Government Mandates 14-Day Handover for Outgoing Village and Parish Leaders

The Ministry of Local Government is enforcing a swift transition of power at the grassroots level, mandating that all newly elected Local Council (LC) 1 and LC2 leaders be sworn in and officially assume their duties within two weeks.

Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya issued a directive Friday, August 14, instructing Chief Administrative Officers and Town Clerks to oversee this process. The directive follows recent elections for Parish and Village Council leaders held on July 28 and August 10, respectively, which saw a mix of incumbents exiting and new representatives taking office.

Kumumanya emphasized the importance of a smooth handover for the continuity of public service delivery. Outgoing leaders are specifically required to transfer office stamps, official bicycles (where applicable), and all relevant office documents and records to their successors. These bicycles were initially procured in December 2021 to aid local leaders in monitoring government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).

This directive comes in response to reports of some former leaders refusing to vacate their positions, with incidents of missing stamps and documents reported. The Local Government Act, Cap. 138, mandates the ministry to provide guidance and monitoring to ensure compliance with the handover procedures.

Elections for local councils were conducted in over 70,000 villages and 10,000 parishes and wards nationwide, though some areas experienced disruptions due to violence. The Electoral Commission has indicated that it has received approximately 300 petitions related to the concluded LC1 elections.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-sets-14-day-deadline-for-outgoing-lc1-lc2-leaders-to-hand-over-5559506