Local leaders in Dokolo District have raised concern over corruption, nepotism, understaffing and limited resources, saying the challenges are weakening service delivery.
They said Dokolo, like the other eight districts in the Lango Sub-region, continues to struggle with governance and administrative gaps.
Mr David Adim, the Kwera LC3 chairperson, said corruption and nepotism remain major obstacles to effective local government operations in the district.
He said recruitment processes are sometimes abused to favour relatives of district officials.
“Even though a position is advertised, the district service commission (DSC) members will always want a relative to come in first, which is one of the biggest challenges we are experiencing here in Dokolo and elsewhere in the country,” Mr Adim said.
Leaders Raise Recruitment Concerns
Mr Adim said the alleged recruitment irregularities have contributed to the hiring of incompetent staff.
He also linked the problem to absenteeism among some local government workers.
According to him, some senior assistant secretaries and sub-county chiefs report to their duty stations only four times a month.
“So, we need to address the problem of nepotism and corruption. Corruption to the extent that if you are a doctor, they demand about Shs15 million from you [as a bribe for you to be recruited],” Mr Adim said.
He made the remarks during a capacity-building workshop organised by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance in Dokolo last Friday.
Technical Leaders Cite Funding and Staffing Gaps
Mr Alfred Ogwal, the Dokolo District planner, also acknowledged that corruption, understaffing and inadequate funding are affecting service delivery.
He spoke on behalf of technical leaders at the same workshop.
“It’s interesting for technocrats to talk of challenges of corruption as part of the challenges we are facing. But they were very careful not to mention that it is them practicing corruption, but it is a challenge which we see amidst us,” Mr Ogwal said.
He added that some new sub-counties lack proper office space.
In Kangai Sub-county, he said, some staff work under trees or operate from rented buildings.
Health Centres Operating With Few Staff
Local leaders also pointed to severe staffing shortages in health facilities.
They said new regulations require each health centre III to have 53 staff members.
However, some facilities reportedly operate with as few as six workers.
As a result, leaders said, only two staff members may remain at a facility to serve patients while others conduct field activities such as vaccination outreaches.
They warned that the shortage is placing pressure on health workers and affecting the quality of care available to residents.
Dokolo Became a District in 2006
Dokolo was carved out of Lira District and became an independent local government administrative unit on July 1, 2006.
Leaders now say the district needs stronger action against corruption, better recruitment practices and more staff to improve service delivery.