Nimule Deputy Mayor Calls for Enhanced Local Leadership as Leadership and Peacebuilding Training Begins
The Deputy Mayor for Administration and Finance of Nimule Municipality, Taban Godfrey Kurunyu, has called for enhanced local leadership capacity to foster development, improve service delivery, and promote lasting peace within the community. His remarks came during the opening of a five-day leadership, advocacy, and peacebuilding training session held in Nimule.
Addressing an audience of community leaders, Kurunyu expressed gratitude to the state government for elevating Nimule to municipal status in 2025. He emphasized that this transition has introduced new leadership structures that require capacity building to effectively serve the community.
“I expect this training will strengthen the skills of our leaders across various levels and jurisdictions,” Kurunyu stated. “Many of our leaders have recently been promoted from lower administrative units such as cells and quarter councils to higher responsibilities at the block level. This makes such capacity-building initiatives both timely and essential.”
He highlighted that some newly appointed leaders lack formal training, underscoring the importance of this initiative. Participants are expected to acquire practical skills in leadership and administration, enabling them to identify community challenges and develop effective solutions.
“Leaders should be able to recognize problems in their areas and work towards resolving them,” Kurunyu said, also urging participants to become advocates for peace and unity. “As our Governor is a peace-loving leader, I expect all of you to promote peace within Nimule.”
Moro Alex Peter, Program Coordinator for Eastern Equatoria State at the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), explained that the training aims to equip community leaders with both knowledge and practical tools to address local issues.
“We are conducting a five-day training involving 50 community leaders from 16 blocks of Nimule Municipality,” he said. “By the end of this program, we anticipate that participants will have enhanced skills to effectively resolve community disputes and promote human rights.”
Participants include local authorities, youth leaders, women’s representatives, and opinion leaders. The training focuses on strengthening grassroots leadership, conflict resolution mechanisms, and advocating for human rights.
Organizers describe the initiative as part of broader efforts to empower community actors in Eastern Equatoria, recognizing their vital role in fostering stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development in Nimule.
This capacity-building effort underscores the commitment of local and state authorities to nurturing resilient, peaceful communities through targeted leadership development.
