Danish govt pledges public service accountability support

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The government of Denmark has pledged continued support to Uganda in financing accountability efforts, aiming to eliminate corruption in the public service.

Royal Danish Embassy in Uganda first secretary Anders Korsbak made the revelation on Monday, September 15, 2025, at the Kampala city-based Kabira Country Club. This was during the launch of a report about a recent study on the functionality of Local Government Public Accounts Committees (LGPACs).

“We share a common belief in Uganda that society requires a strong commitment to fighting corruption. We also see accountability as a crucial tool for development,” Korsbak said.

He noted that when public funds are protected and used effectively, services can reach the people who need them the most.

“This is important for communities to shape their own futures,” Korsbak said, adding that it is with this understanding that the Embassy of Denmark continues to support this agenda in Uganda.

Government officials during the launch of a report about a recent study on the functionality of Local Government Public Accounts Committees (LGPACs). (Courtesy photo)

According to him, his government is currently collaborating with the embassies of Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden to support efforts of Ugandan civil society organisations and local district governments to advance accountability in Uganda.

He lauded the various anti-corruption agencies aligned to the Government, such as the Inspectorate of Government and other institutions like the LGPACs, as vital guardians.

Korsbak noted that these are vital guardians of public accountability. They are designed to prevent, detect and address corruption. He acknowledged that while these committees have legal foundations to work on, effectiveness does vary.

“We should focus on practical solutions to these issues. We need to invest in strengthening the committees through funding, but also through continuous training and a stronger legal institutional framework,” he said.

Denmark remains committed to working with the Government of Uganda, the media, civil society and citizens to promote a transparent, accountable and democratic society in Uganda, according to Korsbak.

Hold leaders accountable

The launch was attended by local government minister Raphael Magyezi who unveiled the report to the public.

In his address as the chief guest, he noted that it is necessary that citizens get together to hold leaders accountable.

“The LGPACs can only do what is within their means. As we focus on strengthening the local government accountability structures, citizens too should know and appreciate that they are part of these structures by being ears, eyes and hands that support and check these structures,” Magyezi said.

The minister commended the Office of the Auditor General for exhibiting independence and professionalism and called for closer collaboration.

Among his recommendations was to provide adequate facilitation to LGPACs, saying the current shillings 20 million annual budget to a more suitable amount yet to be determined saying is too insufficient to help them manage field operations.

State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) was represented by Israel Ochwo, who heads its legal department and deputises the unit head, Brig. Henry Isoke was away due to competing demands on his time.

“We appreciated that a large part of the government budget went to local governments, and not enough effort was being taken in tracking it,” Ochwo said. 

“If we look at our last budget, 2024-2025, the budget of sh72 trillion, when you take off the about sh41 trillion that goes to debt repayment, local government, I think, was the highest-funded sector, with about sh6.8 trillion.”

He added that local government is an area where SHACU needs to place serious effort. 

“Even when you look at the other disbursements or other government entities in the education, health sector, most of these are still implemented at the local government sector, and we think it's an area where we need to marshal all our efforts to ensure that these resources are applied to good use.”

SHACU has so far arrested and charged at least 800 people for mismanaging public funds, and 370 of these are public officials since December 2018.

While unveiling the study, Henry Muguzi, the executive director at Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), a pan African political finance watchdog in Africa, said as an organisation that follows the money in the public institutions, they have been very concerned with the lack of accountability, the disappearance of funds, but also the failure of local government systems to deliver services to the people.

Muguzi noted that this report presents a comprehensive assessment of the functionality and capacity of Local Government Public Accounts Committees (LGPACs) across 18 districts in Uganda.

The study was motivated by the critical role LGPACs play in promoting accountability and transparency within the local governance framework, as established by the Local Government Act, CAP 138 (Section 92).

The assessment aimed to evaluate the extent to which LGPACs are effectively fulfilling their mandate, identify key challenges hindering their performance, and provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening their operations.

Key Findings and Analysis

LGPACs are generally established in compliance with the Local Government Act, Cap 138. However, critical structural gaps persist.

In 28% of the districts surveyed, committee positions were not fully constituted, and 17% lacked formal approval by the Ministry of Local Government, raising legitimacy concerns.

Gender representation in LGPACs remains uneven and falls short of legal thresholds in several districts, undermining inclusivity. This is attributed to the expiry of the terms of office of some members and the delay by districts in nominating other members.

While 10 districts have included at least two women members and are in compliance with the legal requirement (See Section 92(2) of the LGA), the 8 districts fall short of this requirement.

This reflects partial progress toward compliance with gender inclusivity, but also indicates that many committees still fall short of achieving a balanced gender representation, which is essential for promoting inclusive and representative decision-making.