By Ronald Kabanza
The Uganda local government associations want a ban on the creation of new districts and lower local government units to pave a way for effective service delivery. The call to the ban streams from the realization that some of newly created districts are grappling with lack of resources to run their planned activities.
Patrick Besigye Keihwa, the south western region association president at the same time kabale district chairperson told the annual western region meeting on Friday in Rukungiri that the central government, should consider clear producers and objectives in the creatia for the establishment of new districts and embed them in the law.
The local government equally appealed to the communities to consider the advantages and disadvantages of creating new districts and lower local governing units because they have become a hindrance in service delivery.
He says many new created districts cannot offer quality services because of limited funds, limited man power and infrastructure.
Josephine Kushemererwa, the acting general secretary told the meeting that as the associations they have decided to device means of advising the central government on operationalizing the already existing administrative units other than coming up with new ones that cannot be funded and neither can add valve to association.
Charles Andrewson Katebire, the Rukungiri district chairperson said that new districts increase the expenditure of mother districts as the new one becomes operational.
Katebire says that they should be increase in the funding to local governments if service provision to citizens is to improve.
According to Katebire, it is a demotion when new districts are created because much as the claim a district is created to bring services closer to the people, it has been a case.
The meeting delegates later agreed that parliament should formulate clear laws to guide creation of new district other than granting powers to any sitting president to grant district status to appease people .Already people of Rubabo County in Rukungiri district are demanding for creation of a new district as politics takes on the stage now.
Other resolutions agreed upon during this meeting were pressing the central government to increase funding to the local government units, engaging the central government to continue facilitating district leaders, bridging the gap between the central government and local government to improve service delivery among others.
The meeting was attended by local leaders from the 36 districts of western region.
What is ULGA?
ULGA in full is Uganda local government association and it is an umbrella association of all districts and lower local government units in Uganda. Currently, the association has 134 districts and over 2000 operational lower local governments.
The lower local government units are town councils and sub- counties.
The mandate of the association is to mobilize all local governments to have a strong voice advocates for improved service delivery and the key issues affecting service delivery in local governments.
The association is operating across the country and it is composed of district chairperson, district council speakers, chief administrative officers, sub- county chiefs and LC3 chairpersons.
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