SOROTI — The Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) Secretariat under the Office of the President has issued a stern warning to government officials in Soroti District over poor service delivery, cautioning that officials found responsible for mismanagement of government projects could face arrest.
The warning was issued on Friday, August 7, 2026, during a monitoring visit led by Dr. Sr. Mary Grace Akiror, Deputy Head of the RDC Secretariat and Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President.
The team inspected several government projects, including boreholes, schools, roads and health facilities, to assess the quality of work, project management and value for money.
The routine nationwide monitoring exercise comes against the backdrop of a national local government performance assessment that ranked Soroti District 158th, placing it among the lowest-performing local governments in service delivery.
Akiror said government officials must move beyond explanations and take concrete action to improve service delivery.
“We are reaching a point where discussions will cease; there are no more wake-up calls. We have taken enough time—now we must take action,” she said.
She urged public servants to demonstrate integrity, patriotism and commitment to their responsibilities, warning that failure to deliver government services would have consequences.
Akiror also challenged officials who were unable to improve performance to consider stepping aside, noting that decentralisation was intended to bring government services closer to the people.
“If you are unable to make a change, then perhaps you should consider resigning. Decentralization should bring you closer to the people, but if services aren’t improving, how will you be received in your village when your time in office ends?” she asked.
She further cautioned district leaders against frustrating Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) who are attempting to implement reforms, while protecting officials accused of corruption.
Akiror called on technical staff to critically assess their performance, identify weaknesses and ensure that government programmes are implemented efficiently, transparently and in accordance with established standards.
The monitoring team questioned the Shs88 million renovation project at Aminit Primary School over incomplete works and alleged poor workmanship.
Concerns were also raised over the Shs119 million Lira-Kamuda-Aboket road, which reportedly suffers from poor maintenance and inadequate equipment.
In Tubur Town Council, the team criticised a Shs459 million low-cost sealing project for failing to incorporate speed humps despite reports of frequent accidents along the road.
District officials attributed some of the challenges to inadequate funding, equipment shortages and staffing gaps.
Only three of the 12 departmental heads are reportedly holding substantive positions, while the health sector has only 24 percent of its approved positions filled.
Akiror warned that the period of repeated discussions and warnings was coming to an end, stressing that officials found responsible for mismanagement of public resources and projects could face enforcement action, including arrest.
The monitoring team urged district leaders and technical staff to strengthen accountability, project supervision, value-for-money assessments and overall service delivery.
Soroti District Chairperson Bob Owiny called on government officials to heed the warning and use the opportunity to address identified weaknesses before enforcement measures are taken.
Owiny said improved service delivery requires both political and technical leaders to take responsibility for their respective roles and ensure that government programmes and resources benefit the communities for which they are intended.
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