Lira City Faces Service Delivery Gaps Six Years After Gaining City Status

Six years after Lira Municipality was upgraded to city status, the urban centre of the Lango Sub-region is struggling to align its administrative recognition with the expected level of infrastructure and services. The transition, part of a national initiative to establish new cities, separated Lira City from the surrounding Lira District.

Lira City, now covering 284 square kilometres with a population of approximately 245,000, faces considerable challenges. Staffing levels in public service stand at just 58.6% when excluding education and health workers, dropping to 49% when these essential sectors are included. The city operates with a budget of Shs48.7 billion.

While politically designated as the capital of Lango, promising to bring services closer to communities, the reality on the ground paints a different picture. The Lira City Development Plan IV (LCDP IV) reveals persistent gaps, including 23% poverty and 17.9% youth unemployment. Farmers struggle with post-harvest losses and limited value-addition facilities.

Education and health sectors are particularly strained. Government-aided schools report poor performance and infrastructure shortages, with only 12% of pupils progressing to tertiary education. The health sector battles high rates of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, compounded by unfilled positions and high maternal mortality.

Infrastructure remains a critical bottleneck: only 11% of roads are paved, safe water reaches 39% of residents, and electricity serves 38%. Rapid population growth of 3.5% annually exacerbates issues like unplanned settlements and pressure on existing services.

City leaders acknowledge these challenges and are looking to the LCDP IV as a roadmap. The plan outlines strategies for resource mobilization, infrastructure development, and economic empowerment to transform Lira into a competitive industrial and commercial hub. It also calls for critical support from national agencies and development partners to expand utilities and provide essential funding.

Lessons learned from the city’s initial years emphasize the urgent need for a metropolitan physical development plan and dedicated startup grants, alongside efforts to enhance governance, physical planning, and revenue generation. The government is also prioritizing infrastructure upgrades in anticipation of Lira’s potential role in hosting Africa Cup of Nations activities.

The journey for Lira City underscores the complex task of matching administrative status with the tangible development, financing, and public services required to support a growing urban population. As noted by the UN in 2018, cities offer immense potential for economic growth, a potential Lira is striving to realize despite current limitations.