Gulu District fails to relocate six years after City creation

What the report says

Authorities in Gulu District Local Government and Gulu City Council say a shortage of office space is undermining staff productivity and the delivery of public services, six years after Gulu Municipality was upgraded to city status on July 1, 2020. Under that reorganization, the district was expected to move its headquarters from Gulu City to Awach Town Council, about 30 kilometres away, but the transition has not been completed.

According to the report from Gulu, most district staff still work from offices in the city. Gulu District Chairperson Justine Simpleman Obol said the district has 1,146 staff and that the newly built administrative facility in Awach, which has not yet been commissioned, is too small to accommodate them all. He said the space shortage is affecting the district’s ability to serve residents. Only the Resident District Commissioner’s office has fully moved to Awach, while some health workers are based at Awach Health Centre IV.

The concerns were discussed during a Ministry of Public Service meeting in Gulu City for officials from the Acholi Sub-region. The gathering also reflected the wider dispute between Gulu District and Gulu City over public property, including the district administration block, council hall, Pece Stadium and the former SOS Children’s Village site. Gulu City Town Clerk Innocent Ahimbisibwe said the city has also outgrown its offices after hiring 85 new staff, leaving some workers to share space or work in shifts.

The Ministry of Local Government said local authorities must plan and budget for their own infrastructure, while the ministry can only help lobby for funding. The issue matters because the prolonged relocation dispute continues to affect how both local governments operate and deliver services.