Stewardship, service, and way forward: Securing our future under decentralisation system

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OPINION

By Ben Kumumanya

As we settle into the new year, we should renew our focus on making various contributions to the social and economic development agenda of the country.

Many people had the opportunity to travel to their ancestral homes, surrounded by family and loved ones. That powerful pilgrimage serves as an enduring reminder of what truly matters: our families, our roots, and the shared future of our communities. It is in this spirit of reflection and togetherness that I speak about the very foundation of that future: our decentralised system of governance and our collective duty to protect and advance the progress we have built together.

For years, our system has been steadfastly stewarding the delivery of basic social services: education, water, health, and the maintenance of our community access roads, among others. This is a daily reality shaped in our districts, municipalities, sub-counties, town councils, parishes, and villages. The ultimate measure of our success lies in the quality of life experienced by every Ugandan citizen.

To ensure this, we rigorously assess our progress through the annual local government service delivery assessment programme, we evaluate core sectors' health, education, water and sanitation, micro-scale irrigation, and production services against the critical benchmarks of quality, usability, access and efficiency. Furthermore, we examine the foundational systems that enable this delivery: human resource management, planning, procurement, financial management, and transparency.

The last results gave us immense pride and clear direction. I extend my congratulations to the best-performing local governments, with special recognition to Kiruhura, Isingiro, Ibanda, Kabale, Kamwenge, Bukedea, Rukungiri district, Kumi, Kasese and Rukungiri MC for their exemplary leadership. Your dedication sets a high standard for excellence in service delivery.

However, the true strength of our decentralisation system is not only revealed in celebrating top performers, but in our unwavering commitment to lift up those facing challenges. Through our performance improvement planning (PIP) initiative, we partner with key ministries to provide targeted support. We noted the remarkable progress of districts like Buhweju from rank 162 to 16, Ntungamo from 112 to 28, Namisindwa rising from rank 170 to 49, Omoro from 156 to 52, and Lamwo from 167 to 54. These are powerful testaments of what can be achieved through collaborative support and constructive interventions.

 As we navigate 2026, decentralisation is a shared national responsibility. Its legal and policy framework was designed for collective ownership. Therefore, its successes and shortcomings are shared outcomes. Every stakeholder, from central government to local councils, must play their part effectively and efficiently.

The gift of decentralisation has given the people of Uganda a direct opportunity to shape their destiny. It empowers communities to participate in the decisions that affect their daily lives.

As we move forward, let us continue to cherish this gift and recommit to nurturing it to greater heights.

Let the goodwill of this new beginning inspire us to strengthen our partnerships, share knowledge, and rededicate ourselves to the efficient, transparent, and equitable delivery of services. When we all play our part, we will reap the full bounty of opportunities decentralisation offers.

As our nation has concluded its recent electoral exercise, a sacred component of our democracy, we stand at a pivotal moment of implementation. The choices have been made, and the mandates have been given. The focus now shifts decisively from promise to action, from campaign to governance. The future of our decentralised governance system now rests on the partnership between the people and the elected leaders.

A call to the elected leaders is that, with the recent engagement with the community in the last two months, the needs and challenges of the people must have been identified. Hold onto that clarity. The task before us all is to hold our leaders accountable at every level of governance to fulfil the solemn duty of stewardship. The manifesto must be delivered as pledged.

In your villages and parishes, you have a vital resource: your local council (LC) leaders, and at the sub-county level, there are sub-county chiefs, health workers, extension staff and parish chiefs, etc. These know the terrain, the local needs, and the people. Their continued dedicated service is the bedrock upon which all higher-level plans must be built. I urge you to continue consulting with them. True progress is achieved when plans are rooted in local reality, not distant rhetoric.

Let us remember that decentralisation is the reality of real power brought closer to the people. That power now translates into our shared responsibility: for citizens to engage actively and constructively, and for leaders to govern with transparency, accountability, and a relentless focus on results.

As we move forward, let us think of the legacy we wish to build. Let us approach our workplaces and our community with a renewed commitment to a Uganda where all levels of governance and responsibility become engines of socio-economic transformation of our motherland.

The writer is the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government