CREATION OF NEW DISTRICTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF UGANDA. A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED SUB-COUNTIES IN KASANDA DISTRICT BY MBUSA JOCKIM 1161/06404/04058 A RESEARCH DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND POLITICAL STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FEBRUARY, 2019 DECLARATION I MBUSA JOCKIM do hereby declare that this research dissertation is my original work and has not been submitted by any student for an award of a Bachelor’s Degree in any University. Signature Date.QE’ [2-’2~ 1 MBUSA JOCKIM Researcher APPROVAL This is to certify that this research dissertation has been compiled successfully under my supervision as a university recommended supervisor. Signatu Date .o~4 ~ MR. KAKOOZA ELIAS University Supervisor DEDICATION I dedicate this research dissertation to the Almighty God for the great love, protection and endurance He availed over to me in the three years course at Kampala International University. I dedicate this research work to my parents especially my loving mother Mrs. Kabugho Josinta for the moral support, thank you mum for the motivation, encouragement and all the support you extended over to me. May God continue to favour and Bless You. Further dedication goes to my brothers, family, my in-charges at my place of work, the in-charge security MTN Uganda Mr. Ronald Munduni and all members of RWECOS, Rwenzori region savings and credit society the course of this internship exercise. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I acknowledge Kampala International University to have given me a chance to further my education; I am really so much honored. I would like acknowledge and give thanks to my supervisor Mr. Kakooza Elias for taking the task of supervising this research work. Thank You so much. To all my friends at Kampala International University for the moral, physical and emotional support they extended over to me during my three years course in Public Administration. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION APPROVAL DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv TABLE OF CONTENTS V LIST OF ACRONYMS Viii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x ABSTRACT X~ CHAPTER ONE I INTRODUCTION 1 1.0 Introduction I 1.1 Background of the study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 3 1.3 Objectives of the study 4 1.3.1 General objective 4 1.3.2 Specific Objectives 4 1.4 Research questions 4 1.5 Scope of the study 4 1.5.1 Geographical scope 4 1.5.2 Content scope 5 1.5.3Timescope 5 1.6 Significance of Study 5 1.7 Conceptual framework 6 1.8 Operational definition of key terms 7 CHAPTER TWO 8 LITERATURE REVIEW 8 2.0 Introduction 8 2.1 Pattern of creation of Local Government jurisdictions 8 V 2.2 Political, economic and socio-cultural reasons for the creation of local government jurisdiction 12 2.3 Challenges that frequent creation of districts poses to economic development 17 CHAPTER THREE 21 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21 3.Olntroduction 21 3.lResearch Design 21 3.2Target Population 21 3.3Sample Size 21 3.4Data Collection Methods 22 3.4.lSecondary data 22 3.4.2 Primary Data Collection 22 3.5Data Collection instruments 23 3.6Validity and Reliability 23 3.7Data Analysis 23 3.8Expected Output 23 3.9Ethical considerations 24 CHAPTER FOUR 25 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS! FINDINGS 25 4.1 Introduction 25 4.2 General Findings 25 4.3 Questionnaires Distributed and Returned 25 4.4 Presentation of the findings according to the objectives 29 4.5 Political, economic and socio-cultural reasons for the creation of local government jurisdiction 32 4.6 Challenges that frequent creation of districts poses to economic development in Kasanda District 33 CHAPTER FIVE 34 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 34 5.1 Introduction 34 vi 5.2 Conclusion . 5.3 Recommendations 35 5.3.1 Pattern for the creation of local government jurisdiction in Kasanda District 35 5.3.2 Political, economic and socio-cultural reasons for the creation of local government jurisdiction 5.3.3 Challenges that frequent creation of districts poses to economic development in Kasanda District 36 5.4 Areas for further research 36 REFERENCES 37 APPENDIX I 41 QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE 41 APPENDIX iT 44 INTERVIEW GUIDE 44 VII LIST OF ACRONYMS CLGF Commonwealth Local Government Forum DLG Developmental Local Government EU European Union GEAR Growth Employment and Redistribution policy GPT Graduated Personal Tax HDI Human Development Index LED Local Economic Development LG Local Government NGO Nongovernmental Organization NRM National Resistance Movement RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Sample Size 22 Table 4.1: Questionnaires distributed and returned 25 Table 4.2: Gender of the respondents 26 Table 4.3: Education level of the respondents 27 Table 4.4: Marital status of the respondents 28 Table 4.5: Whether the pattern is based on bringing services closer to the people 29 Table 4.6 Shows whether the legal procedures are not always followed in creating new district in Uganda 29 Table 4.7 shows whether local government jurisdictions matter in serving the electoral interests of local government politicians 30 Table 4.8 shows whether creation of new districts is based on application of democracy to a geographic scale in the set area and beneficiaries 31 Table 4.9: Political, economic and socio-cultural reasons for the creation of local government jurisdiction 32 Table 4.10 Challenges that frequent creation of districts poses to economic development in Kasanda District 33 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 illustrates the relationship between dependent and dependent variables 6 Figure 4.1: Age of the respondents 26 x ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between creation of new districts and economic development of Uganda. The study was guided by three research objectives specifically to examine the pattern for the creation of local government jurisdiction in Selected Sub-Counties, assess the political, economic and socio-cultural reasons for the creation of local government jurisdictions and assess the challenges that frequent creation of districts poses to economic development. The study was covered using a descriptive survey study research design which seemed applicable to examine the relationship between creation of new districts and economic development. The study was based on a structured questionnaire which seemed suitable in a survey that involves a large number of respondents. A total of 144 employees were randomly selected, although at last only 74 were retrieved. Data was analyzed using frequency tables and percentages and the study concluded that the creation of new districts is based on a pattern of bringing services closer, although the legal procedures are at times not followed. The study recommends the government to consider the outcry of different local communities especially health to reduce on the maternal mortality rates and also improving livelihoods of the community because a healthy free comnnlnity creates development. xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction This chapter provides for the introduction, background to the study, problem statement, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study and the scope of the study. 1.1 Background of the study The consequences of economic and political reforms on patronage for development in Africa have been a source of much debate in recent years. On the one hand, more optimistic scholars have argued that these reforms have led to a decline in both the supply and demand for patronage, in as much as structural adjustment programs in the 1 980s limited the supply of patronage at the center while the democratization that swept the continent in the early 1 990s lessened demand for patronage as voters increasingly evaluated candidates on policy differences rather than clientelistic offers (Francis & James, 2013). On the other hand, however, most scholars have remained pessimistic and argue that African leaders have been able to circumvent these reforms and find new sources of patronage, which they then have been able to utilize in buying off voters at election time (Buwembo, 2015). One of the responses to these perceived failures has been to further reduce the scope of African leaders’ abilities to allocate resources through the promotion of decentralization reforms from the 1990s to the present. Indeed, in developing countries in particular decentralization has been as a palliative for a large number of governance problems and as such many countries have instituted a wide variety of reforms that have devolved the provision of various public services to lower levels of government. As with the other aforementioned reforms, a mini-cottage industry has sprung up to analyze decentralization policies with a large amount of controversy over their outcomes (Bardhan, & Mookherjee, 2016). As regards Uganda, the creation of new districts in the name of district local governments has become the latest political gimmick in Uganda. At the time of independence the country had only 18 districts. When the National Resistance Movement (NRM) took over power in 1986, there were 33 districts. Today, Uganda is divided into 127 districts and the capital city of Kampala, which are grouped into four administrative regions. The government’s position has been that this 1 move would increase political participation among ordinary citizens, advance social service delivery and above all steer local governance that addresses community needs. From the perspective that local governance is a rule-governed process through which residents of a defined area participate in their own governance in limited but locally important matters (Bogason and Musso, 2016). There has indeed been a significant change in local government budgets over the past decade, inasmuch as the former main source of local government revenue, the Graduated Personal Tax (GPT) was reduced from 10,000 USh to 3000 UShs per year in 2001 and eliminated completely in 2005 (Therkildsen, 2006).