A total of 31 newly elected leaders in Madi-Okollo District have been sworn into office, alongside re-elected Local Council Five Chairperson Ismail Drabe Adirisi, amid heightened expectations from residents and development partners.
The ceremony, held at the district headquarters on Tuesday, was presided over by the Chief Magistrate of Arua, Conrad Obol Oroya, who urged the new leaders to uphold integrity and avoid corruption in public service.
“You were elected to serve the people and not yourselves. Be accessible to the communities, work with integrity and avoid corrupt practices that undermine service delivery,” Oroya said.
He reminded the leaders that public office carries the responsibility of improving livelihoods and strengthening development outcomes across the district.
Madi-Okollo District, with a population of about 223,000 people, hosts more than 70,000 refugees, placing significant pressure on health care, education, water, and road infrastructure.
Chief Administrative Officer Bruno Nawoya said the district is already feeling the impact of reduced donor funding for refugee support programmes, which has strained essential services.
“We are facing challenges because donor support to refugee operations has drastically reduced. The district has also received an incomplete set of road equipment, while staffing gaps in the health and education sectors remain a serious concern,” Nawoya said.
He expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between political leaders, technical staff, and development partners would help improve service delivery.
Residents who attended the ceremony urged the new leadership to prioritize health care, education, agriculture, and infrastructure development, while also expanding youth and women empowerment programmes.
Outgoing Member of Parliament for Lower Madi County, Ronald Afidra Olema, encouraged leaders to work closely with technical teams to ensure effective planning and implementation of government programmes.
He noted that sustained cooperation between political and technical leadership is key to improving public service delivery in the district.
The new leadership now faces the challenge of balancing the needs of both host communities and refugee populations while addressing gaps in infrastructure and social services.
