Agago LCV Chairperson Wilson Otto Delivers Landmark Declassified Report After High-Level Kampala Meetings

Agago, Uganda – Agago District LCV Chairperson Wilson Otto has delivered an extensive declassified report to the media detailing the outcomes of his high-stakes follow-up meetings with several key government ministers and the Inspector General of Police in Kampala.

Addressing journalists from his office at the Agago District Headquarters, Chairman Otto provided a sector-by-sector breakdown of commitments secured, challenges faced, and the path forward for his district. The briefing covered critical issues including roads, the hunger crisis, health, security, land conflicts, and education funding.

Roads: 8-Year Wait Finally Ends
Chairman Otto announced a major breakthrough on the long-stalled road infrastructure under the “Root Sec” program, which had remained inactive for eight years.

“The project had taken 8 years. I’m happy today to tell the public that after eight years of toiling, I managed to meet the minister for local government and the secretariat for Root. Out of the five roads that we had proposed, they have picked one and they’ll start working on it in this financial year,” Otto revealed.

He presented the contract documents obtained during his visit. Lot One has been awarded to Safe Green Uganda Limited for the Kono Town Council to Lumoy Center road at a cost of 989,200,275 million shillings (approximately 1 billion UGX) for a quality murram road.

Lot Two, covering the stretch from Lumoy up to Lira, has been awarded to Straon Limited at a contract value of 1 billion shillings.

Otto noted that when he assumed office, there was no documentation regarding these projects. “I decided to personally take interest to move to the ministry of local government and follow this up. I got all invitations, and that’s when the launch took place in Puranga,” he said.

He challenged political detractors who had warned him about the 2031 elections. “At earlier on, they had even warned me that if I don’t work on that road, I don’t pick a form in 2031. I must say now I invite you to come and pick the form for yourself in 2031 because I have delivered my promise,” Otto declared.

Community mobilization begins next week, with the district team and contractors moving into the area to sensitize beneficial communities. Markets like Kubu market and hospital access for Lummo residents are expected to improve significantly once the road is complete.

Hunger Crisis: 15 Dead, 351 Admissions
Turning to the devastating drought situation, Chairman Otto revealed that Agago has now lost 15 people to hunger, with over 351 hospital admissions recorded.

“When the budget was reduced from 50 billion to 45 billion, the leaders of Karamoja came and said since the money has been reduced, neighboring districts should be removed from benefiting. I was called to defend this position because I was one of the chairpersons who had already sent a petition to the office of the prime minister on the issue of hunger,” he explained.

His defense was successful. The ministers accepted that Agago be included, and the ministry has now sliced the district into the Karamoja relief benefit package.

However, Otto stressed that relief alone is insufficient. “We are now asking them that the relief is not enough. They should now provide us with seedlings that can grow fast, that within 3 months we are able to harvest,” he pleaded.

He urged residents to utilize the new rainy season to plant green vegetables, cassava, and other fast-maturing crops. The chairman extended gratitude to the Diocese of Gulu, the UN community, the Red Cross Society, and expressed hope for forthcoming support from the World Food Programme and UNHCR.


President Museveni’s Coffee Vision Under Threat
In a significant revelation, Chairman Otto disclosed that he has written to President Yoweri Museveni informing him that the drought has destroyed the coffee pilot project in Agago.

“All the coffee seedlings that he brought and distributed, over 150,000 seedlings given to our people to pilot, has gone with the droughts. Very few, not even 10%, have survived,” Otto reported.

He appealed to the President not to abandon the district. “I don’t want the vision of the president to die. His vision is that we move away from seasonal crops and enter into cash crops that support our families. I have already complained to him that he should not get tired with us. He should bring us new seedlings and incorporate some element of training.”

As a mitigation strategy, the district has directed the production department to identify at least three model farmers in every parish who will plant an acre of coffee each to demonstrate viability to others.


Health: “A District Without Legs”
Chairman Otto shared a powerful encounter with Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, whom he described as “my only friend from Kanungu.”

During a meeting where Kanungu leaders presented their challenges of having one hospital and four health centers, Otto was asked to share Agago’s story.

“I told Baryomunsi, now you see in Agago I have a population of around 37,000, I have four constituencies, I have four members of parliament, but I have one Health Center IV that was just uplifted in 2023, and a theater was just built last year,” Otto recounted.

The Minister responded with a parable about a man who complained about walking barefoot after his new shoe tore, only to enter a meeting and find people without legs. “Agago is a district without legs,” the Minister remarked.

From that meeting, the Ministry directed support for Agago, including plans to add a new Health Center III to decongest the existing Health Center IV, which currently receives approximately 20,000 patients monthly.


New Referral Fund Initiative
Otto announced a groundbreaking district initiative to fund emergency referrals. Starting this financial year:

· Every Health Center III will receive 500,000 UGX monthly
· Every Health Center II will receive 200,000 UGX monthly
· Every Health Center IV will receive 3 million UGX monthly

This translates to approximately 2 million per Health Center III annually, 800,000 per Health Center II, and 12 million per Health Center IV. The funds are strictly for ambulance fuel and will be managed at the station level.

“I know that as a chairman, I cannot have my car to carry every sick person across the district. I don’t have that capacity. So the best is the system of government,” Otto stated.

Security: Police Deployment to All Sub-Counties
The chairman expressed heartfelt gratitude to IGP Abbas Byakagaba for approving police deployment in all sub-counties of Agago District.

“My people would now struggle to move 10 kilometers, 20 kilometers simply looking for justice to report a case of a chicken thief, someone has slapped you, assault, burning of a house. People were struggling for justice, and in many cases, people resorted to mob justice because of the absence of policing in the area,” Otto explained.

The IGP has offered five sub-counties this financial year, bringing the total number of sub-counties with police presence to six. Otto requested motorcycles to support officer mobility (requesting three but awaiting confirmation) and the construction of police outposts.

He has also appealed for a barracks with a boarding school where police children can study alongside community children, and additional deployment along the border to combat insecurity.

“We have asked all the chairpersons on LC3, the sub-county chiefs, and the secretaries at sub-counties to organize a meeting between the police officers and the LC1s… for long, all duties of police were being handled by the LC1 because of the distance of police posts. So now we want them to sit and harmonize so that they understand well the role of police and also understand well the role of an LC1,” he directed.


Land Conflicts: 451 Cases and a Pilot Registration Program
Otto revealed a staggering statistic: Agago District has 451 cases of land conflict currently in court records.

“That shows you the level of conflict of land that we have. For schools and hospitals, it is worse. Land that was given to our public institutions some years back, the children now come and say this was our land,” he warned.

In response, the district has made a deliberate move to protect land through systematic registration and titling. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Judith Nabakooba has accepted to nominate an officer to support Agago District in the land registration process and will train sub-county land committees.

“The ministry is willing to use Agago as a pilot district to see rural land registration,” Otto announced triumphantly.

He encouraged residents to register land individually, as clans, as families, or with spouses, using a humorous analogy: “If you have a wife and your neighbor takes your wife away but you have the certificate, you can actually claim her. You say, ‘My neighbor, you have taken away my wife, but I have a certificate here that shows that this is my wife.'”


Finance: 1.7 Billion VAT Refund and Staffing Crisis
Meeting with Minister of Finance Henry Musasizi, Chairman Otto tackled the issue of Value Added Tax that was improperly deducted from payments to contractors building seed schools, stalling completion.

“I discussed with him how we can have this 1.7 billion returned to Agago so that they can complete these four seed schools,” Otto said, naming the affected institutions: World Seed, Lamo, Omiya, and Cotto.

He also raised the district’s crippling 64% staffing gap. Out of 117 required teachers, only 228 are available. Deputy Head Teachers number only 46. Only six to seven out of 13 departmental heads are substantive; the rest are in acting capacity.

“The minister said now that we can see how to support us in the next financial year. There’s another meeting that we shall have with him to see how that support can happen,” Otto reported.

Infrastructure and Education Support
The chairman has requested metallic culverts (armco covers) from the Ministry of Works for bridge construction and is awaiting their procurement process.

On education, Agago received a slot of 30 beneficiaries from Kampala International University but could only fill eight positions, resulting in a loss of 22 slots. Otto has submitted a list of interested candidates and wished them well.


Cross-Border Trauma and Rehabilitation
Addressing the pain of cattle rustling along the Karamoja border, Otto made an urgent appeal for trauma rehabilitation programs.

“We continue to receive pain of this kind of death, pain of fear, pain of displacement, pain of losses, pain of businesses in our border lines. We need to heal the trauma. We need to compensate the people that have been killed, the people that have been displaced, the people whose land has been taken,” he implored.

The district is compiling formal documentation of atrocities and challenges to support continued advocacy.

Conclusion: A Chairman’s Promise
“As a chairman of the district, I am determined to change the trend and ensure that my people of Agago are proud of their district. That is why you elected me, and I’ll stand to defend such a position,” Otto concluded.

The comprehensive declassified report marks a significant moment of accountability and forward planning for Agago District, with tangible commitments now secured from multiple ministries and government agencies.

For more updates on Agago District developments, stay tuned to this platform.