Apac, Kwania and Oyam leaders given one week to report climate challenges

26 August 2026, 6:02 pm

By Ogolo Ian Smith

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change, Hon. Bagiire Aggrey Henry, has given leaders in Apac, Kwania and Oyam districts one week to submit written reports detailing the challenges caused by climate change and proposed solutions.

Bagiire, who is the MP for Bunya West in Mayuge District, issued the directive on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, during a meeting with district leaders at the Apac District Council Hall.

The reports are expected to provide evidence to support the districts’ requests for government intervention in addressing the effects of climate change.

The concerns were presented by Alex Felix Majeme, the Chief Administrative Officer of Oyam District; Robert Okwanga Alemo, the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer of Kwania District; and Janet Odongo, the Principal Assistant Secretary, who represented the Chief Administrative Officer of Apac District.

The officials outlined the effects of climate change and the challenges communities are facing in their respective districts.

Members of Parliament from the affected areas also called on district leaders to strengthen and enforce local laws and regulations aimed at addressing climate change and its effects on communities.

The MPs included Kwania County MP James Ongu Tarr, Dokolo North MP James Jones Ogwal and Apac District Woman MP Betty Awori Engola.

The legislators urged district authorities to develop and enforce appropriate laws and regulations to address climate change-related challenges in their respective areas.

Meanwhile, Apac District LCV Chairperson, Ambrose Agec Opio, said climate change had disrupted access to education and healthcare services in the district.

Opio said flooding and the poor state of roads had made it difficult for learners to access schools and residents to reach health facilities, affecting the delivery of essential services.

He called on the government to support the district in addressing the effects of climate change, particularly flooding and impassable roads.

Dokolo South MP Vincent Opito said Apac was the first district visited by the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change as part of its assessment of the effects of climate change.

Opito said the committee had visited Igoti Primary School, health facilities and roads in the district to assess the impact of climate change on education, healthcare and road infrastructure.

He said the findings from the committee’s assessment, together with the challenges raised by district leaders, would be presented to the 12th Parliament for consideration and possible intervention.

The Resident District Commissioner of Apac, Andrew Onyuk, called on the committee to support the acquisition of equipment capable of measuring and forecasting climate conditions.

Onyuk said unpredictable weather patterns had negatively affected farmers, making it difficult for them to plan agricultural activities and respond to changing weather conditions.

He said reliable climate information and forecasting equipment would help farmers prepare for changing weather patterns and reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture.

The Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change is spending three days in the Lango sub-region assessing the effects of climate change across the districts.

The assessment is intended to enable the committee to gather first-hand information on the challenges affecting communities and identify possible interventions for presentation to Parliament.

The meeting brought together about 30 Members of Parliament, Chief Administrative Officers, environmental officers, District Health Officers and other district leaders from Apac, Kwania and Oyam.

The meeting was convened to gather information on climate change-related challenges affecting communities in the three districts and identify possible solutions and interventions.