By Vicent Emong
KUMI — The outgoing Mayor of Kumi Municipality, Richard Ochom, has cautioned incoming leaders against promoting sectarian politics and discrimination in service delivery as he officially handed over office after serving two consecutive terms.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Ochom described the occasion as historic and thanked the people of Kumi Municipality for entrusting him with leadership over the last ten years.
“The people of Kumi Municipality gave me a mandate and trusted me. I am proud they gave me the opportunity to serve them as mayor for a decade,” Ochom said.
The outgoing mayor commended the municipality’s technical staff, heads of departments, executive committee members, and the security team led by the Resident District Commissioner for their cooperation throughout his tenure.
Reflecting on his administration’s achievements, Ochom highlighted major improvements in the health sector, particularly at the municipal Health Centre IV, which he said had grown into a facility operating at near-hospital standards.
“We focused heavily on health because when people are healthy, they can achieve everything else,” he noted.
According to Ochom, his administration oversaw the construction of an Outpatient Department, Ochom Ward, and a maternity ward, while also equipping the health facility with theatre services, dental equipment, and eye care machines.
In the education sector, the outgoing mayor credited both parents and municipal leadership for the improved academic performance recorded in Kumi Municipality over the years.
He outlined several infrastructure projects implemented in government-aided schools, including classroom blocks and sanitation facilities at schools such as Aputon Primary School, Olungia Primary School, Amejai Primary School, and Kumi Boys Primary School.
On infrastructure development, Ochom pointed to the extensive road works undertaken across the municipality during his leadership.
He also recalled lobbying President Yoweri Museveni for the extension of road projects connecting Tirinyi, Pallisa, and Kumi.
“We opened roads across the municipality and implemented numerous development projects. I leave office a happy man because leadership is temporary, but service to the people remains important,” he said.
Ochom used the occasion to strongly condemn politics based on regional divisions within the municipality, warning leaders against promoting segregation between communities.
“Leaders should serve all people equally without promoting North-South segregation. During my leadership, I never subscribed to such divisions. Those advancing sectarianism are enemies of the municipality’s progress,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Town Clerk of Kumi Municipality, Emmanuel Okaje, praised Ochom for his leadership and the transformation achieved within the municipality during his decade in office.
Okaje, who has served in Kumi for only three months, described the transition as emotional but acknowledged that transfers and leadership changes are normal in public service.
“Mayor Ochom will remain part of the history of this municipality. Since Kumi attained municipal status in 2016, he has carried the mantle of leadership and guided its growth,” Okaje remarked.
He applauded the outgoing mayor for promoting teamwork, accountability, and active participation within the executive committee, noting that council meetings in Kumi remained focused, disciplined, and productive.
Okaje further credited the municipal leadership for ensuring the successful implementation of major infrastructure projects, including the tarmacking of 12 kilometers of roads under the USMID programme.
“In some municipalities, projects are compromised along the way, but in Kumi, the entire road network allocated was completed as planned,” he said.
The Town Clerk also revealed that Kumi Municipality currently stands at 83 percent staffing levels, with recruitment processes underway to fill remaining critical positions such as Principal Treasurer and Senior Environment Officer.
As Mayor Richard Ochom exits office, leaders and residents say his decade-long administration will remain a significant chapter in the growth and transformation of Kumi Municipality.
