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

broadly responsible for the elimination POPULATION (2018 estimate): 2. LEGAL BASIS FOR 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 Chapter 11, Article 176(1) of the 241,550 sq km allegation of misconduct is raised. The Constitution49.2a of the Republic of IGG has direct powers to intervene, but CAPITAL: Uganda provides for a decentralised the minister and RDC can only conduct Kampala 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

all the way up to the president, who FORM OF GOVERNMENT: 2.3 Proposed legislative changes 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: is currently developing the Uganda 3.3 Council types unitary National Urban Policy49.2c in partnership Since 2002 there have been a number of LANGUAGES: with ULGA (see Section 6), Cities Alliance significant structural reforms in the local English (official), Swahili (recognised) and other partners. The agreed strategic government sector, which have resulted in an increase in the total number of urban plan contains an agreed national NATIONAL ELECTIONS: district councils from 56 to 111, and one vision and actionable directions to guide 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 WOMEN COUNCILLORS: (2015) cell councils. In rural areas, there are composed of chairperson, vice- 48.3% district councils, counties (which are chairperson and a maximum of three 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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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 3.3.1.5 Village councils: at the village level development within their areas. 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 initiates and formulates policies, which 3.3.2.4 Ward councils are required to is similar to that of the parishes. are put before the full council for have executive committees comprising 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 to preside over meetings. In each city monitors implementation of programmes Local government elections were last the executive and standing committees and resolves disputes within its area of held in 2015.49.4a Parish and village report to the full council. The executive jurisdiction. 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 3.3.2.2 Municipal councils are structure and functions are the same every five years. Candidates are elected administrative units within the local but their area of jurisdiction is smaller. on a party ticket. Only Ugandan citizens government structure, composed of Apart from the chairperson, executive resident in a local government area for executive committees drawn from all committee members at this level are more than four months and aged 18 divisions in the area. They are required not required to be full-time. Sub- 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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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 49.6 Councillors # % # % # % Government Association (ULGA) 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, In each district there is a resident district groups. Elections to the lower levels of the user committees are formed to take commissioner (RDC) appointed by the local government structure – village and responsibility for the supply system and president, whose role is to represent parish – are conducted by secret ballot. to mobilise other community members national government and to coordinate to contribute to the maintenance of the administration of government the water points. With funding from 4.3 Elected representatives services in the area. The RDC is the main the World Bank, the MLG has created a Elected representatives are generally contact between the local and national community-driven development fund nominated by their political party government systems. At the lowest ward/ through which a local community group although there are a few independent village level the RDC will provide support can receive a grant of around US$2,500 representatives. For district councils for basic computer systems such as simple for any project of their choice where the sub-counties serve as electoral spreadsheets to maintain records for the community meets all the following areas. In a typical district comprising planning and management purposes. criteria: 12 sub-counties and one town council, 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). utensils on the government’s integrated financial management system, is now effected ■■ they have a latrine at a recommended electronically and instantaneously. This 4.4 Women’s representation healthy distance from the house is part of a bid to monitor payments and At least least one-third of all councillors ■■ all their school-age children are in must be female. to minimise fraud, which has previously school. occurred with paper-based payment Four types of communities are systems. The local government associations 5. SYSTEMS FOR recognised for the purposes of the and the MLG meet regularly through the COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT fund: geographical (found in the same associations’ quarterly meetings and the 5.1 Legal requirement location); livelihood-based (living off the Joint Annual Review of Decentralisation 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 activities is done at every level, from the municipal councils must prepare plans 5.3 ICT use in citizen engagement village to the district and then up to the incorporating the plans of parish/ward ICT facilities are currently not available national government. Reports from the councils, and village/cell councils in for community involvement in local Local Government Public Accounts are their respective areas of jurisdiction. decision-making. As part of the national submitted to the minister responsible for Coordination is undertaken by the district e-government strategy, however, local government, who lays them before technical planning committee and by a new system of local government parliament. the sub-county planning and budget administration, known as the 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 protection is shared between national are then collected by divisions of the No information is available. city council and by town councils. and local government, and water 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 employees’ salaries. The monthly salary is minimum of 30% of what they receive 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 Development Goals (SDGs) are required by law to send 25% and 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 Vision 2040, which outlines the 9.3 Transfers governments through automation, in ambition to become a middle-income The Local Government Finance a systematic and phased manner. The country by the year 2040. A series of Commission (LGFC) advises the president first phase is to automate the first tier five-year National Development Plans on the financial position and needs of of government, starting with financial (NDPs) will set medium-term strategic local government bodies. management systems. 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 49.3c Population projections session-9th-parliament (?) ensure the goals are translated from the www.ubos.org/population-projections 49.10 Localising the SDGs in Uganda NDP into local government and sector 49.3d Ministry of Local Government https://undg.org/silofighters_blog/ development plans.49.10 www.gov.ug/ministry/ministry- hitting-the-ground-running-the- 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/ demographic/products/dyb/ www.statehouse.go.ug 49.4b Johnson, D. H. Kabuchu & S. V. dyb2006/Table03.pdf 49.1b Women in national parliaments. 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/ knowledge-hub www.statehouse.go.ug/ 49.5 No reference for this section 49.11c UNDP HDR Uganda country government/constitution 49.6 Uganda Local Government profile http://hdr.undp.org/en/ 49.2b Local Governments Act 1997 Association www.ulga.org countries/profiles/UGA www.ulii.org/ug/legislation/ 49.7 No reference for this section consolidated-act/243

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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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