The Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) and Urban Authorities’ Association of Uganda (UAAU) have petitioned Parliament, sounding the alarm on crumbling service delivery in local governments.
The two umbrella associations are demanding swift and targeted reforms to restore efficiency, boost accountability, and deliver for communities.
The petition, brought to Parliament by the ULGA President, Andrew Awany, who is also Kole District’s LC5 Chairperson, was presented by Buyanja East County MP, Hon. Emely Kugonza, during a plenary session chaired by Speaker Anita Among on Wednesday, 03 September 2025.
The key issues included poor induction, abysmal pay, staffing shortages, transport woes, neglected road maintenance, weak planning, revenue mismanagement, and electoral timing issues.
According to Kukonza, urgent well-funded and coordinated interventions are non-negotiable to align with Uganda’s development goals and constitutional mandates.
“Elected leaders in the 2021-2026 term have had no proper induction, leaving them unprepared for their roles. ULGA wants Parliament to fund a structured onboarding programme with clear timelines and impact assessments,” he added.
Among others, the petition established that salaries are another sore point. District LC5 Chairpersons and Mayors earn Shs2.38 million, Vice Chairpersons Shs1.19 million, District Speakers Shs724,000, and LC1 Chairpersons a paltry Shs10,000 monthly.
Low pay fuels demoralisation, turnover, and weak oversight the petition argues, pressing for immediate salary hikes.
The petition also identified transport as a major hurdle, with leaders unable to monitor projects or attend national meetings due to vehicle shortages. Consequently, ULGA demanded urgent procurement of vehicles for district, city, and municipal leaders, with a transparent timeline.
Other pertinent points in the petition included staffing, which they say is equally dire, with local governments limping along at 30 to 60 percent capacity.
New cities and units are hamstrung by wage caps, leaving critical posts vacant and crippling education, health, and public works.
Additionally, road maintenance is in shambles, with ULGA calling for graders, rollers, and tipper trucks for cities and municipalities, plus tractors for town councils’ waste management.
Hundreds of new town councils and sub-counties, created in 2017/18, have never received road funds, stalling local economies.
ULGA proposes dedicated planning funds with Shs500 million given to each district, Shs300 million per municipality, Shs200 million per town council, and Shs100 million per sub-county.
The Speaker praised ULGA’s petition as a key act of public participation, stressing that local governments are the backbone of service delivery. “These concerns demand urgent action under Rule 31,” she said.
The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, a former ULGA Secretary, requested for a day to prepare a response, to be presented at the next sitting.
