City, Gulu City and Lira City, respectively, was to address the budget for FY 2027/2028.

“Full Monetisation of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialisation, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access”

Permanent Secretary of Public Services, Mrs. Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire. The stakeholder stressed that in order to achieve this strategy, the Government is implementing the Tenfold Growth Strategy, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), and the NRM manifesto for the period 2026 to 20231 by leveraging the ATMS and the enablers as indicated.

“The Local Revenue mobilization and management, Human Capital Development Program, Integrated Transport and Infrastructure Services Program, Urbanization and Housing, Tourism Development and Agro-Industrialization, Private Sector Development.

The Minister of Public Services, Hon. Gen. Katumba Wamala, warned that to achieve those ambitions, the Local Government bureaucracy, all the District Services Commissioners and the Gulu City Services Commissioner need to priorities mobilizing more domestic resources, improving expenditure efficiency further, building stronger partnerships with the private sector for Technology Transfer, and accessing private capital. Enforcing budget discipline and strict accountability of Public Resecures.

Gen. Katumba Wamala outlined that the objective of the Clinic Session, therefore, is to discuss the specific strategies in Local Government development plans that will contribute to the targeted Ten-fold growth strategy, services delivery enhancement in line with the Programme Implementation Action Plans (PIAPS).

The Chairperson shall be drawn from LC V Or Mayor, Resident District Commissioner (RDC), District/City Speaker; in the absence of any of these, the group Chairperson shall be a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), or Town or TC or CC. The Group Chairperson will appoint the theme, including the Secretary and group timekeeper from Local Government Participants in the group. (The Secretary will document the deliberations and agreed actions.)

Terms of reference for clinic sessions

The Minister of Public Services observed that the lead Ministries will take the lead in facilitating sessions and all other MDAs should co-facilitate the sessions as per distributions.

While assuring that the group will then discuss the opportunities and challenges to the achievement of the 10-fold growth and its enablers through the key drivers and the services delivery enhancement, with a focus on:

Existing policies, Clear articulation of some of the service delivery gaps, especially those relevant to LGs and within their functional assignment and funding; what are the opportunities that Local Governments can harness in FY 2027/28; outcomes from stakeholders’ discussions

The Minister, Gen Katumba Wamala, in a jokey mood on service delivery, insisted that the moment we create this rapport, Acholi Sub Region is the most productive strategic and tourism destination. Let me say, without talking, let me greet your neighbour. I don’t want some former MP for Aruu District, Minister Omony Ogaba Alfred, when Hon. Minister Ballam comes, he jumps over the wall because he fears accountability in Pader District Services.

“For the leadership of the Acholi Sub Region, I thank you too to come to this meeting as thank you for travelling all the way from the Lamwo District border, Uganda/Sudan, this meeting is part of normalization duty, change is part of life, when you are away from children make us active. Let’s accept the challenges we can solve.”

We went to Teso Sub Region, Bugisu Sub Region to enable you; it is important we work together with the community. If we don’t tell our people not to work, we shall be burying our heads in the sand.

For example, the new generation who called themselves Genzy the youth and people who are on WhatsApp 24/7 charting, and engaged in bating, including women, older generation and men who have given up themselves, men and women who have shunned production you go over them.

Don’t fight the system; we know he was put there. The Ballam is doing our work to stop the corrupt system in government.

Improve the by-law to allow forced labour; for those who do not work, even the Bible says those who do not work should not eat.

Exclusively, my grandmother used to tell, Owiny pud oceto ipoto, his son has gone to work, because you did not look after Goats and sheep, you are not supposed to eat Mangoes, core job like taking teetering goats, sweeping courtyards and bring fire work at home, to my grand Papa will not allow his sibling to looter around.

The Public Minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala, revealed that for the Education sector, Road sector and Ministry of Environment, clean water, you all know its implication; the Public Services somebody bought an education qualification from the University; you know it is fraud, then we are doomed.

If the public services position remains vacant, then the Minister of Public Services, Gen. Katumba Wamala, still wants to wait for his son or daughter to graduate and be recruited in those positions. This is why the government called for recruitment in public services. If someone did not apply, the public servants, without the Civil servants, the government does not deliver.

Let us turn around; at least from 2026-2031, dear leaders, we invite you all to know that the quality of services is the delivery. The Local Government Services have to deliver services to our mother down there at the grassroots. If you denied them. how did this 10-fold be delivered?

Gen. Katumba Wamala taunted Gulu City Mayor Julius Achire Labeja Gunya, based on vineyard sources, for denying Gulu City businessmen permission to host Oktoberfest 2026, when he refused to grant Kaunda Ground to host the event.

“I hope Gulu City Mayor knows how many people are on the payrolls; some Cities did not want to tell us.”

The government, where are you? Who is the government? How do they receive the government? It is through you, the Local Government head of the department and District Services Commissioners sitting here pointing at them while meeting Local Government Services Commissioners in Gulu On Saturday2end October 2026 . If we do what is expected of the government, if we do well to deliver the road infrastructure, we are accountable to the people.

In Acholi Sub Region, the government has neglected reconstruction of Gulu Airport, constructing Gulu, Omoro-Awere, Conner Kilak, Patonngo Adilang and Moroto road, denying Acholi Oil and Gas royalty, denying Acholi access to River Nile by creating Murchison National Park and the Apaa mayhem; are we accountable to the Acholi Sub Region?

Let us briefly discuss the functionality of government: if you don’t fulfil the role, you have to resign. Let us respect people every day; if the Health Centre III is not functional, it affects us.

If education is not functional, it affects us all. Do what you can to harmonies; tell us, executives, tell us why you clash with the government; our conduct on confidence affects us, Operation Wealth Creation OPM, Emeyooga, the issues of Inveraray Primary Education UPE, the government, what do they have on road network, if you don’t do it well.  Gen Katumba Wamala, the Public Services Minister, concluded.

Alfred Akena, the Pader District Local Government Chairman, while chairing the closing secession open up the question and answer to the Acholi Local Government leaders.

Ambrose Onroria, Gulu City Residence Commission, we know there are essential services, water, roads, and infrastructure networks, but people in Acholi Sub Region are the poorest according to the GDP poverty Index by UBOS, 2024, hunger in Northern Uganda: people are dying due to famine; 18 people have been reported to succumb to death in Agago District. What is your take?

Brothers are denying widows inheritance of the estates of their husbands; what is your take?

We want to promote the environment, and the question of investment acquiring building plan it takes years to approve. The investors and security officers sit on the file; we are managing resources; we should be transparent.

Gen. Katumba Wamala informed the meeting in Gulu District Council Hall that in one of the meetings, one of the sources said the Resident District Commissioner during the day, he harassed his Chief Administrative Officer CAO on the accountability, but in the night quietly he moves to the CAO house and says, forget what I was telling you give me money.

“CAO, talk to the District Chairman, RDC. You know our programs are transparent; the technical persons listen. Our Engineer, the CAO told the Water Engineer to transfer drilling water and move it to his area so that he can tell his people I brought water to you. And yet the Water Engineer found water not where the CAO wanted him to drill.

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