Arua City Council wants district headquarters relocated

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Arua City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution directing Arua district to relocate its headquarters from the city.

Arua municipality and Ayivu-county were elevated to city status while Terego county became a district on July 1st, 2020, leaving Vurra-county as the residual Arua district. The district headquarters are along Arua Avenue road in Arua central division.

While raising a matter of public importance, Godfrey Anguyo, the councilor representing Ayivu North explained that the continued operation of Arua district within the city has crippled service delivery in the city.

According to Anguyo, the relocation of the district headquarters from the city center to the proposed Odumi in Vurra sub-county will not only benefit the city but the residents who have been missing many services since they lack transport to travel up to Arua city.

James Adia, the councilor for Ayivu Central argued that the delayed relocation of district headquarters from the city has made it difficult to monitor projects within the city since they are being financed through Arua district.

Sam Ndaa, councilor representing Ayivu North East wonders why the district leaders are still stuck in the city two years after the operationalization of Arua city. He further advised the Arua district leaders to start operating under trees just like other administrative units started.

However, Arua City Mayor Sam Wadri Nyakua blamed the Ministry of Local Government for failing to issue clear guidelines for sharing assets for the newly created administrative units. He says that they will petition Parliament over the continued operation of Arua district headquarters within the city boundary.

In 2021, the Arua District Executive Committee resolved that headquarters be relocated to Odumi in Vurra sub-county instead of Arivu sub-county, a decision that has not been implemented.

In November last year, Arua LCV chairperson Alfred Okuonzi attempted to relocate his office from Arua city to the proposed district headquarters in Odumi.

According to Okuonzi, the move was meant to bring services closer to the people as they wait for startup funds from the Ministry of Local Government to establish new district offices in the proposed land where the headquarters are supposed to be relocated.

In September, the Minister of State for Local Government, Victoria Busingye Rusoke told the Government Assurance and Implementation Committee that the Ministry of Local Government was finalizing the preparation of regulations to facilitate sharing of property between new cities and districts from which the cities were created, which has since not been issued.

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