On a sunny Thursday, May 21, 2026, Gifter Aber took the oath of allegiance and oath of office as the newly elected Mayor of Laroo-Pece City Division in Gulu City. The ceremony at the Division Headquarters drew a packed compound and cheers from supporters.
The inauguration was more than routine. Aber made history as the first elected female mayor in the Acholi sub-region.
A mother of four, she defeated veteran politicians Moses Abonga, former Division Chairperson of Laroo, and incumbent Geoffrey Otim in a hotly contested race. The NRM flag bearer secured 8,081 votes against Otim of the Democratic Party with 5,403 votes. Moses Abonga of the People’s Front for Freedom came last with 1,005 votes.
Her opponents had argued she lacked leadership experience. Aber rejected that view, saying her opponents had been in politics for years without delivering. ‘I am a better option considering the fact that my opponents have been in politics for a long time and have failed to deliver,’ she said.
Before running for mayor, Aber served as female youth councillor for Queens’ Ward.
In her maiden speech, she struck a reconciliatory tone. ‘The election was bitter, but it is time to move forward and deliver services to the citizens of Gulu City,’ she said.
Now in office, Aber says her priorities are fighting corruption and improving security. The challenges are immediate: solid waste management, insecurity, low revenue collection, and corruption.
Gulu City generates 130 tons of solid waste daily, but only 47% is collected and disposed of properly. With Gulu Main Market located in Laroo-Pece Division, garbage management is a pressing task. The market alone accounts for nearly 10% of the city’s refuse.
The city has only two garbage trucks, each traveling 12km daily to the Pabwo dumping site. A Shs 7.5 billion waste plant is nearing completion, but Aber says revenue collection must improve to sustain services.
The division projects Shs 2 billion in local revenue annually. About 40% of that goes to waste management, and Shs 300 million is spent each year managing waste in the central business district. Revenue leakage, however, remains a problem. ‘I will never condone corruption. Our revenue officers will be in trouble if they touch local revenue,’ Aber warned.
She also outlined how she plans to work: three days in the office and two days in the field monitoring government programmes.
Security is another urgent issue. Two days after her swearing-in, Chris Nyeko, a lab technician at Gulu University Health Centre IV, was killed by unknown assailants. His body was found on Laroo Road, about 500 metres from Gulu University Police Post.
Aber said she will meet security agencies to restore order. ‘This will not be a talk show. Results are what the people of the Laroo-Pece Division and Gulu City demand, and results are what we shall deliver,’ she said.
She has already begun meetings with police and UPDF leadership. In the last two months, Gulu City has seen a rise in homicides and gun-related violence. Since January, at least 10 people have been murdered in cases linked to shootings, domestic violence, and suicide.
Roads in the annexed areas also need urgent attention. Most are all-weather roads in poor condition. Lt Gen Charles Otema Awany, Commander of the Reserve Force, urged Aber to act. ‘Local investors would want to invest where the roads are in good condition. There is power and water. Therefore, you should make sure that roads are in good condition, there is electricity and water in the annexed areas,’ he said.
Currently, fewer than 20,000 people in Gulu City are connected to the national grid, and only 13,000 have access to clean water. Nearly 80% of road works have been funded by the World Bank and JICA, the Japanese development agency.
Roads earmarked for upgrade include Bro Elio, Okidi Dakamoi, Phillip Ojok, Mama Cave, Bishop Wani, Alex Ojera, Peter Abe, Princess, Louis Otika, Lower Churchill Drive, and Ben Ocan.
Since Gulu was elevated from municipality to city in July 2020, total road length has grown from 249.2 km to 482.3 km in four years.