Lira City Village Chairpersons Get Gov't Bicycles 10-Years After Presidential Pledge

284 bicycles have been delivered to aid transportation of Local Council Chairpersons in Lira City in fulfillment of a presidential pledge made to LC1 and LC2 chairpersons ten years ago.

The government allocated 11 billion Shillings in 2011 for the procurement of bicycles to 70,000 LCI and LCII chairpersons to facilitate them to monitor government programs countrywide. The procurement was, however, halted following allegations of corruption by some government officials who misappropriated up to 4.6 billion Shillings from the money allocated for the project.

In 2020, the Finance Ministry announced that it had made arrangements to ensure that former and current LC chairpersons get bicycles. Under the arrangement, 80,855 bicycles were procured to facilitate 70,262 LCI chairpersons and 10,594 LCII chairpersons across the country.

Of these, 235 bicycles have been distributed to LCIs and another 49 to the LCII chairpersons in Lira City.

Sunday Ayo, the LCI chairperson Core ‘A’ cell in Lira City East Division is excited because the project is long overdue. He says that he has been struggling to find transport to monitor government programs, especially now when prices of fuel have shot up.

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Bob Oyuku Ojok, the LCII Chairperson for Obutu-Welo Ward in Lira City West Division says that many of them had lost hope and trust in the government after waiting for the fulfillment of the pledge in vain. He adds that the bicycles will ease their movement around their communities.

Oyuku advised the chairpersons to use the bicycle for the intended purpose.

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Sam Atul, the Mayor of Lira City Council asked the Government to also increase the payment for the local council chairpersons. 

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