The State Minister for Teso Affairs, Dr. Clement Ongalo Obote, has urged local leaders and technical staff across the Teso sub-region to address the gaps hindering effective social service delivery.
The minister made his strong remarks during an assessment meeting on the 2023-2024 performance report held at Akello Hotel in Soroti City on Thursday.
The report, released by the Office of the Prime Minister, highlighted notable improvements compared to the previous one.
It focused on effective behavior, systems, and procedures to enhance local government administration and service delivery.
The best-performing districts in the Teso sub-region, according to the report, were Kumi Municipality, which scored 82 marks, followed by Kumi District with 72 marks, and Kalaki District with 71 marks. Other districts such as Katakwi, Amuria, Pallisa, Soroti, Ngora, Kaberamaido, Serere, Bukedea, Butebo, Kapelebyong, and Soroti City showed varying levels of performance, with Soroti City scoring the lowest at 41 marks.
Nathan Otutu, the Assistant Commissioner of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the results were based on the quality of services, efficiency, and management of government resources.
“Some technical staff have not been serious in their offices and have been over-delegating to junior staff, resulting in mistakes,” Otutu said.
Dr. Ongalo Obote warned local government duty bearers to prioritize the responsible use of government resources.
“I want to assure all local government officers that the government is now very strict and closely monitoring those idling in their offices. You need to step up and use resources effectively to serve the people,” he cautioned.
Stephen Ocola, the Chairman of Serere District Local Government, pointed out several challenges faced by local governments, including understaffing, inadequate machinery, and low funding.
These issues, he noted, continue to hinder the efficient delivery of services in the region.