VOTERS CAUTIONED AGAINST PRESSURING LEADERS FOR PERSONAL HANDOUTS

Rt Rev Constantine Rupiny the bishop of Nebbi Catholic Diocese, with the religious and elected leaders of West Nile region during Hon Onzima Phiona’s thanksgiving ceremony in Arua City (All photos by Onzoma Albert)

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

Voters are being urged to moderate their high demands and expectations from elected leaders and instead balance them, recognizing that many requests fall outside the official legal duties of these leaders. Citizens often pressure politicians to pay school fees, cover medical bills, provide personal cash and directly build local roads.

Rt Rev Constantine Rupiny, Bishop of Nebbi Catholic Diocese and main celebrant at the thanksgiving ceremony for Hon Phiona Onzima, Member of Parliament for Ayivu West, made this appeal at the former Pajulu Sub-County headquarters.

He encouraged voters to give leaders time to focus on institutional work, avoid undue pressure, and enable structured development plans to take effect.

“All leadership comes from God if there is no oppression, this now makes me say that let us not exaggerate our demands from these elected leaders because we begin to say give us, give us that will become too much for them to bear,” he said.

Hon Paparu Lillian in white dress with Hon Onzima Phiona in Maroon Gomesi together with other members of parliament in West Nile region during her thanksgiving ceremony.

Hon Phiona Onzima similarly urged voters to respect the core roles of their leaders and allow them to fulfill their corporate social responsibilities.

“Our voters expect the leaders to give them hand to mouth which is not the good habit we should encourage from our voters, as members of parliament we only have four core responsibilities and it is us the elected leaders to think about our cooperate social responsibilities to the voters, but these issues of voters always asking support from their leaders is not the way leadership works, it’s better for the leaders to empower their voters in order to self-sustain themselves,” she suggested.

Hon Fungaro Kaps Hassan, Chairperson of the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus and MP for Obongi County, pledged support from West Nile region MPs and appealed to the people of West Nile to understand and trust the mandate entrusted to their leaders for effective service delivery.

“I pray that the people of West Nile should operate the situation in which their leaders operate in and challenges facing us as elected leaders in the region than undue demands, we pledge our commitment and support to our people of West Nile in one voice through consultations for effective service delivery” he said.

Hon Muzaid Khemis, MP for Arua Central Division, appealed to fellow leaders to avoid making empty promises that fall outside their cardinal roles and encouraged voters to understand the functions played by their leaders for improved service delivery rather than making undue demands.

“The reality of the matter is that as members of parliament we have around four key roles we are supposed to play that can change the lives of the voters than them expecting hand cash of 5,000/= or 2,000/= from us as elected leaders” he said.

The cycle of unfulfilled promises and excessive demands leads to public disappointment and broken trust. When citizens’ expectations align with the legal duties of elected officials, communities can hold leaders accountable for systemic service delivery instead of individual handouts.

Constructive dialogue and setting realistic goals help bridge the gap between the public and officeholders. Elected officials, such as Members of Parliament, are primarily responsible for making laws, budgeting, and national oversight rather than providing direct, out-of-pocket personal financial service delivery.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis