GULU CITY APPOINTS COUNCILLORS TO INSTITUTIONAL BOARDS AMID CALLS FOR SMOOTH TRANSITION

Gulu City first council sitting.

By Proscovia Achomo

Gulu

Gulu City Council has appointed councillors to represent the city on various institutional boards and committees in a move aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and service delivery. The appointments were made during the council’s first full sitting for the 2026/2027 financial year, chaired by Speaker Lambert Alex Akena.

Mayor Julius Peter Labeja said the deployment of councillors is intended to ensure that the city’s interests are effectively represented across key public institutions while improving oversight and accountability.

“The boards are responsible for governing schools, administering their property, managing funds raised through fundraising activities and promoting the welfare of the institutions,” Labeja said. He added that his office would immediately issue letters of introduction to the appointed councillors to facilitate their assumption of office.

Among the appointments, Christine Angeyo Olok, the female workers’ councillor, was assigned to Gulu High School, St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor and the University of the Sacred Heart Gulu.

Patrick Ojok Angela, the male councillor representing persons with disabilities, was appointed to St. Patrick’s College, Gulu Secondary School and Sir Samuel Baker School, while Geoffrey Ali, the councillor representing elderly men, will serve on the board of Gulu Army Secondary School.

Susan Acan, the female councillor for Laroo-Pece Central, will represent the council at Laroo Seed School and Ocer Campion Jesuit College, while Geoffrey Akena of Bardege-Layibi Division was appointed to Bishop Angelo Negri Girls School, Dr. Lucile Corti Science College and the East African Institute for Management Science (EAIMS).

Flavia Tracy Anena, the female councillor representing Laroo-Pece South, will serve on the boards of TASO Gulu Centre, Unyama National Teachers’ College and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).

Male Youth Councillor Daniel Rubangakene was appointed to Trinity College, the Northern Institute for Business Studies (NIBS), Gulu Institute of Health Sciences and the 4th Division Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), while Female Youth Councillor Vanessa Anyango will represent the city at Guisborn Christian High School, Nsamizi Institute, Nile Progressive School and Gulu Independence Hospital.

Other appointments include Morris Odong to Gulu University, Destiny College and Charity College; Caroline Adong Rose to Bishop Angelo Negri College, Gulu Horizon Secondary School and Gulu College Secondary School; Caroline Alarokoma to Gulu College of Health Sciences, St. John Paul II College, Lacor School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Lacor School of Laboratory Technology.

Concy Oyeki to St. Joseph’s College Layibi, St. Joseph’s Technical School, the Army Hospital and Pece Senior Secondary School; Evelyn Laker to Northern City High School, Sacred Heart Secondary School, Bright Valley Senior Secondary School and Graceland Senior Secondary School; and Lucy Aciro Anywar to Pope Francis Secondary School, Gulu Bethel Christian Secondary School and Gulu Core Primary Teachers’ College.

The appointments, however, sparked concerns among councillors over the continued presence of former council representatives on some institutional boards.

Patrick Ojok Angela male councillor who represents persons with disabilities said several institutions are still being represented by former councillors who are no longer accountable to Gulu City Council. He urged the Mayor to expedite the transition by formally introducing the newly appointed representatives. “In the previous council, we found former councillors still serving on some school boards despite no longer holding office. This creates confusion and affects accountability,” Ojok said.

Similar concerns were raised by Caroline Alarokoma, the councillor representing Laroo-Pece North, who said she recently attended the Annual General Meeting of Layibi College and found a former councillor still serving as the council’s representative.

According to Alarokoma, the former representative argued that he would continue serving until the expiry of his three-year term despite no longer being a councillor. “We need representatives who can report back to council because they remain accountable to the people who elected them,” she said.

Responding to the concerns, Mayor Labeja said the law is clear that membership on such boards ceases once a person no longer holds the office through which they were appointed.

He pledged that his office would issue formal introductory letters, citing the relevant legal provisions, to ensure the immediate implementation of the new appointments and a smooth transition.

Meanwhile, Daniel Rubangakene, the Youth Councillor for Gulu City and one of the newly appointed representatives to the 4th Division UPDF Committee, appealed to institutional boards to actively involve council representatives in their meetings.

Rubangakene said that although he had previously been appointed to the same committee in 2021, he was never invited to attend any meetings. “I hope this time we shall work together as a team. Whenever there is a board meeting, council representatives should receive invitations so that we can effectively perform our duties,” he said.

Speaker Lambert Alex Akena urged the newly appointed councillors to take their assignments seriously and regularly report back to the council on issues arising from the institutions they represent.

He reminded the councillors that they serve as the link between the council and the institutions and should ensure that the council remains informed about developments affecting service delivery.

The meeting also saw Mayor Labeja present Dr. Jackson Amone as a new member of the Gulu City Service Commission, bringing the commission to its full composition. The fully constituted commission is expected to strengthen human resource management and enhance public service delivery in Gulu City.