Jonglei State lawmaker defends creation of new Payams in Uror County
This follows calls by a local civil society activist who appealed to the government of Jonglei State to create more administrative units
By Riak Chol
A member of parliament in the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly has strongly defended the recent gubernatorial orders that created additional payams across the state, particularly in the Greater Lou-Nuer area.
Wany Bum Makhor, Member of Parliament representing Uror County, on Wednesday criticized activist Bol Deng Bol for what he called “misleading and antagonistic” remarks regarding the expansion of local governance structures.
On August 30, Bol Deng Bol, a civil society activist, appealed to the government of Jonglei State to refocus creation of more administrative units after seven more Payams were created in Uror County to enhance service delivery.
Bol argued that the creation of more administrative units comes with a lot of responsibilities in terms of resource acquisition to sustain their new administration.
The activist continued that the creation of more payams is unnecessary and lacks popular support across Jonglei.
In response, Makhor described the activist’s claims as “hasty generalisations” that ignored the views of communities who had long advocated for administrative decentralisation.
“The creation of new payams was a demand and endorsement of the local leadership and communities themselves. In Greater Lou-Nuer, this move was not imposed; it was initiated from the grassroots,” Makhor said
He highlighted widespread local support in Akobo, Uror, and Nyirol Counties, where traditional leaders, women’s groups, youth organisations, and local officials have welcomed the move as a way to improve service delivery and bring government closer to the people.
He cited Uror County’s swift implementation under Commissioner James Gatkhor Gatluak, who has already appointed officials across the 19 newly established payams.
While acknowledging concerns raised in Bor County regarding boundary disputes and population size, Makhor stressed that these issues are localised and do not reflect the views of the entire state.
“These are legitimate concerns, but they should be addressed through dialogue and proper channels, not used to undermine progress elsewhere,” he added.
The lawmaker emphasised that decentralisation remains a cornerstone of South Sudan’s development vision, tracing its roots back to the late Dr. John Garang De Mabior.
He said expanding governance structures, even amid economic hardship, is vital for long-term development and inclusive administration.
Makhor called on activists like Bol Deng Bol to engage more responsibly, urging them to base their critiques on facts and broad community consultation.
“The role of an activist is to advance public interest, not to mislead or divide communities through sweeping statements,” he said.
