Thomas Ogwal Ochol, a Catechist of St. Philips Church of Uganda Gwengabara where the accident happened, says that they managed to secure church properties and ensured that no one got caught in the fire.
Okello Sharon Nagenjwa, the NUWEBIZ Foundation Executive Director explained that most youths are still unemployed despite having acquired skills due to lack of equipment, working space, business skills and start up materials or capital.
Nancy Comprehensive School for the Deaf, established nearly 20 years ago with support from the community and a lady named Nancy, is still awaiting full government support.
Lawrence Egole, the Resident City Commissioner, said the number of casualties is yet to be confirmed but search and rescue team are combing all corners to ensure that one body is left under.
Jimmy Angole, the Division’s Clerk explained that although the division has equipment’s and personnel to handle solid waste, garbage management is still a huge challenge and that is why the division is considering contracting it out.
In previous council sittings, councilors rejected the proposed appointees to the area land committees, citing concerns over the nominees' competence and the legality of instituting the committees.
Early this month, Lira City Town Clerk Theophilus Tibihika issued an ultimatum of April 1, 2023, asking all dealers to relocate to the timber yard located in Railways Quarters A in East Division, next to the Airstrip. The letter further stated that anybody found operating in the City Centre after April 1, shall be reprimanded.
Brian Matsiko, the ICT Officer in charge of the Uganda Driver Licensing System at the Ministry explained that the mobile centre will only operate for a short while as the ministry organizes to set up a permanent centre in Lira.
Jasper Abura, the Lira City Education Officer, says that the City received 900 million Shillings in this financial year 2022/2023 for the works and the contractor is already on the ground.
The businessmen are concerned that the slow speed of work will continue to affect their businesses because the volume of work left is much and the disruption will cause them enormous losses. They are also deeply suspicious of the quality of work as the materials being used especially on bridges are visibly substandard and as a result, there work is shoddy.
Several classrooms at the school are already condemned and are on the verge of collapsing, yet the others, which were constructed in recent years have been turned into offices for both teaching and non-teaching staff whose administration block was burnt during a students' strike in 2017.
Sam Atul, the Lira City Mayor says that they have failed to raise the projected Shillings 400m from land-related fees due to the absence of functional Area Land Committees in the two divisions.
According to the Local Government Act, City councilors are entitled to a monthly allowance (ex- gratia) of 250,000 Shillings, while the City Division councilors 175,000 Shillings and 35,000 Shillings for Town Council and Municipal Division Chairpersons.
George Okello Ayo, the Mayor of Lira City East Division, says that the ignorance about the system forced many people to shun it, which affected revenue collection.
