LC polls open new chapter for grassroots governance
Uganda’s LC1 and LC2 elections are more than a grassroots leadership contest. They renew a decentralised governance system that puts hundreds of thousands of leaders within reach of citizens — with the responsibility to turn local mandates into better services, accountability and community development.
Ben Kumumanya. (Courtesy)
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OPINION
By Ben Kumumanya
The conclusion of the parish/ward-level LC2 elections marks another important milestone in Uganda’s decentralisation journey. These elections have once again demonstrated that democracy in Uganda is not confined to Parliament, district councils or urban authorities; it reaches the village and parish, where citizens live, work and participate directly in the development of their communities.
The local council system remains one of the most important mechanisms through which the Government brings leadership, decision-making and accountability closer to the people. The recently concluded LC1 and LC2 elections, therefore, represent more than the election of parish/ward and village/cell leaders. They represent the renewal of the grassroots structures through which citizens participate in identifying their priorities, monitoring public services, resolving local challenges and holding leaders accountable.
Uganda has an extensive grassroots governance structure. The Electoral Commission reports that there are 71,214 villages and 10,716 parishes across the country. At village level, each local council executive committee consists of 11 members. If all 71,214 villages are considered, this translates into 783,354 positions within the village executive structures. This illustrates the extraordinary scale of grassroots participation in Uganda’s governance system.
At the parish/ward and village/cell level, the country has thousands of administrative units, bringing another significant number of citizens into organised leadership and representation. Even using a conservative illustration of 10,000 parish/ward structures, with 11 executive positions in each. This represents another 110,000 leadership positions. These figures demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of Ugandans cannot all be leaders, but a significant fraction of citizens are able to participate directly in leadership and public affairs through these structures.
This is the strength of Uganda’s decentralised governance system. Leadership is not concentrated in a few institutions at the centre. It is distributed across communities so that ordinary citizens can participate in the management of matters.
The LC2 executive committee comprises 11 members, each with a defined responsibility that contributes to the functioning and development of the parish or ward. The same applies at the village/cell level. The structure comprises:
Chairperson: Provides overall leadership, co-ordination and guidance to the executive committee and represents the interests of the community.
Vice-chairperson: Assists the chairperson in the execution of responsibilities and also serves as the secretary for children welfare, ensuring that the Concerns and welfare of children are considered in community affairs.
Secretary for information, education and mobilisation:
Supports community sensitisation, information sharing and mobilisation of residents to participate in government programmes and community development activities.
Secretary for security:
Works with the relevant authorities and the community to promote security, peace and stability within the parish or ward.
Secretary for finance
Supports financial accountability and promotes responsible management and oversight of resources at the local level.
Secretary for production and environmental protection:
Mobilises communities to participate in productive activities, improve household incomes and protect the environment.
Secretary for youth: Represents and promotes the interests of young people and encourages their participation in development programmes and community activities.
Secretary for women and public health co-ordinator: Represents women’s interests while also co-ordinating community public health initiatives, including sanitation, hygiene and other activities that promote community wellbeing.
Secretary for the council of older persons: Represents the interests and welfare of older persons and promotes their participation and inclusion in community affairs.
This clear division of responsibilities demonstrates that the LC1 and 2 structure is not merely an electoral arrangement. It is a comprehensive grassroots governance mechanism in which different leaders have specific responsibilities that collectively address the social, economic, environmental and administrative needs of the communities.
The structure also demonstrates the extent to which citizens are involved in governance. While all the people cannot occupy leadership positions, however, through the local council system, a significant proportion of citizens have the opportunity to participate directly in leadership, decision-making and community mobilisation. Those who are elected, therefore, carry a responsibility to represent not only those who voted for them, but the wider community.
The parish and village leadership structures are particularly important in monitoring government programmes. Leaders at these levels are closest to citizens and are, therefore, best-positioned to identify challenges in the implementation of programmes such as the Parish Development Model and other government interventions. They can help communities understand government programmes and monitor service delivery and bring emerging concerns to the attention of higher local government authorities.
The different portfolios within the LC1 and 2 executive committee provide a strong foundation for this work. The secretary for production and environmental protection can mobilise households around production and environmental conservation; the secretary for youth can help connect young people to development opportunities; the secretary for women and public health can mobilise communities around health, sanitation and hygiene; while the secretaries responsible for persons with disabilities and older persons ensure that vulnerable and often under-represented groups remain part of the development process.
The law also gives administrative unit councils responsibilities that include monitoring service delivery, assisting in the maintenance of law, order and security, resolving problems identified at their level and drawing the attention of higher authorities to any matter of concern.
As the newly elected LC1 and 2 leaders assume office, they should, therefore, understand that leadership is a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity for personal benefit. They must work closely with communities, technical officers, higher local government councils and other stakeholders to ensure that government programmes translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
The Ministry of Local Government congratulates Ugandans upon participating in the LC1 and 2 elections, and calls upon the newly elected leaders to uphold integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and service to the people.
The success of decentralisation ultimately depends not only on the structures created by the Government, but also on how effectively those structures work for citizens. With hundreds of thousands of grassroots leaders participating across Uganda, our country has an enormous human resource at community level. If properly co-ordinated and guided, these leaders can become a powerful force for community development, social accountability, environmental protection, public health, youth empowerment, social inclusion and improved service delivery.
The conclusion of the LC1 and 2 elections should, therefore, be seen as the beginning of a new chapter not the end of an electoral process. It is now time for the elected leaders to turn the mandate, given to them by their communities, into meaningful action and development, ensuring that the principles of decentralisation continue to put the people at the centre of governance.
The writer is the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Local Government