Decentralisation and policy advocacy in rwanda democracy in. Mutumba augustine, 2005 the effect of decentralisation on. Decentralisation as a rural development strategy in. The post independence constitution of uganda, laid a legal framework for redecentralization based on regional. Post independence era problems that developed as a result of this dual central and local administration included encroachment on the rights and responsibilities of the weaker local. In section 2, i provide a short overview of the main features of decentralisation in uganda, including political, administrative.
It is a wellknown fact that the motivations for pursuing decentralisation differ from one country to another. Second, i examine the role of both the concentration of power at the district level as well as the increasing number of districts in uganda as causal factors in conflict. Home ifpri publications decentralization and rural service delivery in uganda reference url share. Decentralisation and transformation of governance in uganda. Kabarole is a mountainous area with relatively fertile andosols and. Efficient delivery of public services in africa and other developing regions has for a long time been hindered by highly centralized government bureaucracies mwabu et al. Ugandas government of the national resistance movement nrm assumed power in 1986, in an environment of political turmoil, and initiated a policy of decentralisation as a way of restoring. Separate evaluation country reports were prepared as part of the evaluation. Decentralisation led to the devolution of broad powers of administration and implementation to the districts, leaving the centre with responsibility for matters of defence, and law and order. Uganda has experienced decentralisation both as a system and process of devolution of power from the central to the local authorities okidi and gulaba, 2006.
When working papers are eventually accepted by or published in a journal or book, the. This volume questions whether this sort of decentralization offers a significant pathway out of poverty and conflict in africaaddressing issues of poverty reduction in uganda, ghana, malawi, and tanzania and. Decentralization and development partnership lessons from. Yet accurate information about the legislation and policies governing decentralisation has been difficult to. Moreover, the nature of these interactions, that is strategic com. Apr 21, 2014 returning to decentralisation, we can see that one of its shortcomings is the lack of opportunities it offers for popular participation in local governance. Since the 1970s, decentralisation in various forms has often been identified as a missing link between povertyreduction and antipoverty efforts in developing countries. Decentralisation and policy advocacy in rwanda democracy. Decentralisation objectives decentralisation is also an instrument for shifting attitudes, developing and deepening skills and competencies, and engaging multiple stakeholders in the development process. Third and finally, i conclude with some wider thoughts on decentralization and conflict in countries like uganda. Making decentralisation work a handbook for policy. New o level curriculum finalised new visionuganda news. An epistemological decentralisation andreasson 2005 4 is requisite if africa. This book reports on recent decentralization and devolution innovations in.
In section 2, i provide a short overview of the main features of decentralisation in uganda, including political, administrative, and fiscal elements of the reform. Explaining variation across local governments in uganda by bruno onzima a thesis submitted to the department of administration and organization theory, university of bergen in partial fulfilment for the award of the master of philosophy in public administration. According to musgrave 1959 the utility of public sector is to be measured in terms of its efficiency in the allocation of resources, income redistribution and macroeconomic stability. The goal of political decentralisation was to promote peoples participation in the democratic process of uganda. Decentralization and rural service delivery in uganda ifpri. Background and evolving meanings of decentralisation.
The ugandan decentralisation reform initiated in 1992 is exceptional among. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Policy processes in uganda and their impact on soil fertility3 2perceptions of the constraints to agriculture study areas the study was conducted in the districts of pallisa and kabarole, in eastern and western uganda respectively. In so doing, the book seeks, overall, to offer lessons that are critically important not only for uganda but any other developing nation that has adopted. The decentralisation policy occupies an important place in the political landscape in uganda. This paper examines the challenges that inhibit the realisation of the noble objectives of decentralisation, notwithstanding the apparently impressive institutional and legal framework. Urban authorities association of uganda local government is provided for by the local governments act 1997, and it is enshrined in chapter xi of the constitution. Publication date 2011 title variation successes and failures in local governance isbn 9781935049326 alk. In uganda, political decentralisation developed along with financial decentralisation. In 1893 the imperial british east africa company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of buganda kingdom to the british government. Scottherridge 2002 noted that whilst decentralisation has potential advantages, there are serious issues to be faced and it will not succeed without full commitment from national and local governments.
Uganda introduced the decentralization policy in 1997 under the local government act of 1997 that has since undergone four amendments. Likewise, people and countries define decentralisation differently and connote different things to them. Decentralisation in uganda giga german institute of global and. Although the motives of decentralisation differ across countries bashaasha et al, 2011. Handbook on decentralisation in uganda delves into some of the issues concerning decentralisation and sets out in a logical sequence the relevant legislations. Decentralization and development in contemporary uganda core. Jul 27, 2009 ministry of education and sports 2003a draft report on a case study on the impact of upe on the quality of basic education in uganda, by mulyalya c, arach a, nantume o, zalwango c. This took the form of administrative units resistance councils rc1 running from the village to district levels. Local government is provided for by the local governments act 1997, and it is enshrined in chapter xi of the constitution. Yet accurate information about the legislation and policies governing decentralisation has been difficult to obtain.
A report of the study tour to uganda and ghana on decentralization by a delegation from namibia from 23rd28th february 1998 ministry of regional, local government and housing, 1997 centrallocal government relations. Explaining successes and failures in local governance gina m. The decentralisation typology in the following page captures the diverse ways by which schemes of decentralisation have been understood by scholars. Since the rise to power of the movement government under the leadership of yoweri museveni in 1986, uganda has largely been showcased as an emerging democracy on the continent. Regional governments mainly in the form of monarchies and chiefdoms were abolished in 1966, four years after independence mushemeza, 2003. The ministry of local government is responsible for local government, which comprises 111 district councils sitting at the apex of. Decentralization and development in contemporary uganda. A number of countries have just started the process and are presently creating new units andor transferring responsibilities and revenues to them.
The implementation of the decentralization policy has given rise to a number of experiences some of which indicate that it is. Decentralisation, district creation and democratisation in musevenis uganda ugandas postcolonial history has been notoriously tumultuous, most prominently due to the misrule of idi amin in the 1970s and a brutal civil war in the early 1980s. The rationales for decentralization are, in fact, not altogether different from those for democratization. Decentralization and local development in uganda july,2014 11 the colonial era uganda was a protectorate of the british empire from 1894 to 1962. The national curriculum development centre ncdc has finalised the new o level curriculum which will be launched in 2017. Among other things, musevenis regime has been acclaimed for the restoration of periodic national elections, the making of the constitution and the overall promotion of democratic governance, most especially through. To link to this object, paste this link in email, im or document to embed this object, paste this html in website.
All in all, therefore, ugandas framework of local government entails three different forms of devolution of power, namely. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions from the sampled local governments that participated in the study. The current momentum for decentralization of government in africa and elsewhere in the developing world is driven in many instances by the needs and desires of donor organizations. However, it was not until the rise of the national resistance movement nrm government to power under the leadership of yoweri kaguta museveni 8 that decentralisation was accorded the prominence it. The report identifies 10 guidelines for making decentralisation work and allowing it to be conducive to regional development. Ulga was established as uganda local authorities association ulaa in 1994. As a result, the model built in a rigid structure of vertical accountability links, but undermined the generation of local autonomy in decision making and the system of horizontal accountability links that are at the root of strengthened performance by policymakers in decentralized. Beyond the guidelines, the report proposes concrete tools for policymakers, including detailed sets of recommendations, checklists, pitfalls to avoid and examples of good practices, both in unitary and federal countries. Ministry of education and sports 2003a draft report on a case study on the impact of upe on the quality of basic education in uganda, by mulyalya c, arach a, nantume o, zalwango c. Hajia alima mahama, the minister of local government and rural development, said the book would become a monitoring framework for staff who would go on monitoring visits to the district. This was at a time when the ugandan government had started the decentralization policy and was in the process of drawing up the new constitution of 1995. Decentralisation and conflict in uganda cover sheet.
Explaining successes and failures in local governance. The key decentralisation challenges discussed in this paper include financing, human resource capacity, and elite capture. This book sheds light on this important question by identifying the factors that contribute to good performance among local governments in uganda. Policy processes in uganda and their impact on soil fertility.
Post independence era problems that developed as a result of this dual central and local administration included encroachment on. The case of uganda chapter january 2009 with 2,234 reads. The just concluded overhaul of the curriculum condenses the 43. The government of uganda gou has initiated a new public financial management pfm strategy which among others advocates is aimed at increasing efficiency and effectiveness of local revenue enhancement lre at all levels of governance. A large group has only adopted legal texts that engage the central government to proceed towards a more.
The current emphasis on decentralization by african governments and donors appears to be a hopeful response to the problems and failures. The two principal arguments for democratization are that it empowers people and is therefore. Lambright s important book constitutes a thorough reexamination of decentralized governance as it actually functions in uganda, providing further reason for skepticism about decentralization as a panacea for improving state effectiveness and accountability. The enactment of the local government statute, 1993 was a way of broadening the space for citizen participation and accountability within the local. The study used mainly qualitative methods of data collection and analysis of district reports, published and unpublished research reports, books, journal articles. Should be read by anyone interested in the realities of decentralization, not only in uganda but elsewhere in africa and beyond. I would like to thank the united nations development programme that. Returning to decentralisation, we can see that one of its shortcomings is the lack of opportunities it offers for popular participation in local governance. It provides a clear definition of decentralisation as well as the rationale for the introduction of the policy. Decentralization and rural service delivery in uganda.
Decentralisation, local development and social cohesion. Decentralisation as a rural development strategy in zimbabwe. In kenya, several efforts have been made to reduce unnecessary layers of government to make service provision to the populace more effective. Decentralisation and rural service delivery in uganda. Sensitizing the elite on that issue can be accelerated if one demonstrates that the current topdown approach is detrimental to development in the long run as it renders planning inefficient. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. When working papers are eventually accepted by or published in a journal or book, the correct citation reference and, if. Fiscal decentralization, corruption, and the shadow economy. Mutumba augustine, 2005 the effect of decentralisation on the.
Since 2010, the strengthening decentralization for sustainability sds. Local government in uganda commonwealth governance. A few countries namely, ethiopia, south africa and uganda are proceeding fast. Effectiveness of decentralization in ghana their obligations and attract able and competent officers ministry of local government. The unstoppable power of leaderless organizations by ori brafman, the sovereign individua. After president museveni came to power in uganda in january 1986, however, he and his ruling national.
It affects virtually all important decisions and programmes at both central and local government levels. Decentralisation and conflict in uganda lse research online. This book examines the decentralization project after it has been in place for a number of years and deals with relevant crucial issues. Uganda, decentralisation, democratic governance, government resources, planning.