Lamwo, Uganda | Authorities have raised concern over low compliance with wealth declaration requirements among public officers in Lamwo District, where only 21 per cent have updated their registers ahead of the 2026 declaration exercise.
The concern was highlighted by Dr Patricia Achan Okiria, Deputy Inspector General of Government at the Inspectorate of Government, during a sensitisation meeting with district officials in Kitgum District on Tuesday.
According to Dr Okiria, the district’s performance is significantly below expectations and contrasts sharply with Kitgum Municipality and Kitgum District, which both recorded 100 per cent compliance in updating their registers.
The register update is a mandatory requirement under the Leadership Code Act and serves as a prerequisite for participation in the April 2026 wealth declaration exercise.
The process requires all public officers paid from the government consolidated fund to declare their income, assets and liabilities.
Dr Okiria warned that failure to update the register may hinder participation in the electronic declaration system and could expose defaulters to legal sanctions.
She emphasised that wealth declaration is a key mechanism for promoting transparency and accountability in public service, as well as detecting corruption, including illicit enrichment and conflict of interest.
“Declaration helps build public trust and ensures that public offices are held in trust for the people,” she said.
Public officers are required to declare their wealth every five years, with the last exercise conducted in 2021. The upcoming exercise will be carried out online through the Inspectorate’s declaration system.
Dr Okiria further cautioned that non-compliance, false declarations, under-declaration, over-declaration, or anticipatory declaration where officials declare assets they do not own constitute breaches of the law and may attract penalties from the Leadership Code Tribunal, including fines, demotion, dismissal, or removal from office.
District leaders in Lamwo have now been tasked to urgently mobilise staff and support focal persons to ensure the registers are fully updated before the March 20 deadline.