Lamwo district local government is set to recruit additional teachers and health workers following the allocation of shs1 billion in the financial year 2025/2026 to strengthen the district’s wage bill and improve service delivery in key public sectors.
District leaders say the funding comes at a critical time when many schools and health facilities are operating with limited staff, placing pressure on the existing workforce and affecting the quality of services offered to the community.
The LC5 chairperson, Oyet Sisto Ocen, confirmed the development and said the recruitment exercise will focus mainly on addressing shortages in the education and health departments.
According to Ocen, Lamwo district currently requires more than 1,000 additional personnel across both sectors to meet the growing demand for services in the rapidly expanding population.
“This support to the wage bill will enable the district to recruit more teachers and health workers who are urgently needed in our schools and health facilities,” Ocen said.
“For some time, our institutions have been operating with serious staffing gaps, and this has affected service delivery.”
He explained that many schools in the district are currently understaffed, forcing teachers to handle multiple classes and subjects, a situation that has made it difficult to maintain the desired standards of learning.
Similarly, health facilities have been struggling with inadequate medical personnel, with some centres operating with only a few health workers who must attend to large numbers of patients daily.
District officials believe the recruitment will significantly ease the burden on existing staff while improving efficiency in both sectors.
Erwondo Peter Fred, the Lamwo district secretary Education, health and community-based services say the shortage of teachers has contributed to overcrowded classrooms and limited attention to individual learners, which has in turn affected academic performance in some schools.
“With more teachers recruited, we expect a reduction in the teacher-to-pupil ratio and improved classroom management,” Erwondo noted. “This will also allow teachers to focus more on delivering quality lessons rather than being overwhelmed by excessive workloads.”
In the health sector, authorities say additional medical personnel will help strengthen healthcare services at government health centres, particularly in rural areas where access to medical care remains a challenge.
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Some facilities currently operate with minimal staff, leading to long waiting times for patients and delays in receiving treatment.
Okot Peter, the local council one chairperson in Padibe town council believes that recruiting more nurses, clinical officers, and other health workers will help improve patient care and reduce the strain on the few available staff.
Auma Monica, a resident of Padibe East sub-county, has welcomed the development, expressing hope that the new recruitment will help address some of the long-standing service delivery challenges in the district.
Several residents say the shortage of teachers and health workers has been a major concern, especially in remote areas where public institutions serve large populations.
“The recruitment of more staff will be a big relief to our schools and health centres,” said Auma. “Sometimes patients spend hours waiting to be attended to because there are very few health workers.”
Chuna Moses Kapolon, the Lamwo district Chief Administrative Officer has assured the public that the recruitment exercise will follow the established procedures under the public service system to ensure fairness, transparency, and merit-based selection.
He says vacancies will be advertised soon, allowing qualified candidates from across the country to apply for the available positions. The district leadership has also urged local professionals to take advantage of the opportunity and apply for the posts once they are announced.
Chuna expressed optimism that the recruitment will play a significant role in improving service delivery and enhancing the welfare of residents.
“We believe that once these positions are filled, the quality of education and healthcare as well as other sectors in Lamwo will improve,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure that our people have access to the services they deserve.”
As Lamwo prepares for the recruitment process, leaders say the additional wage support marks an important step toward strengthening the district’s public service system and addressing critical human resource gaps.
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