Minister Lugolobi calls for action on staff absenteeism in local government

14 September 2026, 8:41 pm

By Dickens Aruca

The state minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Amos Lugolobi, has tasked political leaders and district stakeholders with strengthening supervision and addressing persistent staff absenteeism in local governments to improve service delivery.

Minister Lugolobi made the call on 14th September, 2026 while officially opening a two-day Local Government Budget Consultative Workshop for the Financial Year 2027/28 at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City.

The workshop, which started on Monday, September 14, and ends on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, aimed at identifying key service delivery challenges requiring urgent attention in local governments.

In his address, Lugolobi said persistent absenteeism among technical staff and some political leaders is one of the major factors undermining service delivery.

He noted that the absence of heads of departments from their offices affects the supervision and implementation of government programmes, ultimately denying citizens access to essential services.

Lugolobi urged heads of departments, Resident District Commissioners, district leaders and accounting officers to strengthen supervision and take appropriate action against staff who routinely absent themselves from duty.

The minister also cautioned district officials and other stakeholders against corruption, particularly during the implementation of government-funded projects.

He said corruption continues to undermine service delivery and called on local government leaders to ensure that public resources are properly utilised and translated into tangible improvements for communities.

Lugolobi said the government is continuing to expand resources allocated to local governments, but challenges remain in converting those resources into quality services for citizens.

The two-day consultation has brought together Chief Administrative Officers, heads of departments, RDCs, city and municipal mayors, district chairpersons, speakers and other local government stakeholders from several districts and municipalities, including Kole, Otuke, Kotido, Kabong and Apac.

The minister’s call underscores the need for stronger accountability, supervision and integrity within local governments if increased public funding is to result in better and more reliable services for communities.