New LC I leaders celebrate victories as handover begins

29 July 2026, 7:50 am

By Geoffrey Okwong

Newly elected Local Council I (LC I) chairpersons across Pader District on Tuesday began assuming office after receiving handovers from their predecessors following the nationwide LC I elections.

The peaceful transitions saw outgoing leaders hand over office stamps, records and pending cases to the newly elected chairpersons, who pledged to provide accountable leadership and work with residents to improve their communities.

The handover exercise began in several villages shortly after the declaration of results, with supporters celebrating the election of their preferred candidates.

In Lagwai Zone A Cell, Lagwai Parish, two candidates contested for the LC I chairperson position, with Galileo Oyet, a retired primary school head teacher, defeating the incumbent, Charles Walumbe, by 101 votes to 20.

Earlier, two other candidates, Beatrice Anek and Bosco Abwola, withdrew from the race in support of the retired educationist. Of the 156 registered voters in the village, 121 participated in the election.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, outgoing chairperson Charles Walumbe presented his handover report and officially surrendered the office stamp in the presence of residents, saying it had been an honour and privilege to serve the people of Lagwai Zone A.

In his report, Walumbe briefed the incoming chairperson about two pending cases—a phone theft case and a dispute over the property of the late Nyeko—which remained unresolved before his office.

Speaking after the elections, Beatrice Anek, popularly known as “God Alone”, said that although she had been duly nominated to contest for the LC I chairperson position, she decided to step down in favour of Galileo Oyet because she believed he was more competent and experienced to lead the village.

Meanwhile, there was also jubilation in Lagwai Zone B Cell, Lagwai East, where residents retained their leaders with decisive victories, demonstrating continued confidence in their leadership.

In the LC I chairperson race, Gon Oola was re-elected after securing 134 votes against his challenger John Okidi Lapyem, who received 84 votes. A total of 279 voters were registered for the election in the village.

The election process in Lagwai East was briefly disrupted after some residents whose names could not be verified on the voters’ register attempted to join the voting lines. Police officers intervened to restore order, allowing the exercise to continue peacefully to its conclusion.

In another contest in Lagwai Zone B, the incumbent chairperson, Santo Oding, retained his seat after securing 64 votes. His challengers, Bosco Oryema Odija and Patrick Okot Lumumba, received 20 and five votes respectively.

Addressing supporters during a victory procession, Oding thanked residents for renewing their confidence in his leadership and pledged to continue working with all members of the community, regardless of whom they supported during the election. He called for unity and collective efforts towards the development of Lagwai Zone B.

Oding, who appointed a retired primary school head teacher as his vice chairperson, said such leaders bring valuable knowledge, experience and leadership skills gained from managing institutions such as schools, which he believes will improve service delivery in the village.

He also cautioned residents against promoting division within the community and pledged to continue fighting alcoholism, excessive drinking and drug abuse, saying these social challenges continue to hinder development in Lagwai.

In Ogwaleng Valley Cell, Luna Parish, the incumbent chairperson, George Oyete Kagwa, secured nine votes, while Abibu Afuna Adula emerged victorious with 110 votes. Sydonia Aryemo came third with 58 votes.

Speaking after his victory, Abibu thanked residents of Ogwaleng Valley for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the village.

He urged residents to remain united and work together to transform their community, saying the election period was over and the focus should now shift to development.

Abibu also pledged to strengthen coordination between village leadership and higher levels of government to ensure community concerns are effectively addressed.

Commenting on the elections in Lunyiri Sub-county, LC III Chairperson Charles Odongtoo described the exercise as free and fair, saying he had not received any reports of malpractice or major incidents across the sub-county.