By KT Reporter
Local Governments Minister Raphael Magyezi has pledged to personally intervene in the long-running dispute over asset sharing between Gulu City and Gulu District. The announcement follows complaints by city leaders that the continued occupation of major city facilities by district officials is hampering city operations, years after Gulu attained city status in July 2020.
Gulu City officials protested that, despite government allocating Shs1 billion to Gulu District to construct its administrative headquarters in Awach Town Council, most district technocrats still operate from offices within the city. Speaking at the official launch of the newly constructed Laroo-Pece Division Council Hall on Saturday, Gulu City Mayor Alfred Okwonga said the district’s continued occupation of city infrastructure has become a major obstacle to the city’s growth and a potential source of conflict.
“Their presence in the city is long overdue, and it is really interfering with the progress of this city. We need to do more to provide services to the citizens of Gulu City, but when two local governments are sitting in the same locality, there is bound to be conflict,” Okwonga said. He noted that although city leaders have tried to manage the situation “maturely and professionally,” the burden has become overwhelming.
“I request your ministry to write to the CAO so that they can relocate in 2026 and allow Gulu City to progress and utilize the potential of these good leaders that are present currently,” he added. The mayor said the city is unable to operate at full capacity because several key areas remain inaccessible, including Pece War Memorial Stadium, which he said is still controlled by Gulu District.
Okwonga further revealed that the city lost Shs5.5 billion earmarked for the renovation of Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School after the district reportedly declined to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allowing the funds to be utilized by the city. “Despite the fact that the Minister of Education wrote and guided the CAO to sign an MoU with Gulu City and allow that fund to be used, they refused to sign, and the money was swept back,” Okwonga said, adding that the funding had been a presidential pledge.
Peter Banya, Deputy Resident City Commissioner in charge of Laroo-Pece Division, called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Local Government, arguing that some critical infrastructures have been abandoned yet the district still claims ownership.
In response, Minister Magyezi urged patience, stressing that government had already taken steps to facilitate the district’s relocation, including allocating Shs1 billion to commence construction of its headquarters in Awach Town Council. He added that by the end of 2026, Gulu District should have fully relocated to its new administrative home and assured the city that the buildings will remain city council property. Magyezi pledged to return to Gulu in February or March next year to convene a joint meeting between city and district leaders to agree on a clear and legally binding framework for asset sharing.
The minister also assured city leaders that no district property would be sold without his approval and warned district leaders against selling or encroaching on public land within the city. Magyezi emphasized that the transition must be handled calmly and transparently to protect public interest and ensure harmonious coexistence between the city and district during the relocation period.
Gulu City attained city status in July 2020, upgrading from a municipality, but has since worked alongside Gulu District local government, which continues to hold major assets, including Pece War Memorial Stadium, the former SOS Children’s Village, Gulu City Council Hall, and the Gulu District Administrative Unit. Efforts to get comments from Gulu District Chairperson Christopher Opiyo Atekere were unsuccessful.
However, Uganda Radio Network understands that the district has completed construction of the engineering department at Awach Town Council and is awaiting commencement of the main administrative unit, with the land having been inspected last year by officials from the Ministry of Local Government and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) engineering brigade.
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