By Julius Peter Ochen
Uganda adopted decentralisation by devolution in the 1990s as a strategy to improve service delivery. The core assumption underpinning this policy was that devolving power to local governments would foster community ownership of government programmes, encourage greater citizen participation in planning and implementation, and enhance willingness among local populations to contribute resources, including tax payment.
A central aim of Uganda’s decentralisation policy was to transfer political and administrative authority over service delivery to the local level where services are actually provided, with the intention of enhancing accountability and efficiency while strengthening community ownership of programmes and projects implemented within districts.
Through this policy, a wide range of mandates, powers, and responsibilities were delegated to local governments, including districts, cities, municipal councils and divisions, town councils, and sub-counties. These responsibilities are partly carried out by political leaders who are directly elected at all levels of local government, including local government councillors, whose mandate is to ensure effective delivery of government services to their constituents.
Since the adoption of the decentralisation policy, there have been several local government council elections, held in 1998, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021, and most recently 2026. However, each election cycle has been marked by a very high turnover of political leaders.
In some cases, up to 80 per cent of councillors have been replaced. For example, in the 2016 elections, only 17 per cent of incumbent councillors were re-elected across 111 districts. In the most recent election, only one out of eight Acholi district chairpersons was re-elected. This trend is not significantly different across the country.
The high turnover of political leaders negatively influences the daily operations of local governments. Frequent leadership changes cause disruptions in administrative work, reduce institutional memory, and slow down decision-making processes.
In the short term, these shifts often lead to interruptions in service delivery and delays in implementation of development projects.
This problem is further compounded by the fact that there is no formal academic qualification required to hold political office at the local government level. The lack of educational preparation among many newly elected leaders exacerbates the negative consequences of turnover, creating a cycle of inefficiency and weakened governance.
Many local leaders therefore learn on the job, often without adequate training or prior experience in public administration or governance. They frequently struggle to fully understand the responsibilities and expectations of their roles.
This knowledge gap limits their ability to effectively participate in council deliberations, propose motions, and contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes. As a result, local councils face reduced effectiveness, and the quality of public service delivery suffers.
The role of local government leaders in the development process of this country cannot be overstated. They undertake planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation, community representation, law-making, conflict resolution, and environmental protection—all of which are central to local development. Understanding and effectively executing these duties is key to better governance and improved service delivery at the local level.
In order to consolidate the gains of the decentralisation policy, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of local government leaders, and improve the quality of public service at local levels, it is important to provide proper induction and training for local government leaders to help them perform their duties effectively.
While the Ministry of Local Government has over the years developed a training and induction framework, the persistent rate of turnover among local leaders suggests that many representatives may not be adequately prepared for their roles. Responsibility should therefore not be left to the ministry alone. Additional support from development partners and civil society organisations could go a long way in addressing the knowledge gap and improving delivery of development objectives.
In the last quarter of 2021, the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, within a constrained budget, initiated capacity-building training for lower local government speakers across the country. Before his death, he had successfully conducted one for the Acholi sub-region and had scheduled West Nile, Lango, and Bunyoro sub-regions for the third and fourth quarters of 2022. He had identified a problem and taken action.
It is never too late to do the right thing, as the saying goes.
The author is a public policy pundit with Kampala Analytica