DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

L-R: Ms. Rose Gamwera, Secretary General ULGA; Mr. Ben Kumumanya, PS. MoLG and Dr. Arthur Bainomugisha, Executive Director ACODE in a group photo with award winners at the launch of the 8th Local Government Councils Scorecard Report FY 2018/19 at Hotel Africana in on 10th March 2020

1.0 Introduction the northwest. The district was originally created from part of the Greater Maluku, to This brief was developed from the form that changed to Tororo scorecard report titled, “The Local in 1980. The district has since then altered Government Councils Scorecard in size giving birth to several districts. FY2018/19. The Next Big Steps: At the time of assessment, the current Consolidating Gains of Decentralisation district comprised 19 sub counties and and Repositioning the Local Government 1 municipality. Tororo has had a steadily Sector in .” The brief provides key increasing population of about 2.7% per highlights of the performance of elected annum. In 2012, the mid-year population leaders and Council of Tororo District was estimated at 487,900 (UBOS, 2012). Local Government during FY 2018/19. Tororo District is multi-ethnic with tribes 1.1 Brief about Tororo District including the Jopadhola, Itesots, Bagishu, Samia, as well as the Kenyan Nandi. Located in the Eastern part of the country, Tororo District is bordered by 1.2 The Local Government Councils District to the north, to Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI) the northeast, to the east, Busia The main building blocks in LGCSCI are District to the south, District to the principles and core responsibilities of the southwest, and District to Local Governments as set out in Chapter

Eugene Gerald Ssemakula • Nagginda1 Judith • Stephen Jean Opong tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

11 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the Local Governments Act (CAP 243) under Section 10 (c), 2.0 Results of the Assessment (d) and (e). The scorecard comprises This section highlights the performance of of five parameters based on the core Council, Chairperson, Speaker of Council and responsibilities of the local government Councillors of Tororo District Local Government Councils, District Chairpersons, during the FY 2018/19. Speakers and Individual Councillors. 2.1 District Council These are classified into five categories: Financial management Tororo District council was assessed on and oversight; Political functions legislative role, accountability, planning and and representation; Legislation and budgeting and monitoring service delivery. In related functions; Development total the district scored 38 out of 100 points, planning and constituency servicing indicating a slight improvement by 4 points in and Monitoring service delivery. The the previous assessment. This performance parameters are broken down into ranked them 34th out of the 35 assessed quantitative and qualitative indicators. districts. The district scored way below average Separate scorecards are produced in each of the parameters compared to other for the District Chairperson, Speaker districts at both national and regional levels as of Council, individual Councillors, and indicated in Figure 1. Council as a whole. Figure 1: Performance of Tororo District The major rationale of the LGCSCI is Council on Key Parameters Relative to induce elected political leaders and to National and Regional Average representative organs to deliver on Performances their electoral promises, improve public service delivery, ensure accountability and promote good governance through periodic assessments. 1.3 Methodology The 2018/19 LGCSCI assessment used face-to-face structured interviews, civic engagement meetings, documents’ review, key informant interviews, field visits and Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 photography to collect the relevant data. The assessment was conducted 2.2 District Chairperson between November and December Ever since the passing on of the elected 2019. A total of 42 elected leaders (41 District Chairperson Apollo Jaramogi in District Councillors, and Speaker) and 2016, the district has not had a substantive Council were assessed. The acting chairperson. The Vice Chairperson as by Chairperson, Hon. Stella Echiria law, took the mantle as acting chairperson to Imukutet was assessed in her capacity undertake the chairperson’s roles. However, as a councillor representing Osukuru the conflict within council never allowed her Sub County. to fully occupy the office, with members of her

2 tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 executive committee resigning denying her 2.4 District Councillors quorum (these have since rescinded their The overall performance of the district resignation but have not been reinstated). councillors was below the national Attempts by the Electoral Commission to and regional average with only six (6) hold elections for a substantive district councillors scoring above 50 points and chairperson were equally frustrated due the majority scoring below 20 points. to the conflict between political leaders. It The lowest scores were obtained in should be noted that there were two camps monitoring service delivery where on of leaders that is those pushing for a new average councillors scored 7 out of 45 district (these boycotted the election) and points. This performance was comparably those that were not in support of a split poor both at national and regional level of Tororo District. As a result, the district as indicated in Figure 3. Notwithstanding, has not had an executive committee for specific councillors including Hon. Jimmy the last 4 years hence operates without Alia Apumeri of Kwapa, Hon. Betty Andera the full force of executive leadership. This Chieria of Lyolwa and Magola and Hon. was partly one of the reasons as to why Noah Okumu performed above average the acting chairperson was assessed as with 68, 65 and 63 points respectively. a councillor. Figure 3: Performance of Tororo 2.3 District Speaker of Council District Councillors on Key Parameters During the FY 2018/19 the Speaker of Relative to National and Regional Council was Hon. John Okea who was Average Performances representing PWDs. He subscribes to the ruling NRM party. At the time of the assessment, he was serving a second term in office. Speaker Okea scored 74 out of 100 points, registering an improvement from 43 points obtained in the previous assessment. His performance was above average across all the assessed parameters as indicated in Figure 2. Figure 2: Speaker of Council’s Performance on Key Parameters Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 Relative to National and Regional 3.0 Factors Affecting Average Performances Performance A number of factors can be attributed to this poor performance in the last assessment, notably: • Conflict between the political leaders: The political stand-off between councillors from Tororo County and those from West Budama has affected the district for the past 4 years.

Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19

3 tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

• Non-attendance of Council: This have neither monitored nor made any was originally done as a ploy to deny advocacy for improvement of service council quorum with all councillors delivery. Key examples include; of Tororo county boycotting council • Roads: Roads that had been in poor sittings. Indeed, no single council was shape stayed long without being held in the FY 2017/18. However, after attended to. the reconciliation efforts by various actors including H.E the president, a • Education: A number of primary few councillors from Tororo County schools are terribly under staffed, for had a change of heart. However, up instance Pa Noah Primary school in to 10 councillors still do not attend Sop Sop Sub County west Budama council thus denying their electorate County has over 1100 pupils, with 6 representation. Teachers including the Headmistress. One of the teachers posted in • Absence of a District Executive this school comes from Kidera Pa Committee: The absence of a district Nyangasi, in Rubongi Sub County, and executive committee has affected the has to ride a bicycle for up to 19kms functioning of the local government on to access his duty station. This is key functions that DEC is mandated to even made worse by the fact that the undertake. The district for example has teacher is an elderly person. Several no District Service Commission since other schools are in equal state and there is no one to appoint it. This has equally deserving attention. an effect on service delivery where recruitment of key staff for schools, • Health: In Mukujju Health centre IV in health centres and administration Tororo County, the toilets are near full, cannot be done. all the ambulances were long written off, as such in case of transferring of • Incapacitating chairperson’s office: patients to Tororo main Hospital or The office of the chairperson has any referral, it is on the mercy of good been made ineffective. The acting Samaritans. chair cannot perform her roles like monitoring service delivery in the entire • Agriculture: In Rubongi Sub County, district. It is observable that the acting the farmers received banana cuttings chairperson cannot set foot in West that were dry while the pineapple Budama. This has not been helped by plants for farming were received when her non- attendance of council during there was complete drought. the year under review.

• Poor state of service delivery: 4.0 Recommendation During the verification visits, it was evident that a number of service In conclusion, Tororo District has enormous delivery units (roads, schools and potential to succeed. Indeed during the health units) had challenges that were FY 2014/2015 assessment the district not being addressed by the district. emerged as the best performing district. It This was compounded by poor political is therefore incumbent upon all actors to oversight since majority of councillors address the political conflict so as take the district back on course.

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tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub 45 27 24

30 7 17

ENR

Environment 5 4 3

4 3 2 FAL

4 0 1

FAL 5 0 1 Agriculture

4 0 2

Roads Roads 7 2 4

4 0 2

Water

Water

7 4 4 4 0 2

Health Agriculture

7 7 3 5 2 3

Education Education 7 5 4 Monitoring Service Delivery 5 2 3

Monitoring Service Delivery Health Sub Total Sub 7 5 5 20 11 14

4 Participation in LLG in Participation Local Revenue Local 10 10

LLG 11 2 5

District Budget District Sub Total Sub

20 20 16 4 4 4

Budgeting

Planning and Mission and Vision Plans,

Coordinating Centre Coordinating 9 9 8 5 5 5

Sub Total Sub Contact Electorate Meetings

8

Electorate 25 10 15 11 11

Principles of Accountability of Principles Sub Total Sub

3 0 0

25 17 17

Involvement of CSO of Involvement

2 2 2 Skills Special 5 0 0

Accountability

Administrative Administrative Record of Motions of Record 3 3 2

8 2 5

Accountability Accountability Political

Records Book Records 2 2 2 8 3 5

Fiscal Accountability Fiscal

4 3 3 Committee Business 3 2 2

Sub Total Sub

Rules Of Procedure Of Rules 9 7 7 25 10 16

Capacity Building Capacity Council Presiding over

3 0 2 Council Chairing 3 3 3 Petitions

2 1 1

% Change % Legislative Resources Legislative 72 18

4 2 3

Public Hearings Public 2018/19

74 62

2 0 1

Initiatives 100

Conflict Resolution Resolution Conflict 2016/17

43 57

1 1 1 Performance

Ordinances 100

Legislation Served Terms

3 0 2 2 2

Council

Motions Passed by the the by Passed Motions Gender

3 1 2 M

Committees of Council of Committees

3 2 2 District Membership to ULGA to Membership

2 1 1 Tororo

Rules of Procedure of Rules Constituency

2 2 2 2018/19 PWD

100 38 62

Identifiers Party Political 2016/17

NRM 100 34 51

Name District Performance Max Score Tororo Average Scores Maximum John Okea Average Table 1: Performance of Tororo District Council FY 2018/19 Tororo of Performance 1: Table Table 2: Speaker of Council’s Performance, Tororo District FY 2018/19 Tororo Performance, Speaker of Council’s 2: Table

5

tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 Sub Total Sub

45

5 0 0 9 0 0 0 5 3 36 29 27 21 24 10 18 16 17 16 13 ENR

5 4 4 0 0 4 0 1 4 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 FAL

5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Roads

7 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 5 5 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 Water

7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 1 1 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Delivery Agriculture

7 7 5 5 1 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Education

7

7 5 7 5 5 0 5 1 5 5 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 1 Monitoring Service Health

7

7 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 5 5 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1

Meetings Sub County County Sub 10 0 0 6 6 6 2 0 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

10 10

LLG Sub Total Sub

2 8 9 9 5 5 0 5 5 20 16 20 17 16 13 13 10 12 11 17 12 Office

9

9 9 9 5 9 9 2 9 2 9 0 9 9 9 5 5 0 5 5 5 Meeting Electorate Meeting Contact

11

7 8 4 4 0 1 6 3 0 8 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 Electorate 11 11 11 Sub Total Sub

25

9 9 9 1 6 8 9 9 9 16 16 18 16 13 11 11 11 18 16 21 Special Skills Special

4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Motion

5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 Committee

8

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 8 3 8 8 0 8 8 8 8 8 Legislation Plenary

8 8 8 1 1 1 8 8 3 3 1 3 1 3 8 8 8 8 1 1 1 % Change % 4 0 5 -9

58 28 14 80 -16 -26 -34 -28 -52 -31 -70 -58

132 133 1000 2018/2019

68 65 63 52 52 51 42 41 36 35 31 30 28 27 22 21 21 21 19 19 100 2016/17

Performance

2 9 100 75 28 75 33 70 40 37 62 20 43 62 27 39 21 20 64 45 Terms Served Served Terms

2 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gender

F F F F F F F M M M M M M M M M M M M M Constituency

Kwapa Magola Iyolwa/ Div Western Easern Div PWD Kisoko Mukujju Iyolwa Kirewa Nabuyoga Mukujju Magola Rubongi Merikit Nagongera Rubongi Sop-Sop Mulanda Nagongera Political

NRM NRM IND IND NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM Name Identifiers Maximum Scores Maximum Alia Apumeri Jimmy ChieriaBetty Andera Noah Okumu Achieng Sarah Rose Christine Adikin Owor Jabwana Jox Beatrice Adikin John Martin Odongo Awora Eunice Oliver Oketcho Julius Langalanga* O. Peter Stephen Odwar Odongo* Samuel Opio Simon Peter Athago* Charles Okello Okello Patrick Damali Waka* Nekesa Ojaso Moses Ofwono Opio* Jacob Annie Beatrice Okumu* Table 3: Performance of Tororo District Councillors FY 2018/19 District Councillors Tororo of Performance 3: Table

6

tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 Sub Total Sub 45

6 6 4 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 7

4 ENR

5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 FAL

5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Roads

7 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Water

7

1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Delivery Agriculture

7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Education

7

1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 Monitoring Service Health 7

1 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2

1

Meetings Sub County County Sub 10 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

LLG 0 Sub Total Sub

9 2 5 0 0 2 5 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 6

20 10 Office 9

9 2 5 0 0 2 5 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 4

5 Meeting Electorate Meeting Contact 11

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Electorate

5 Sub Total Sub 25

0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 11 16 16

0 Special Skills Special 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 Motion

5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Committee 8

0 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6

Legislation 0 Plenary

8 0 1 1 8 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 % Change %

-4

-72 -61 -10 -20 -82 -33 -52 -79 -18 -83 -95 -95 -97 -97 -100 -100 -100 -100

2018/2019 9 9 8 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 0

19 19 18 18 16 14 14 12 11 23

100 14 2016/17 Performance

100

68 49 20 20 76 18 23 42 11 46 61 42 69 61 39 37 55 37 42

Terms Served Served Terms

1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 Gender

F F F F F F F F F F F

M M M M M M M M M F Constituency

Older Persons Sop-Sop Paya/ Mulanda Petta/Kisoko Youth Nabuyoga Pajwenda Osukuru Older Persons Nabuyoga Osukuru Paya Merikit Kwapa/Mella Mella Mukujju Div Western Eastern Div Kirewa Malaba T/C Youth Political

NRM NRM FDC FDC NRM NRM NRM IND NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM IND NRM IND NRM NRM NRM NRM Name Identifiers Maximum Scores Maximum Knoph Okware Edward Ochwo* Yerusa Stephen Othieno Opongi* Molly Cheria Anyieko* Harriet Awino* Mijasy Michael* Othieno* Susan Nyaburu Stella Echiria Imukutet* Ogola Loy Okoth Jennifer Amali* Fatuma Denis Olupot* Omala* Michael Oburu Christine Achieng Okujuwa* Akware* Remina Okoth Osiu* Deogratius Olwenyi* John Francis Irene Rutayisire* Eredet* Paul Okoth* Andrew Rogers Imailuk* Peter Isaac Orono* Average *Councillors Assessed Using Secondary Data

7 tororo DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

REFERENCES Bainomugisha, A., Mbabazi, J., Muhwezi, W., W., Bogere, G., Atukunda, P., Ssemakula, E.G., Otile, O., M., Kasalirwe, F., Mukwaya, N., R., Akena, W., Ayesigwa, R., The Local Government Councils Scorecard FY 2018/19: The Next Big Steps; Consolidating Gains of Decentralisation and Repositioning the Local Government Sector in Uganda. ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No. 96, 2020. Tororo District Local Government (2019), Minutes of Tororo District Council FY 2018/19 Republic of Uganda (1995), Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1997), Local Governments Act (CAP 243) as amended UBOS (2012), Statistical Abstract 2012

About ACODE: The Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) is an independent public policy research and advocacy Think Tank based in Uganda, working in the East and Southern Africa sub-regions on a wide range of public policy issues. Our core business is policy research and analysis, outreach and capacity building. Since it’s founding 19 years ago, ACODE has emerged as one of the leading regional public policy think tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa. For the last 8 consecutive years, ACODE has been recognized among the Top-100 Think Tanks worldwide by the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Global-Go-To Think Tank Index Reports.

About LGCSCI: The Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI) is a policy research and capacity building initiative implemented by ACODE and ULGA. The initiative is a strategic social accountability initiative that enables citizens to demand excellence of their local governments and enables local governments to respond effectively and efficiently to those demands with the aim of improving service delivery.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Eugene Gerald Ssemakula: Eugene is a researcher who for the past 14 years has undertaken various social research assignments with interests in Monitoring and Evaluation, Local Governance, financing and accountability. He is currently a Research Fellow with the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), where for the past 10 years has conducted annual capacity building and assessment of political leaders under the Local Government Councils Scorecard initiative. His publications can be accessed at www.acode-u.org. Judith Nagginda is an Independent Researcher and has taken part in previous assessments under the Local Government Council’s Score-card Initiative (LGCSCI) in Tororo district. Opong Stephen Jean is a Research Assistant for Tororo District with ACODE. He is a Tutor in Communication Skills and ICT for Certificate and Diploma based courses awarded by UBTEB, at Bake for Life College Tororo.

ADVOCATES COALITION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT Plot 96, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya. P. O. Box 29836, Kampala. Tel: +256 312 812150 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]. Website: www.acode-u.org

WITH SUPPORT FROM:

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