By Olomo Joshua
Kwania, Uganda | Leaders elected to Ayabi Town Council in Kwania District have officially assumed office for the 2026–2031 term amid growing calls to address poor infrastructure, insecurity, sanitation, and limited local revenue collection.
The swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected LCIII chairperson and councillors was conducted by officials from the Office of Kwania District Clerk to Council and the Chief Administrative Officer. The exercise formed part of the inauguration of leaders across the district’s 11 lower local governments following their victory in the recently concluded elections.
Presiding over the ceremony at Ayabi Sub-county and Ayabi Town Council, Kwania District Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and Commissioner for Oaths, Robert Okwanga Alem, cautioned the new leaders against viewing political office as a source of personal wealth.
Okwanga urged the councilors to focus on service delivery and development in their respective communities. He also revealed that the district would organize orientation sessions to guide the newly elected leaders on the operations of sub-county and town council administrations.
During the sitting, councillors elected the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Ayabi Town Council under the supervision of Kwania District Returning Officer Allan Rubaga.
Jasper Orech was elected speaker after defeating Denis Oceng in a ballot vote. Orech secured 10 votes while Oceng obtained five votes from the 18 councillors.
Following his swearing-in, Orech presided over the election of the Deputy Speaker. Juliet Alum emerged victorious with seven votes, defeating Rose Angom, who garnered six votes.
The speaker later gave room for the LCIII Chairperson to appoint members of the executive committee. Alfred Eria and Elder Councillors were appointed and approved, alongside other secretaries. Denis Oceng was appointed Secretary for Works and Technical Services, Allan Acura took the Education and Health docket, while Esther Akello was named Secretary for Finance, Planning, and Administration.
Ayabi Town Council LCIII Chairperson John Denis Ebuu, who was sworn in for a second term, pledged to complete stalled projects initiated during the previous administration. He also called for cooperation between technical staff and the political leadership to enhance service delivery.
Allan Acura, the male councillor for Ayabi Ward and Kwania District NRM Youth Chairperson, said his focus would be on formulating bylaws that strengthen cooperation between government and the community in implementing development programs.
Newly elected Speaker Jasper Orech pledged to promote unity among councilors and ensure that every member’s views are respected without discrimination. He further urged leaders to avoid partisan politics during council business and instead prioritize development.
Ayabi Town Clerk Dorcus Lillian Abwot highlighted lack of office space as one of the biggest challenges facing the newly created town council. She revealed that the council spends more than Shs800,000 every quarter on office rent.
Abwot said the outgoing leadership had already invested Shs6 million in the construction of an administration block currently at window level on the town council land. She added that another Shs8 million has been allocated in the next financial year to continue the project.
She appealed to the newly elected councilors to prioritize development projects in line with the Constitution of Uganda. Abwot also called upon the central government, NGOs, and development partners to support newly created lower local governments with administrative funding.
Residents including Geoffrey Alele of Atwar A, Simon Ogwal of Punuatar A, and Geoffrey Atim of Ayabi Trading Centre challenged the new leaders to prioritize road rehabilitation, sanitation, local revenue generation, and security.
The residents further called for strong bylaws to promote order and sustainable development within the town council.
