Decentralization and the Dance of Creating Districts: Theory and Practice in Uganda

The practice of creating LG jurisdictions has various reasons to support it and these reasons are economic, political and/or socio-cultural. It is part of the reform policy that promotes local governance. The administrative hierarchy promotes communication between the population, local and CG leaders. Through the LC, political participation and accountability have been enhanced, improved service delivery and creation of employment opportunities. In Uganda, the 1993 Resistance Council, (RC) Statute provided the principle of “non-subordination” to prevent domination of Higher LGs over Lower LGs. Creation of LG jurisdiction has become an unending practice in Uganda since independence. In 1968 there were 17 districts, 1971, they were 19, 1974 they were 37, January 1979, they were 40, may 1979 they were reduced to 22, but in 1980 they were increased to 33. Between 1990 and 1997 11 district LGs were created raising the number from 34 to 45. In 2000, 11 more districts were created bringing the number to 56. In 2005, 22 more districts were created bringing the number to 78 and by 2008; the number of districts had risen to 83. The research was conducted in seven districts with the objective of assessing the reasons, processes, pattern and the challenges that frequent creation of districts pose to CG, LGs and citizens. The study found out that politics more than the economic and/or socio-cultural reasons influenced the creation of districts in Uganda. The cost of running LGs out weigh the intended benefits, and decentralization practices in Uganda goes beyond the available theories of decentralization. There is a lot of patronage and clientalism and this has made decentralization in Uganda to lose its meaning. In a nut shell, the practice of creating LG jurisdictions in Uganda is just like dancing than being a critical policy issue.