Swizen K. Mugyema
Mr. Swizen K. Mugyema
Head of Department

Introduction.
The Department of Local Council’s Development is one of the core departments in the Ministry of Local Government. It was created under the post Constitutional Restructuring of the MoLG prepared by the Ministry of Public Service in 1998 (Restructuring Report: 1998). The Department directly contributes to all the Six Pillars of Decentralization.

Mandate.
In line with the Ministry’s mission, the department is mandated to build and sustain the necessary capacity of the Local Councils and Administrative Units to enable them perform efficiently and effectively”. The Department builds capacity of both elected and appointed officials in Local Government Councils right from Village to District level. In addition, the Department deals with all issues relating to Local Councils in liaison with other departments within the Ministry, line Ministries, Non-Governmental Organizations and Development Partners.

  Key functional areas

  • The Department is responsible for verifying requests for creation of new Administrative Units, Committees and Councils. The Country’s decentralization journey includes among others creation and nurturing Local Government Units. The Department therefore keeps track of all Local Governments and maintains a database of such.
  • Building Capacity of Local Leaders through induction Programs and consistent training in their roles and responsibilities. This helps to increase knowledge in areas crucial to the operations of the Local Councils System and the relationships between the Policy and the Implementation Arms of the Local Government system.
  • We provide technical guidance and support, advice and counseling to all the 176 Elected Councils in the Country (135 Districts, 10 Cities and 31 Municipal Councils) on matters relating to governance.
  • We review, support and provide Local Governments with relevant legal reference materials to execute their decentralized mandates. Such materials include the Constitution, Local Governments Act Cap 243, Local Council Courts Act, Local Council Standard Rules of Procedure and simplified IEC materials among others.
  • The Department supports Local Council Courts in their bid to provide quick, affordable and convenient justice to the population. Access to justice is a fundamental human right that encompasses not only availability of services but also accessibility. Local Council Courts exist at the Village, Parish and Sub County levels throughout the Country and their contribution towards resolving conflicts and creating harmony among the population cannot be under estimated.
  • In liaison with the Independent Electoral Commission, we ensure presence of able leaders at all levels that are capable of providing effective administration and directing local development interventions in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
  • Research, data collection and analysis on performance of Local Governments to help in development of systems, structures, guidelines and inform policies.
  • In liaison with Attorney General’s office, advise on interpretation of laws relating to Local Governments and harmonize the Local Government laws with the Constitution and other Laws.
  • Advocate for interests of Local Governments in a number of foras.
  • Training and mentoring Local Governments and Lower Councils as well as monitoring their performance to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations i.e. LGA, Constitution 1995 etc;
  • Development of Manuals, guidelines and publications for Local Governments and enhancing awareness among the populace on matters of good governance and LG issues as well as the decentralization policy;
  • Support other Departments, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) fulfill their mandates.

4.0      Achievements for the department
 Motorcycles for Sub County / Town Council / Division Chairpersons
The Ministry procured Motorcycles to facilitate Sub County, Town Council and Municipal Division Chairpersons. So far, 2,127 Motorcycles have been delivered out of the required Total of 2,165 (580 Town Councils, 1,496 Sub Counties and 89 Municipal Divisions). This leaves a deficit of 38 Motorcycles. The processes to procure the balance of 38 Motorcycles is fully on course.

Bicycles for Village/Cell and Parish/Ward Chairpersons
The Ministry procured and delivered a Total of 77,831 Bicycles to all Elected Village and Parish Chairpersons in the Country. The Number of Bicycles Delivered per Region is shown in the table below: –

RegionNo. of Bicycles Delivered
Central11,861
Eastern27,802
Northern18,196
Western19,972
Total77,831
  1. Stamps for Village and Parish Chairpersons
    The Ministry procured and distributed Official Government Stamps to all Offices of the Village/Cell and Parish/Ward Chairpersons throughout the Country. This was in a bid to improve Security, Curb Impersonation and curtail fraudulent Transactions hitherto orchestrated by wrong elements in our Communities. A total of 79,404 Stamps were distributed to the numerous Villages and Parishes in the Country.
  1. Administrative Units
    The Department successfully conducted a verification and update of Administrative Units in the Country. The Number of Administrative Units in Uganda are summarized in the Table Below: –

No. of Admn. Units in Uganda. Note that this is inclusive of KCCA. Source: LCD

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