Local government leaders decry poor pay, staffing gaps in petition to Parliament

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Local government leaders have petitioned Parliament, raising 10 critical concerns they say are undermining service delivery across Uganda.

The petition, presented to the August House on September 3, 2025, by Emily Kugonza (Buyaga East County MP, NRM), highlights issues ranging from poor remuneration of political leaders starting at LC1 level, to inadequate staffing, lack of road equipment and delays in local council elections.

The petition, tabled on behalf of the Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) and the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU), stressed the urgent need for reforms to strengthen decentralisation and restore public confidence in local governance.

Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi acknowledged awareness of the concerns but requested time to prepare a written response outlining the actions being taken. Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, who chaired the House, deferred debate on the petition until the minister returns with a documented update.

According to the petitioners, service delivery at the local level has deteriorated despite the availability of national resources and programmes. They pointed to systemic gaps in leader induction, remuneration, staffing, transport, road maintenance, planning capacity, revenue administration and electoral timelines. These, they warned, have slowed down local development, reduced accountability and eroded citizen trust.

Key issues raised in the petition:

Induction of local leaders: Newly elected leaders lack proper induction, leaving them ill-prepared to understand their constitutional responsibilities and accountability frameworks.

Low salaries: Political leaders from LC1 to city level perform critical duties but receive inadequate pay, leading to low morale, high turnover and weak accountability.

Transport constraints: Many local leaders lack vehicles to monitor projects and attend key meetings, undermining supervision and responsiveness.

Staff shortages: Most local governments operate at 30–60% of approved staffing levels, especially in newly created cities and town councils.

Road equipment: Cities and municipalities lack road equipment to maintain infrastructure, leading to poor road conditions and higher operational costs.

Road funds: Newly created town councils and sub-counties have not received road maintenance funds, worsening transport bottlenecks and raising the cost of living.

Physical planning Grants: Districts and cities lack adequate funding for urban and land-use planning, resulting in uncoordinated growth and inefficient service delivery.

Revenue Administration: Local revenues continue to be centralised in the Consolidated Fund, undermining financial autonomy and accountability.

Delayed LC elections: Repeated extensions of LC1 and LC2 terms have eroded grassroots democracy and created governance gaps.

Ring-fencing ULGA funding: Petitioners demanded dedicated funding for ULGA and UAAU to build institutional capacity and support policy advocacy.

The petitioners urged Parliament to hold quarterly meetings with local government leaders and to facilitate direct engagement with President Yoweri Museveni on the challenges raised.