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COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN uganda

UGANDA
SUMMARY
Uganda is a democratic republic with a governance system comprising national and
local governments. The constitution provides for a system of decentralisation and local
governments, which is further consolidated in the Local Governments Act 1997 (Cap.
243). In urban settings, there are city, municipal, division/town, ward and cell councils.
In rural areas, there are district councils, counties (which are administrative units
without a council), sub-county councils, parish councils and village councils. The local
government act provides for a minimum of 30% of council seats to be reserved for
women and in 2013/14, local government expenditure was 15.1% of total government
expenditure. The primary sources of revenue are transfers from national government;
however local governments are mandated to raise revenue locally, including
property taxes, licences and user fees. Responsibility for transport and environmental
protection is shared between national and local governments. Districts and municipal
councils are also responsible for the provision of primary and secondary education,
safe water supplies and public health, and are encouraged to devolve some services
to the lower tiers. Local economic development (LED) is the responsibility of the
districts and lower tiers of government.

1. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 3.2 Ministerial oversight


Uganda is a republic with a unicameral The Ministry of Local Government49.3d
parliamentary system.49.1a The president (MLG), empowered through the
is directly elected as the head of state Local Governments Act 1997 (Cap.
and head of government with executive 243), is responsible for formulating
powers. The president nominates and supervising national policy and
the cabinet, subject to parliamentary legislation on local government.
approval. Parliament has 375 members, The minister responsible for local
known as MPs, and both the president governments, the resident district KEY FACTS
and MPs are elected for a five-year term. commissioner (RDC), and the inspector
general of government (IGG) – who is
POPULATION (2018 estimate):
2. LEGAL BASIS FOR broadly responsible for the elimination
38,823,100
LOCAL GOVERNMENT of corruption and abuse of office in the
2.1 Constitutional provisions public sector – have powers to intervene AREA (UN 2006):
in the activities of local government if an 241,550 sq km
Chapter 11, Article 176(1) of the
allegation of misconduct is raised. The
Constitution49.2a of the Republic of CAPITAL:
IGG has direct powers to intervene, but
Uganda provides for a decentralised Kampala
the minister and RDC can only conduct
system of local government.
investigations through instigating an CURRENCY:
inquiry, convening a meeting of the Ugandan shilling (UGX)
2.2 Main legislative texts council in question or calling on other
The main legislation is the Local appropriate bodies to investigate (eg the HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT:
Governments Act 199749.2b (Cap. 243). auditor general or the IGG secretariat). In President Yoweri Museveni
extreme cases the process may escalate
FORM OF GOVERNMENT:
2.3 Proposed legislative changes all the way up to the president, who
republic
No proposed legislative changes known. may assume executive powers over
the council as provided for in the Local PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM:
Governments Act 1997 (Cap. 243). unicameral
2.4 National urban policy
The Ministry of Local Government (MLG) STATE STRUCTURE:
3.3 Council types unitary
is currently developing the Uganda
National Urban Policy49.2c in partnership Since 2002 there have been a number of
significant structural reforms in the local LANGUAGES:
with ULGA (see Section 6), Cities Alliance
government sector, which have resulted English (official), Swahili (recognised)
and other partners. The agreed strategic
urban plan contains an agreed national in an increase in the total number of
NATIONAL ELECTIONS:
vision and actionable directions to guide district councils from 56 to 111, and one
last: Feb 2016, turnout: 67.1%; next: 2021
urban investment for the next 15 years. additional city authority.
WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT (2016):
34.3%
3. STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 3.3.1 Rural councils
3.1 Local government within the state 3.3.1.1 A district council is the planning LOCAL ELECTIONS:
In urban settings, there are city, authority in a given district and is last: 2015, turnout: na: next: 2021
municipal, division/town, ward and made up of an executive committee
composed of chairperson, vice- WOMEN COUNCILLORS: (2015)
cell councils. In rural areas, there are
chairperson and a maximum of three 48.3%
district councils, counties (which are
administrative units without a council), secretaries nominated from amongst the LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
sub-county councils, parish councils and councillors. One secretary is responsible as a percentage of total government
village councils. for health and children’s welfare. expenditure 2013/14:
15.7%

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THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN uganda COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18

Table 49.1a Distribution of councils and population as of Jan 2018


Sub-county Population Population % rural
Region District City Municipal Division Ward Cell Town (admin) Parish Village (2014 Census) (2017 est.) (2014)

Central 24 1 na na na na na na na na 9,579,119 10,744,400 na

Eastern 33 0 na na na na na na na na 9,094,960 10,127,900 na

Northern* 33 0 na na na na na na na na 7,243,379 8,055,400 na

Western 31 0 na na na na na na na na 8,939,355 9,895,400 na

Total 121 1 41 122 na na 357 1,195 7,468 na 34,856,813 38,823,100 81.6

Source: MLG factsheet 201749.3a and 2014 Census49.3a *The Northern region includes 12,718 persons identified separately in the Census as living in
conflict areas. ** The rural population percentage cited in the 2014 Census includes populations living in town boards. *** In September 2015, the
Ugandan Parliament created 23 new districts, to be phased in over the next four years on top of the 111.

The district council can establish as 3.3.1.4 Parish councils are required to The municipal council’s role is to monitor
many standing committees as there are have executive committees comprising a implementation of programmes and
secretaries on its executive committee. A chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a general resolve disputes within its area of
typical structure would include standing secretary and secretaries for information, jurisdiction.
committees for education, finance, health education, security, finance, production
and welfare, public works and sanitation. and environmental protection. There 3.3.2.3 Division councils are structured
The chairperson is the political head of is also a disabled persons’ council, a as exact replicas of district councils. The
the council and is directly elected by youth council and a women’s council democratic structure and functions are
the people in the district for a term of whose respective chairs are appointed the same but their area of jurisdiction
five years. A speaker is elected during as secretaries for their representative is smaller. Apart from the chairperson,
the first council meeting to preside group to the main council. Parishes executive committee members at this
over meetings. In each district the are responsible for monitoring service level are not required to be full-time.
executive and standing committees delivery at that level. Division councils are responsible for
report to the full council. The executive service delivery and local economic
committee is responsible for monitoring development within their areas.
3.3.1.5 Village councils: at the village level
the implementation of both council
all citizens 18 years and over are members
programmes and NGO activities. It
of the council. The structure of the council 3.3.2.4 Ward councils are required to
initiates and formulates policies, which
is similar to that of the parishes. have executive committees comprising
are put before the full council for
approval. Councils may delegate a range a chairperson, a vice-chairperson,
of powers to the executive committee. 3.3.2 Urban councils a general secretary and secretaries
All members of the executive committee 3.3.2.1 A city council is the planning for information, education, security,
work full-time for the council. An MP authority in a given city and is made up finance, production, and environmental
may attend meetings of any tier of local of an executive committee composed of protection. There is also a disabled
government in his/her constituency as an a mayor, deputy mayor and up to three persons’ council, a youth council and
ex-officio member. Higher-tier councils secretaries nominated from amongst the a women’s council whose respective
are empowered to give lower-tier councils councillors. One secretary is responsible chairs are appointed as secretaries for
guidance on carrying out their functions. for health and children’s welfare. The city their representative group to the main
The higher-tier councils are also required council can establish as many standing council. Parishes are responsible for
to settle disputes between lower councils, committees as there are secretaries on its monitoring service delivery at that level.
should they arise. The district councils executive committee. A typical structure
may devolve certain functions to lower would include standing committees for 3.3.2.5 Cell councils: at the cell level all
levels of local government. education, finance, health and welfare, citizens 18 years and over are members
public works and sanitation. The mayor of the council. The structure of the
3.3.1.2 The county administrative unit, which is the political head of the council and council is similar to that of a ward.
is staffed by civil servants, assists the district is directly elected by the people in the
council in executing and/or coordinating the city for a term of five years. A speaker is 4. ELECTIONS
business of sub-county councils. Hence it elected during the first council meeting 4.1 Recent local elections
monitors implementation of programmes to preside over meetings. In each city
Local government elections were last
and resolves disputes within its area of the executive and standing committees
held in 2015.49.4a Parish and village
jurisdiction. report to the full council. The executive
council elections were not conducted at
committee is responsible for monitoring
that time.
the implementation of both council
3.3.1.3 Sub-county councils are programmes and NGO activities.
structured as exact replicas of the 4.2 Voting system
district councils. The democratic Local government elections are held
structure and functions are the same 3.3.2.2 Municipal councils are
every five years. Candidates are elected
but their area of jurisdiction is smaller. administrative units within the local
on a party ticket. Only Ugandan citizens
Apart from the chairperson, executive government structure, composed of
resident in a local government area for
committee members at this level are executive committees drawn from all
more than four months and aged 18
not required to be full-time. Sub- divisions in the area. They are required
years or over are eligible to vote.
county councils are responsible for to have a mayor and a deputy mayor,
but there is no legal requirement for an In addition to the universally elected
service delivery and local economic councillors, two more councillors, at
development within their areas. executive committee.

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COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN uganda

Table 49.1b Women councillors and mayors following the last three local elections 6. ORGANISED LOCAL GOVERNMENT
There are two associations of local
Election 2005 2010 2015
government, the Uganda Local
Councillors # % # % # % Government Association (ULGA)49.6
and the Urban Authorities Association
Female councillors na na na na 12,626 48.3 of Uganda (UAAU). The objectives of
these associations are to advocate for
Male councillors na na na na 13,489 51.7 the interests of local government and
Total councillors na 100.0 na 100.0 26,115 100.0 to lobby for their inclusion in decision-
making at the national level. In addition
Chairpersons # % # % # % districts are permitted to cooperate
on projects and to form secretariats or
Female chairpersons na na na na 16 1.0 trust funds for cooperation on specified
activities. There is a general feeling that
Male chairpersons na na na na 1,514 99.0
the two associations should be merged
Total chairpersons na 100.0 na 100.0 1,530 100.0 to make a stronger association, given the
Source: MLG factsheer 201749.3a similarity of their objectives. Negotiations
between the two associations and
least one of whom must be a woman, 5.2 Implementation stakeholders are ongoing.
are directly elected by members of their Communities are mobilised to form
respective local organisations to represent groups, for instance to access credit 7. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
youth, disabled and older people’s from village banks. In water projects,
groups. Elections to the lower levels of the In each district there is a resident district
user committees are formed to take
local government structure – village and commissioner (RDC) appointed by the
responsibility for the supply system and
parish – are conducted by secret ballot. president, whose role is to represent
to mobilise other community members
national government and to coordinate
to contribute to the maintenance of
the administration of government
4.3 Elected representatives the water points. With funding from
services in the area. The RDC is the main
Elected representatives are generally the World Bank, the MLG has created a
contact between the local and national
nominated by their political party community-driven development fund
government systems. At the lowest ward/
although there are a few independent through which a local community group
village level the RDC will provide support
representatives. For district councils can receive a grant of around US$2,500
for basic computer systems such as simple
the sub-counties serve as electoral for any project of their choice where
spreadsheets to maintain records for
areas. In a typical district comprising the community meets all the following
planning and management purposes.
12 sub-counties and one town council, criteria:
The government has also adopted the
the district council will comprise the ■■ the households concerned have electronic funds transfer system for
following: the directly elected district immunised their children below five payments within government, including
chairperson, and one directly elected years of age local governments. The payment of funds in
councillor for each of the 12 sub-counties many local governments, especially those
■■ they have a rack for drying their
and the town council (see 4.2 above). on the government’s integrated financial
utensils
management system, is now effected
■■ they have a latrine at a recommended
4.4 Women’s representation electronically and instantaneously. This
healthy distance from the house
At least least one-third of all councillors is part of a bid to monitor payments and
■■ all their school-age children are in to minimise fraud, which has previously
must be female. school. occurred with paper-based payment
Four types of communities are systems. The local government associations
5. SYSTEMS FOR and the MLG meet regularly through the
recognised for the purposes of the
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT associations’ quarterly meetings and the
fund: geographical (found in the same
5.1 Legal requirement Joint Annual Review of Decentralisation
location); livelihood-based (living off the
Under Section 35(3) of the Local same source of livelihood); productive (JARD). JARD is a national forum of
Governments Act 1997 (Cap. 243), district (whose members participate in a stakeholders who are responsible for
councils are mandated to prepare particular trade); and needs-based service delivery, monitoring and technical
a comprehensive and integrated (formed around a common interest). This guidance at local government level.
development plan incorporating has since been mainstreamed into the
plans of sub-counties and municipal budgeting framework. 8. MONITORING SYSTEMS
councils, for submission to the national
The monitoring of local government
planning authority. Sub-counties and
5.3 ICT use in citizen engagement activities is done at every level, from the
municipal councils must prepare plans
ICT facilities are currently not available village to the district and then up to the
incorporating the plans of parish/ward
for community involvement in local national government. Reports from the
councils, and village/cell councils in
decision-making. As part of the national Local Government Public Accounts are
their respective areas of jurisdiction.
e-government strategy, however, submitted to the minister responsible for
Coordination is undertaken by the district
a new system of local government local government, who lays them before
technical planning committee and by
administration, known as the parliament.
the sub-county planning and budget
desks at lower local government levels, Districts Information Portal, has been
and is based in the planning unit within implemented. This provides profiles of 9. FINANCE, STAFFING AND RESOURCES
the MLG. The plans are submitted to their each district including contact details, 9.1 Local government expenditure
respective councils for consideration in economic activity and news. Further Local government expenditure in
accordance with Section 37(4) of the details can be found in Section 9.6. 2013/14 was approximately 15.7% of total
Local Governments Act. government expenditure – see table 49.2b.

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Table 49.2a Aggregate income and expenditure for local government 2014/15 To date the government has introduced
an integrated financial management
Income UGXm Expenditure UGXm
system in 22 district councils, one city
Centre–local transfers Administration and five city division councils. Second
and lower tiers of local government
Unconditional grants 82.57 Staff na have started to receive support for
implementing simpler complementary
Equalisation grants 3.60 Property na
systems.
Conditional grants 2,274.02 Other na
10. DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICE
Locally raised revenue Services DELIVERY RESPONSIBILITY
10.1 Overview of local government
Property taxes na Water na
service delivery
Licences and fees na Road maintenance na The second schedule of the Local
Governments Act 1997 lists the functions
Other na Other na that must remain with national
government, but also provides a list
TOTAL INCOME 2306.19 TOTAL EXPENDITURE ~2306.19
of functions to be carried out by the
districts and other local councils –
Source: MLG communication with CLGF
functions which may or may not
9.2 Locally raised revenue It is made up of seven members, four be devolved to lower levels of local
Local governments in Uganda can levy of whom are nominated by local government. Districts are responsible
taxes and receive non-tax revenue as governments. The commission advises on for the provision of education services,
prescribed by parliament. Over the all matters concerning the distribution although some education services
years, government has made alterations of revenue between national and local may be devolved to the lower councils.
to the types of taxes, with the latest government, and the allocation made Education policy remains with national
introductions into the system being a to each local government out of the government. The same is true for social
local service tax and a hotel tax. In rural consolidated fund. There are three forms welfare, environmental services and
areas, the district councils set taxes of grants made by national government to public sanitation. Public health is the
and the sub-county councils collect local government: a conditional grant, an responsibility of the districts, but they
tax and non-tax revenues on behalf of unconditional grant, and an equalisation are also strongly urged to devolve
the various tiers of local government. grant. primary care and health protection
In urban areas the municipal town to the lower councils. Responsibility
councils set their own taxes, which for transport and environmental
9.4 Loans
are then collected by divisions of the protection is shared between national
No information is available. and local government, and water
city council and by town councils.
Locally raised revenue is, by law, shared supply, electricity, trade and industry
between district councils (35%) and 9.5 Local authority staff remain under national government.
sub-county councils (65%). In the city The payroll for district and municipal Local economic development is the
and municipal councils, the divisions government staff is decentralised responsibility of the districts and lower
retain 50% and remit the other 50% and managed by the relevant local tiers of government; for example the
to the higher local government. On a governments. The Ministry of Public provision of marketplaces.
monthly basis, the city and municipal Service has adopted the ‘straight-
authorities are required to send back a through processing’ (STP) system for all 10.2 ICT use in service delivery
minimum of 30% of what they receive employees’ salaries. The monthly salary is
No information is available.
from divisions, based on a prescribed now directly credited to the employee’s
formula which takes into account bank account.
population, school-going age and land 10.3 The role of local government
area. The sub-county and town councils 9.6 Systems of financial management in achieving the UN Sustainable
are required by law to send 25% and Development Goals (SDGs)
A key aim of the Districts Information
10% of the revenue to villages and Portal (described in Section 5.3) The importance of national ownership
wards respectively. is to improve the public financial is an idea that influenced the country’s
management systems of all local long-term development plan, Uganda
governments through automation, in Vision 2040, which outlines the
9.3 Transfers
a systematic and phased manner. The ambition to become a middle-income
The Local Government Finance
first phase is to automate the first tier country by the year 2040. A series of
Commission (LGFC) advises the president
of government, starting with financial five-year National Development Plans
on the financial position and needs of
management systems. (NDPs) will set medium-term strategic
local government bodies.
direction, development priorities, and
implementation strategies for Uganda
Table 48.2b Local government expenditure Vision 2040. From the beginning of
as a percentage of total government expenditure 2014/15 the post-2015 process, alignment of
2014/15 the sustainable development goals
USh (SDGs) with national planning has been
a key concern. The Second National
Total government expenditure 15,054 Development Plan was launched in June
2015, after an exceptionally collaborative
Total local government expenditure 2,360
process with an eye towards integrating
Local government expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure 15.7% the SDGs from the start.

Source: Compiled by CLGF from table 2.1 and the budget statement estimates 2014/1549.9

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Uganda recently hosted the first Post- 49.2c Draft Uganda National Urban Policy 49.8 No reference for this section
2015 National Briefing – leading the way https://app.box.com/s/5emu78v6o 49.9 Based on the figure of
in efforts to assist national governments 4v2j4dl56jjwckfr3cwc66 USh2,360.2 mn total transfers
in preparing for the “localization” at 49.3a Ministry of Local Government to local government for 2014/15
national level of the new development factsheet 2017 http://molg.go.ug/ provided by the Ministry of Local
agenda. The event tested a briefing sites/default/files/MoLG%20-%20 Government (Table 2b) and
package developed by UNITAR and %20Fact%20Sheet.pdf national government 2014/15
partners. The Ugandan government was 49.3b National Population and Housing budgeted expenditure of
the first in piloting this briefing package, Census 2014 – provisional results USh15,054 m www.statehouse.
together with the UN Country Team www.ubos.org/onlinefiles/ go.ug/media/news/2014/0 6/12/
and two training experts from UNITAR. uploads/ubos/NPHC/NPHC 2014 budget-speech-financial-year-
Uganda and the United Nations Country PROVISIONAL RESULTS REPORT.pdf 201415-delivered-meeting-4th-
Team will continue to work together to session-9th-parliament (?)
49.3c Population projections
ensure the goals are translated from the 49.10 Localising the SDGs in Uganda
www.ubos.org/population-projections
NDP into local government and sector https://undg.org/silofighters_blog/
49.3d Ministry of Local Government
development plans.49.10 hitting-the-ground-running-the-
www.gov.ug/ministry/ministry-
local-government sdgs-in-uganda
REFERENCES AND USEFUL WEBSITES 49.4a Uganda Electoral Commission 49.11a UN statistics surface area
49.1a National government www.ec.or.ug http://unstats.un.org/unsd/
www.statehouse.go.ug demographic/products/dyb/
49.4b Johnson, D. H. Kabuchu & S. V.
49.1b Women in national parliaments. dyb2006/Table03.pdf
Kayonga (2003) Women in
Inter-Parliamentary Union Ugandan local government: the 49.11b Commonwealth Local
www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm impact of affirmative action, Government knowledge hub
49.2a Constitution of Uganda Gender & Development, 11:3, 8–18 www.clgf.org.uk/resource-centre/
www.statehouse.go.ug/ knowledge-hub
49.5 No reference for this section
government/constitution 49.11c UNDP HDR Uganda country
49.6 Uganda Local Government
49.2b Local Governments Act 1997 profile http://hdr.undp.org/en/
Association www.ulga.org
www.ulii.org/ug/legislation/ countries/profiles/UGA
49.7 No reference for this section
consolidated-act/243

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THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN uganda COUNTRY PROFILE 2017–18

Annex 49a Summary of service provision in different spheres of government in Uganda


Delivering authority

National Village and


Services government Districts Urban councils community councils Remarks
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Police n
Fire protection n n
Civil protection n n
Criminal justice n n
Civil status register n
Statistical office n
Electoral register n
EDUCATION
Pre-school (kindergarten and nursery) n n n
Primary n
Secondary n
Vocational and technical n
Higher education n
Adult education
SOCIAL WELFARE
Family welfare services n
Welfare homes n
Social security n
PUBLIC HEALTH
Primary care n n n
Hospitals n n n
Health protection n n n
HOUSING AND TOWN PLANNING
Housing
Town planning n
Regional planning n
TRANSPORT
Roads n n
Transport n
Urban roads
Urban rail
Ports n
Airports n
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC SANITATION
Water and sanitation n
Refuse collection and disposal n
Cemeteries and crematoria n
Slaughterhouses n
Environmental protection n
Consumer protection n
CULTURE, LEISURE AND SPORTS
Theatres and concerts n
Museums and libraries n
Parks and open spaces n n n
Sports and leisure facilities n
Religious facilities
UTILITIES
Gas services
District heating
Water supply n n
Electricity n
ECONOMIC
Agriculture, forests and fisheries n n n
Local economic development/promotion n n n
Trade and industry n
Tourism n

n sole responsibility service n joint responsibility service n discretionary service

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