Pallisa, Uganda | The political leadership that will drive affairs from 2026 to 2031 has been sworn in.
The Pallisa Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Areu Simon Peter, who presided over the function, assisted by Mr. Okia John, the Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, swore in Mr. Omalla Richard and the seventeen councillors.
Prior to the swearing-in, Mr. Okia advised the councillors to front service delivery rather than their personal gains.
“It is a common practice for leaders, while campaigning, to market themselves by listing community-touching issues, but when elected, they turn to demanding hefty allowances as opposed to service delivery,” Mr. Okia said.
In his keynote address, Mr. Areu challenged Omalla to commit to working with the technical team for better service delivery in a town earmarked for municipality status.
He also presided over the election of the Town Council Speaker, in which Hon. Okiria Jessy Max and his deputy, Christine Kaidu, were unanimously elected.
Mr. Aisu Jude, the Pallisa Town Clerk, handed over the instruments of power, which included office keys, a motorcycle, stamp, legal books, the Constitution, rules of procedure, and the Local Government Act, which the outgoing chairperson, Yusuf Zoomu, had been using.
Zoomu said he declined to contest because there was a conflict of interest, as his nephew, Hon. Ibrahim Aisu, MP for Pallisa County, was vying for political office.
“It was not right for the two of us from the same family to contest, as it would demonstrate greed for power. Aisu is the son of my elder brother, Hajji Aisu Ibrahim, and I am proud of the path our son has taken,” Zoomu said.
Turning to the newly inaugurated council, Zoomu asked Omalla to continue with the ongoing projects.
“I might have had issues in my leadership, and I am requesting forgiveness,” Zoomu said.
Hon. Omalla established his executive as follows: Abeja Betty as Vice Chairperson; Okurut Yonah for Finance, Planning and Administration; Okello Francis as Secretary for Works, Production and Technical Services; and Falarani Mudondo as Secretary for Social and Community-Based Services.
Hon. Omalla said the issue of tribalism remains a top topic of discussion in Pallisa, which people should jointly ignore so that the focus shifts to development.
Abdu Nasser Amed, one of the Muslim leaders in Pallisa, said Omalla had come into administration at a time when Pallisa needed a solution provider.
Nasser said the problem of the taxi park persists, as taxi operators have refused to use the park and instead prefer operating along the main roads of Tirinyi and Kumi.
“The vendors evicted from the streets during the implementation of trade order are also waiting to be guided on where they can operate from,” he said.
Mr. Olinga Lawrence of Kalaki Village, Kaucho Ward, said the Omalla administration should find land for a market and a garbage dumping site.
Yonah Okurut, the Secretary for Finance, Planning and Administration, lauded Omalla for appointing him to the executive.