More than 360 newly elected local government leaders in Namutumba District have begun their five-year term facing growing public demands for improved service delivery, better accountability and closer cooperation with technical staff.
A total of 368 lower local government leaders were sworn in this week across the district amid concerns over poor roads, inadequate healthcare services, limited education infrastructure and persistent tensions between politicians and civil servants.
Speaking after administering the oath of office, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Abdul Waweyo warned elected leaders against engaging in conflicts with technical officers, saying such disputes undermine service delivery and district operations.
“The drums of politics, propaganda and trading insults are over. We do not want to see offices becoming battlefields because someone wants to attract the loudest applause,” Waweyo said.
He urged politicians to focus on addressing community needs and maintaining a productive working relationship with government staff.
“If there is no good collaboration between technical officers and politicians, service delivery will not take place,” he said.
Waweyo reminded the leaders that they were accountable to voters and would be judged on their ability to deliver tangible results.
“People’s eyes are on you. We expect hard work, not fights with technical staff. You must prove that you deserve the trust that wananchi placed in you,” he added.
The officials sworn in include 20 sub-county chairpersons, 20 speakers, 20 deputy speakers, 20 vice-chairpersons and 22 committee chairpersons, among other local government leaders.
The elections further cemented the dominance of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the eastern Uganda district. Of the 20 elected sub-county chairpersons, 19 belong to the NRM, while only one, from Mazuba Sub-county, represents the National Unity Platform (NUP).
The outcome has prompted debate over the level of opposition representation in local governance structures.
Abdallah Kasalawo, a former Forum for Democratic Change parliamentary candidate for Busiki North Constituency, argued that the near absence of opposition voices could weaken oversight and accountability.
“Without dissenting voices to scrutinise budgets, procurement processes and government programmes, these councils may fail to effectively represent the interests of the people,” Kasalawo said.
He warned that councils dominated by a single political party risk becoming less effective in monitoring public expenditure and service delivery.
Residents, meanwhile, say they expect the new leaders to prioritise key development challenges that dominated the election campaign.
Peter Galimwifuba, a resident of Ivukula Sub-county and supporter of the National Unity Platform, said communities want action on roads, healthcare, education and youth unemployment.
He also challenged claims that politicians are largely responsible for disputes with technical staff.
“The Deputy CAO says politicians fight technical staff, but in many cases it is the technical officers who frustrate politicians,” Galimwifuba said.
According to local leaders, inadequate road funding, poor transport infrastructure, weak accountability systems and the lack of seed secondary schools and Health Centre IIIs remain among the district’s most pressing concerns.
Amuza Wamugere, the newly elected chairperson of Bugobi Sub-county, said poor infrastructure continues to affect access to essential services.
He noted that some students travel up to 14 kilometres to attend secondary school in neighbouring Butaleja District because the sub-county lacks a government seed secondary school.
“I have entered office, but my biggest challenge this term is inadequate road funding from the central government and poor healthcare services,” Wamugere said yesterday.
The new leaders now face the challenge of translating campaign promises into tangible improvements as residents demand better roads, schools, health facilities and greater accountability in the use of public resources.