Lira District Leaders Urged to Deliver Transparent and Effective Services

Lira District, Uganda: Officials from the Office of the President have urged leaders in Lira district to prioritise teamwork, accountability, and citizen engagement in the delivery of public services.

The meeting was held by the Head of the RDC Secretariat and Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), of the Office of the President, Maj. Martha Asiimwe, alongside her deputy Rev. Sr. Dr. Mary Grace Akiror, brought together political, technical, religious, and civil society leaders in Lira to assess the impact of government programmes in the community. 

Maj. Asiimwe reinforced the call for collective responsibility and praised the improving security situation in Lira district, crediting local leadership for the stability.

“We operate directly under the Office of the President. Our work may seem political because it is anchored at the highest political level in the country but at its core, our mission is to mobilise citizens for better livelihoods,” she said.

“Tough times don’t last, but tough teams do. Government alone cannot do it. We need unity among technical officers, RDCs, and community members to make service delivery a reality,” Asiimwe noted.

She stressed that all arms of leadership, political, technical, and religious, must work in unison and communicate clearly with citizens.

Quoting Hosea 4:6, Maj. Asiimwe underscored the critical role of knowledge and information in development: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. We must guide, inform, and empower our communities to ensure they can benefit from government initiatives

“Delivering services without informing people is like pouring water into a container that no one drinks from. Information is not a luxury, it is part of the delivery itself,” she said.

Speaking during a mobilisation meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, Lt Col (Rtd) Ambako Kibrai, Senior Presidential Advisor on Mobilisation attached to the RDC Secretariat/ACU, expressed concern over persistent surcharges in schools, which he said contradict government policy on free primary and secondary education.

“The government pays for tuition, facilities, and learning materials. Parents are only expected to provide meals,” Kibrai said. “Yet we continue to see additional charges that burden families, undermining the spirit of Universal Primary and Secondary Education.”

Kibrai also highlighted gaps in the Education Management Information System (EMIS), which records initial enrolment but fails to track students throughout their education cycle. He cited a worrying statistic: We must reflect on the roles of parents, teachers, and local leaders in ensuring children stay in school,” he urged.

On health services, Kibrai acknowledged government efforts in supplying medicines but decried recurring stockouts in health centres.

“When medicines run out, health workers must communicate openly with patients. A lack of transparency only breeds frustration,” he said. He called for deeper grassroots mobilisation to raise awareness about primary healthcare and to rebuild public trust.

Dr. Akiror reminded attendees that the RDC Secretariat was established in 2018 by President Museveni not only to fight corruption but to monitor and improve service delivery.

“Today, we are focusing on service delivery not the anti-corruption arm. Our people are hungering for services, and it is our duty as stewards to ensure that every resource sent by government is put to the right use,” she said.

She challenged public servants to be present, committed, and accountable to citizens.

“Some officers vanish from duty but expect salaries at the end of the month. For what service exactly?” she questioned. 

“If a patient dies because a doctor was absent, who is responsible for that life lost? These are the hard truths we must confront,” 

For the betterment of service delivery in our country, the key issue is what are the levels our service delivery in our district and this should be a concern to all of us.

How productive are you? and, what is the legacy you are leaving, today you are in that office tomorrow you are not there, now for us we are not looking into that, let us check ourselves, how productive are you? That is the reason why we are here to awaken you for the benefit of our people and for the benefit of our country. 

The mobilisation meeting ended with a firm call to action for all stakeholders to put aside differences, avoid politicising challenges, and instead focus on practical solutions to improve service delivery for the benefit of all Ugandans.