The Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change has rejected the climate change report submitted by the leaders of Lira District Local Government.

The committee has conditionally directed the district leadership to resubmit a comprehensive report, detailing the challenges and proposed solutions affecting climate change and environmental management across the entire district.

Lira district authorities have been given upto September 2, 2026, for retabling the report.

Addressing the district leaders on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Lira District Council Hall in Lira City, Bagiire Aggrey Henry, MP for Bunya West in Mayuge district and chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change, explained that under Rule 192 of the Parliament Rules of Procedure, the committee is mandated to scrutinise all bills presented before Parliament relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

He added that the committee coordinates parliamentary activities on climate change, makes recommendations on legal and decision-making mechanisms, oversees the implementation of climate-smart practices in both public and private sectors, and monitors technology and co-transfer efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Chairperson Aggrey stated that the committee’s tour of the Lango sub-region, which will last one week, is intended to oversee the roles and effects of climate change, particularly at the local government level.

He emphasised that the team aims to assess how district authorities are utilising funds allocated by the central government for climate change interventions.

The committee chairperson also noted that their broader objective is to ensure that communities at all levels—from the village, parish, and sub-county up to the district—are adequately sensitized on climate matters.

In particular, he pointed out a critical challenge at River Aswa, where local communities have excavated sand, leading to severe flooding in the area.

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The committee called for increased community sensitisation on the effects of climate change and urged the enactment and enforcement of local by-laws to protect the environment.

The MPs further tasked the Lira district leaders to document all raised concerns in writing and submit them to the committee within one week, to serve as evidence for presentation in Parliament. He also specifically urged the leaders to establish by-laws that would reinforce environmental protection measures.

The committee’s rejection of the initial report followed a presentation by Walter Ocen, the District Environment Officer and acting Senior Water Officer for Lira.

In his submission, Ocen highlighted how the district, in collaboration with the NEMA Lira branch, has been sensitising local communities on recognising changes in rainfall patterns, dry spells, flooding, and degradation affecting households in critical sectors such as agriculture, wetlands, forests, water resources, and land.

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According to Ocen, Lira district has over 916 swamps. He cited that the major wetland systems under pressure include Okole in Aromo sub-county, and the 25-kilometer demarcated wetland in Barr sub-county, which is already completed.

He also identified a critical section requiring restoration at Akalacero, as well as community-dependent wetland systems in Ayami sub-county.

Ocen added that the district is increasingly experiencing environmental and climate stresses that are adversely affecting communities and public infrastructure.

Reacting to the report, Maria Gorretti Ajilo, Woman Member of Parliament for Kalaki district, commended the people of Lira for maintaining bush cover, which she said indicates that local leaders are consistently sensitising communities on environmental management and adaptation measures.

She contrasted this with the situation in Apac, where all bushes have disappeared. However, she urged Lira leaders to enact by-laws to guide enforcement, noting that what they observed on the ground did not fully align with the content of the report presented.

Moses Attan Okia, MP for Soroti East, stated that among the six key issues under consideration, one of the most critical is the implementation of climate-smart projects.

He reiterated that the committee’s tour is meant to help local governments secure the support they deserve from the Ministry of Water and Environment and other relevant departments.

Okia appealed to the leaders not to conceal any challenges the district is facing regarding climate change, as open disclosure would enable more effective adaptation measures to benefit local communities.

Muzad Khemis, Member of Parliament for Arua Central City Division, requested that Lira district leaders begin arresting drivers and impounding vehicles involved in illegal sand mining as a step toward addressing environmental degradation.

He further urged them to devise alternative strategies for implementing wetland protection measures, in order to avoid outbreaks of water-borne and vector-borne diseases. He also stressed the need for continued community sensitization on flooding and degradation.

Dokolo North MP Jones Ogwal also acknowledged the Lira district leaders for having a District Climate Action Plan, which he noted is a step ahead of districts like Apac, Oyam, and Kwania.

However, he criticised the report as “inaccurate”, pointing out that many critical issues were missing.

He observed that the problems outlined in the oral presentation did not match the written document, lacked facts and evidence, and failed to align with the objectives of the meeting.

MP Ogwal said what the committee observed in the field bore no resemblance to what had been presented in the report.