Lamwo’s service delivery under fire as officials clash over staff commuting culture

Lamwo district is facing renewed scrutiny over its service delivery, with senior government officials trading blame over a persistent culture of staff commuting that critics say is undermining efficiency and accountability in public service.

The Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Vincent Mugenyi, has described Lamwo as one of the most “backward” districts in the Acholi sub-region, attributing its struggles to chronic absenteeism, late reporting, and weak enforcement of duty station requirements among civil servants.

Mugenyi made the remarks during a recent stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lamwo Resource Centre. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Spotlight Initiative, bringing together local leaders, technical staff, and development partners to assess governance and service delivery challenges.

At the centre of the debate is the long-standing practice of district staff commuting daily from neighbouring Kitgum district, located about 40 kilometres away.

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According to Mugenyi, the arrangement has significantly affected productivity and public trust in government institutions.

“Many staff report to work between 10:00am and 11:00am and begin leaving as early as 3:00pm or 4:00pm to catch transport back to Kitgum,” he said.

“You cannot expect quality service delivery from officers who spend a significant part of their day on the road. The people of Lamwo are the ones who suffer most.”

He argued that the commuting culture has entrenched a lack of commitment among some civil servants, with offices left unattended for hours and essential services delayed or disrupted.

Residents seeking healthcare, education support, or administrative services often face long waits or are forced to return home without assistance.

A preliminary report presented at the meeting further revealed that Lamwo district spends over shs240 million annually on fuel to facilitate staff movements between Kitgum and Lamwo.

Observers described the expenditure as unsustainable and poorly aligned with the district’s core mandate of delivering services to its population.

“This is money that could be redirected towards improving health facilities, schools, or water access,” Mugenyi noted. “Instead, it is being used to sustain a system that is clearly not working.”

However, district leaders have pushed back against the criticism, arguing that the situation is more complex and rooted in structural challenges beyond their immediate control.

Lamwo district chairperson, Oyet Sisto Ocen, recently acknowledged the problem but defended the district administration, citing a severe shortage of decent staff accommodation as a key driver of the commuting trend.

“We recognise that commuting affects service delivery, but we must also be realistic,” Ocen said. “We cannot compel staff to reside in the district when there is limited housing, poor access to social amenities, and inadequate infrastructure to support their families.”

He revealed that the district is exploring innovative solutions, including leasing out public land to private developers to construct affordable housing units for civil servants.

Such partnerships, he said, could provide a sustainable way to address the accommodation gap without placing excessive strain on the district budget.

Ocen also encouraged staff to consider relocating closer to their duty stations by renting in emerging urban centres such as Padibe town council and Lamwo town council, where housing options, though limited, are gradually expanding.

Adding a technical perspective, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Moses Chuna Kapolon admitted that the commuting culture has negatively impacted performance but cautioned against oversimplifying the issue.

“As the technical head of the district, I fully acknowledge that staff commuting affects efficiency and productivity,” Kapolon said. “However, this is a systemic challenge linked to infrastructure deficits, lack of housing, and limited social services such as schools and health facilities.”

Kapolon noted that while enforcement measures such as stricter attendance monitoring and supervision are being strengthened, they can only offer short-term relief. Long-term solutions, he argued, must focus on making Lamwo a more attractive and habitable place for public servants.

“We are engaging the central government and development partners to invest in staff accommodation and improve working conditions,” he said. “At the same time, we are reinforcing accountability mechanisms to ensure that those deployed here fulfil their responsibilities.”

The CAO added that efforts are underway to integrate staff housing into district development plans, alongside lobbying for increased funding to support infrastructure development.

Stakeholders at the meeting echoed the need for a balanced approach that combines enforcement with incentives. Some participants called for policy reforms that would require civil servants to reside within their duty stations, while others emphasised the importance of improving basic services to naturally attract workers to stay.

Development partners also underscored the broader implications of the issue, noting that similar challenges are affecting other newly created and rural districts across Uganda.

Without deliberate investment in infrastructure and human resource management, they warned, the goals of decentralization risk being undermined.

For residents of Lamwo, however, the debate is less about policy and more about everyday realities. Delays in accessing services, understaffed offices, and inconsistent service delivery continue to affect livelihoods and limit development opportunities.

Lamwo district finds itself at a critical crossroads caught between the urgency of improving service delivery and the structural limitations that have long hindered progress.

Whether ongoing efforts will translate into tangible change remains to be seen, but stakeholders agree that addressing the commuting culture is an essential step toward restoring efficiency, accountability, and public confidence in local governance.