Lira City East Demands Answers from Land Officials Over Missing from Office

BY  Hillary Opio Omara 

LIRA CITY -Lira City East Division authorities have given land officials one day to explain why they were absent from their offices,after an inspection found several government staff away from their duty stations. 

The directive was issued on Monday,August 17,2026,after the Lira City East Division Mayor,Denis Peter Odongo Odul,together with the Resident City Commissioner and other officials,inspected land-related offices in Lira City.

During the inspection,the officials reportedly found some government employees who were expected to provide land services absent from their offices,leaving members of the public seeking services unattended.

Odongo Odul said the division had been receiving complaints about poor service delivery at the land offices for some time, including concerns over delays in accessing land documents and other services. 

He said the inspection team found only one person at the reception,while some other individuals identified as interns were also present.

According to Odongo Odul,the absence of responsible officers raises concerns about the delivery of essential land services to residents. 

He said the affected officials have been given one day to explain what prevented them from being at their duty stations. The mayor warned that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could result in further action against the concerned officials. 

He also said starting Tuesday,August 18, 2026,the division would closely monitor attendance and service delivery at the offices to ensure that government employees remain available to serve the public.

Odongo Odul further noted that difficulties in obtaining land documents,particularly land titles,have become a growing concern among residents and should not be worsened by the absence of responsible officers. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Resident City Commissioner Steven Odongo said government employs public servants to deliver services to citizens and urged them to respect their official responsibilities.

He criticized officials who fail to remain at their duty stations while members of the public are waiting for services.

Odongo said government workers should use their positions to serve the public rather than prioritize personal financial interests at the expense of service delivery.

He warned that officials found responsible for negligence or poor service delivery would face accountability measures. "We shall write the letter to Ministry of Land,Housing and Urban Development to address this challenge if these officials can't explain anything to them"Steven Odongo said.

Attempts by Radio Q FM to reach the officer in charge of the Lira land office for a comment were unsuccessful,as he was reportedly in Kampala at the time.