Kitgum | Residents of Kitgum Municipality are urging State Minister for Water and Environment, Beatrice Atim Anywar, to prioritize the elevation of Kitgum to city status.
They also want Kitgum General Hospital elevated into a fully equipped regional referral facility. Anywar is seeking re-election for the 2026–2031 parliamentary term under the NRM ticket.
Anywar, who has served in leadership for over 15 years and recently received regional recognition as Acting Chairperson of the Nile Council of Ministers, is being pressed by voters to champion these long-standing development priorities.
These priorities, residents believe, will unlock the municipality’s socio-economic potential.
Speaking to voters in Pandwong Division, Anywar acknowledged that achieving city status remains one of Kitgum’s most pressing aspirations.
Ayella Jimmy George, an elder from Kitgum Municipality, said that city status would attract increased national funding, improve urban planning, and accelerate infrastructure development.
“Residents expect roads, sanitation systems, street lighting, and streamlined services to improve once Kitgum becomes a city,” he added.
Emmanuel Odongkara, a trader in Central Division, noted that city status would boost investor confidence and create more business opportunities for youth and women.
Equally urgent, residents say, is the upgrade of Kitgum General Hospital, which serves thousands from across the Acholi Sub-Region and neighboring South Sudan.
Thomas Ojok, the hospital administrator, recently highlighted the facility’s challenges, including limited diagnostic equipment, understaffing, and overcrowding, all of which compromise care.
“Transforming Kitgum General Hospital into a regional referral hospital is not a luxury; it is a necessity for saving lives,” Ojok said.
Adding that “It will expand specialized services, reduce referrals to Gulu and Kampala, and improve emergency response capacity.”
Olum David Gadaffi, a resident of Labongo Layamo Sub-County, voiced strong support for Anywar’s return to Parliament but with clear expectations.
“We appreciate her long service and the visibility she has brought to Kitgum nationally and regionally,” he said.
He further added that, “But this term, we want tangible progress. Kitgum deserves city status, and our hospital must be upgraded. These issues affect everyday life.”
David Oryem, a boda boda rider in Alango Cell, echoed the call, emphasizing the hospital’s overstretched capacity and the impact on patients. “If she can deliver on this, the whole district will benefit,” he said.
Anywar has previously highlighted infrastructure development, improved health services, access to clean water, and community empowerment as core agenda items.
As the 2026 elections approach, Kitgum voters are making their priorities clear: accelerated development, enhanced health services, and a stronger urban future.
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