The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, has called for greater decision-making authority, financial independence and institutional capacity for local governments across East Africa to improve service delivery and accelerate development.
Speaking at the opening of the East African Local Government Forum under the theme “Accelerating Local Autonomy,” the Minister said local governments must be empowered with adequate resources and authority to respond to the needs of their communities.
He noted that citizens experience government through services such as roads, schools, health facilities and water, making strong local governments essential to effective governance.
“Those closest to the people often understand their challenges and opportunities better. We must therefore move towards a governance model where local governments have sufficient authority, institutional capacity and financial resources to fulfil their responsibilities,” he said.
Hon. Barugahara identified inadequate financing as a major challenge, calling for stronger local revenue mobilisation, improved fiscal transfers and innovative financing mechanisms. He also emphasised the need to strengthen local government institutions, improve coordination between political leaders and technical officers, and equip local administrators with the skills to deliver on their mandates.
On accountability, the Minister cautioned that greater autonomy must go hand in hand with transparency and proper management of public resources, stressing the importance of auditing, procurement oversight and community participation.
He further challenged local governments to drive economic transformation through investment promotion, agricultural development, trade and employment creation, citing Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM) as an initiative bringing economic empowerment closer to households.
The Minister also encouraged local authorities to embrace digital technology in revenue collection, financial management, planning and service delivery to improve efficiency and minimise financial leakages.
In his concluding remarks , he called for stronger regional cooperation, urging East African countries to share practical experiences in decentralisation, urban governance and innovative financing .
