Lamwo District Chairperson Sisto Oyet Ocen is yet to constitute his executive committee after councilors failed to approve his nominee for vice chairperson during the inaugural council sitting held on May 21. Ocen said his preferred candidate, former vice chairperson David Odongmadiki, failed to secure the two-thirds majority required under the Local Governments Act.
According to Ocen, Odongmadiki received support from 21 councilors but fell short of the threshold in the 42-member council. “The law requires that the vice chairperson be approved by a two-thirds majority of the council. Twenty-one councilors supported him, but he missed the required number of votes,” Ocen said.
He questioned the rejection, arguing that councilors did not provide formal reasons for opposing the nominee. “The Local Governments Act provides that where a nominee is rejected, reasons should be given. Odongmadiki has the required academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s degree, and no specific allegations of corruption or incompetence were raised during the proceedings,” he added.
Ocen attributed the stalemate partly to divisions that emerged during the election of the district speaker, which initially ended in a 21–21 tie before a rerun produced a winner by a single vote. He said an emergency council meeting would be convened within a week to complete the formation of the district executive.
“We had already gone past midnight and could not continue. We shall call an emergency meeting and constitute the executive,” he said. However, some councilors maintained that the rejection was based strictly on legal requirements, not personal differences. Justine Owor, the District Councilor for Palabek Town Council, said he opposed the nomination because the candidate failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
“The law is clear that the vice chairperson must obtain a two-thirds majority of the council. When voting was conducted, the nominee did not attain the required votes and therefore could not be approved,” Owor said.He added that the chairperson had been allowed to nominate another candidate but declined. Owor also cited concerns over Odongmadiki’s previous tenure, alleging poor performance and weak service delivery. He said councilors are compiling formal reasons for their rejection, which will be presented at the next council sitting. If the chairperson insists on re-nominating Odongmadiki, they will petition the Ministry of Local Government.
James Ochola, representing Palabek Nyimur Sub-county, argued that the matter was not a rejection by the council but a failure by the nominee to meet the legal threshold. “Council followed the law. The nominee did not obtain the required two-thirds majority. It is not about personal disagreements; it is about compliance with the law,” Ochola said.
He further accused district leaders of procedural lapses during the voting process and raised concerns about Odongmadiki’s previous conduct in office, particularly in financial management and accountability. Ochola alleged that during his tenure as Secretary for Finance, Odongmadiki failed to present the district budget for approval, did not implement council resolutions, and failed to provide accountability reports.He also raised concerns over committee oversight and the handling of council reports, saying these issues contributed to opposition to the nomination.
Ochola warned that if the nomination is approved without meeting legal requirements, the Lamwo District risks legal action that could result in financial loss-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
