By Ambrose Okwanga I May 19th 2026
The newly elected leadership of Kole District has officially assumed office, with councillors re-electing Denis Odoc as Speaker of the District Council for another five-year term.
Odoc, who represents Aboke Town Council, emerged winner in a tightly contested race held on Friday during the swearing-in and inauguration ceremony of the new district leadership. He defeated his two rivals, Chrispas Apunyu and Moses Angor, after securing 17 votes out of the 30 ballots cast.
Apunyu garnered 9 votes while Angor received 4 votes, prompting Lira Chief Magistrate Joe Fay Adoko, who presided over the exercise, to declare Denis Odoc duly elected Speaker of the Kole District Council.
Immediately after his victory, Odoc chaired the election of the Deputy Speaker. Miriam Adong, the female councillor representing Aboke Town Council, won the seat with 15 votes, narrowly defeating Tamale Auma of Alito Town Council, who obtained 14 votes.
The newly sworn-in LC5 Chairperson of Kole District, Eng. Denis Oteng, also announced his executive committee appointments. Scovia Akullu of Okwerodot Sub-county was appointed Secretary for Works and Technical Services, Patrick Obong of Bala Sub-county took charge of Finance, Planning and Administration, while Sanyo Akoro of Alito was named Secretary for Health, Education and Community base Services.
Oteng also used his powers to appoint Michael Tenga, councillor for Bala Town Council, as Vice Chairperson of Kole District.
Speaking shortly after taking oath, Oteng said his administration would prioritise unity, service delivery and the fight against corruption within the district.
He noted that one of the biggest challenges facing Kole District has been misuse of public resources and poor service delivery, which he said had slowed development over the past five years.
Speaker Denis Odoc echoed the same concerns, saying the new council must focus on constructive debate aimed at transforming the district instead of engaging in unnecessary conflicts and divisions.
The Secretary for Works and Technical Services, Scovia Akullu, admitted that Kole District continues to face serious infrastructural challenges, particularly poor road networks and weak supervision of government projects. However, she pledged to push for transparency and accountability in the new administration.
Meanwhile, the Resident District Commissioner of Kole, Jillian Akullu Omara, urged the incoming leaders to remain focused on development and anti-corruption efforts, saying the fight against corruption remains one of President Yoweri Museveni’s key priorities in the new term of office.
Former LC5 Chairperson Andrew Moses Awany also reflected on his five years in office, saying political misunderstandings between district leaders and Members of Parliament affected service delivery.
Awany claimed that some MPs viewed district leaders as political threats because of parliamentary ambitions, a situation he said created unnecessary conflicts within the district leadership.
Despite the challenges, Awany highlighted several achievements realised during his tenure, including improvements in road infrastructure, construction of the district council offices and progress in the education sector.
He urged the new leadership to concentrate on development and avoid personal political interests that could derail service delivery in Kole District.