Councillors need induction courses

Jan 14, 2009

IT is almost three years since multi-party politics was introduced. However, according to information from the Uganda Local Governments Authority (ULGA), many local leaders are yet to come to grips with running their councils under the party system.

IT is almost three years since multi-party politics was introduced. However, according to information from the Uganda Local Governments Authority (ULGA), many local leaders are yet to come to grips with running their councils under the party system.

In some cases, according to the ULGA report, councillors have failed to implement development programmes because they have different political affiliations.

Some of the conflicts in districts are also linked to failure to adapt to the new political dispensation.

The report recommends that induction courses for councillors should be intensified. Although a number of courses were held in 2006, they were not effective. Councillors blame this on poorly-selected course facilitators.

But, according to ULGA, under a capacity building programme for local governments, the training curriculum has been reviewed and effective capacity building has started.

The responsibility of adapting to the multi-party system does not only lie with ULGA. It goes down to councillors and their political parties.

Political parties must have programmes to train their councillors for the new roles.

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