Local Government system is the life to vision 2040

May 19, 2018

This year’s Labour Day was officially held in Kalangala district under the national theme titled, “Promoting the public spirit in the public sector”.

 
GOVERNMENT
 
By Nsubuga Mukedi
 
KAMAPALA - The media on May 4  was awashed with a topical story on local Government management titled ‘Revitalise local Government system" in Uganda.
 
The story was powered by the one and only lady Rosa Malango the UN Resident Coordinato and Representative in Uganda.
 
The story was a supplement in honor of the workers contribution to national development, held by the United Nations member states every May 1, to which Uganda is an integral part.
 
This year's Labour Day was officially held in Kalangala district under the national theme titled, "Promoting the public spirit in the public sector".
 
Many thanks lady Rosa Malango for that insightful and knowledge packed wisdom propelled for Uganda at zero cost.
 
 Local Governments are local because they are nearer to the people. Their closeness to the local citizenry makes them a darling for effective community development. Their relevancy to society is based on their powered capability to respond efficiently, effectively and appropriately to community challenges.
 
I therefore commend some local governments in Uganda who through thick and thin have some good work to show to the public.
 
Big up our serious local governments. Uganda's community challenges are innumerable. They range from massive household poverty, absolute community poverty, local authorities poverty and perhaps central Government poverty slowing the adequate delivery of services and resources to appropriate spending units at local levels.
 
As a result of this even poverty distribution other factors in supplement , most of our communities are hugely infested with a high number of bad, neglected or ignored public facilities such as roads, medical facilities, schools, poorly managed transformational programs etc. The United Nations can come in here to provide holistic support for transformational and sustainable development.
 
Whereas local governments are indispensable in dispensing local community development, their overall share on the national budget is still wanting. A staggering 15% annual share is too low to cause any significant transformation at local levels.
 
This income inequality coupled with the endless creation of new districts and urban authorities badly depletes our local resource envelope for development.
 
The meager and hard-won resources are mainly positioned to financing welfare management for the huge human resource base that normally comes with these new creations, rather than adequately investing in local economic development for all. There is therefore a need to revamp this hopeless trend.
 
The strategic tactic to local government excellence the world over is to ensure adequate funding, transparency, accountability and effective service delivery at all times. Local governments in Uganda care for the largest population and so their share to the overall national budget should be beyond 50% if significant development is to be achieved at lower local levels.
 
This approach if executed will help to distribute the economy speedily and adequately across Uganda from majorly the present greater Kampala area.
 
Ubuntu, obuntu bulamu or bulungi bwansi literally translated as ‘promoting public spirit in the public sector' remains a major challenge to development in Uganda in situations of emerged selfishness, greed, corruption with impunity, ignorance, massive joblessness and excessive wastage in public spending at the expense of the greater unprivileged. As a result of this vice, everyone has cultivated a tendency of being for him or herself and the Almighty God for us all!
 
To crop effective patriotism, public ownership or public spirit is a matter of understanding the needs of society and responding to them adequately just in time. This is what humanitarian organizations like the United Nations, Rotary International and Buganda Kingdom among others are doing to become perpetual darlings to the communities they serve.
 
This approach emulated is the sure way to successful implementation of vision 2040 for Uganda.
 
The writer is a Development Consultant and
A Senior Public Management Scientist.
 

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