By Alele Ronald
OYAM DISTRICT, Uganda – With only months left before their term expires in May 2026, Abok Sub County Council has approved a UGX 146 Million budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, signaling a last-minute push to deliver on development promises.
In a move that caught many by surprise, the council also spent UGX 5 million on 15 bicycles for councillors, a purchase critics may question as terms wind down. However, outgoing leaders insist the focus remains on service delivery.
The bicycles were handed over shortly after the council unanimously passed the record budget, which prioritizes District Development Equalization Grant (DDEG) projects. Key allocations include road rehabilitation works and the construction of a temporary kitchen at Ariba Health Center—a facility long plagued by inadequate cooking and feeding spaces for patients.
Councilors defended the bicycle purchase as a practical measure to facilitate supervision of grassroots projects, especially in hard-to-reach villages where vehicles cannot access.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, outgoing LCIII Chairperson Phillips Ogile Jakayo issued a stern warning against corruption, diversion of funds, and shoddy project implementation.
“I will continue monitoring service delivery even after leaving office,” Jakayo said, reminding technocrats and incoming leaders that accountability does not end with a political term.
His remarks come amid growing public concern over stalled DDEG projects in neighboring sub-counties, where funds have previously been mismanaged.
The approved budget now awaits clearance from the Oyam District budget desk before implementation begins in July 2026. With the current council set to dissolve in less than a year, questions linger over whether the ambitious projects can be completed before the new administration takes over.
But Jakayo remained defiant: “We are not a lame-duck council. We are working until the final day.”
