By Bondry Kilenga
Local leaders in Kotido Municipality have expressed deep concern over a significant slump in local revenue collection, a trend they warn could paralyze service delivery and the implementation of planned activities.
The concern was sounded by the Kotido Municipality Mayor, Peter Abrahams Irar, during the presentation of Shs 12 billion budget framework for the 2026/2027 financial year.
Irar revealed that while the municipality had projected to collect Shs 387,789,000 in the current financial, only Shs 164,746,000 has been realised.
This means that the municipal council has to work to raise Shs 223,043,000 in the remaining three months to end the running financial year, 2025/2026.
Irar primarily attributed this shortfall to the diversion of the livestock route from the Abim route to Napak District.
He says this shift has led to a drastic reduction in the number of livestock buyers entering the municipality, hitting the local economy hard.
Irar warned that the revenue shortfalls if not urgently addressed would have a toll on implementation of planned and urged technocrats to devise mechanisms meet set targets.
Meanwhile, Rosemary Napio, the Woman Councilor for Kotido East Parish, blamed revenue collectors who spend revenue at the source rather than remitting it to the municipal coffers.
In a bid to enhance local tax revenue collection, the authorities are have proposed to streamline market dues, enforcing property rates, regulating trade licenses, and introducing parking fees within the municipality effective 2026/2027 financial year.
