By Our Reporter
The Ministry of Local Government is seeking UGX35.2Bn to procure vehicles for 176 Local Government LCV Chairpersons and Mayors to enhance their mobility and efficiency in monitoring government programs. An additional UGX30Bn is requested for monitoring the Parish Development Model (PDM).
The request was presented by Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, during his appearance before Parliament’s Local Government Committee to present the Ministry’s 2025/26 National Budget Framework Paper.
“Article 176(2)(g) of the Constitution requires these leaders to conduct monitoring, but how can they do so without facilitation? The last vehicle support was provided in 2014/15, ten years ago. A vehicle’s lifespan, especially for field work, is five years. Many vehicles are now in garages due to age. We need this funding to be included in the budget,” Kumumanya explained.
Lawmakers Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East) and Pius Wakabi (Bugahya County) supported the Ministry’s request, arguing that the lack of vehicles for local leaders has hampered service delivery, with some leaders resorting to using vehicles meant for essential sectors like water and health.
Wakabi noted, “We need to support this request. In most cases, leaders end up using vehicles meant for critical sectors like water, affecting service delivery.”
Mutembuli added, “My LCV Chairperson can’t even travel to Kampala because the district vehicles are in poor condition. We need to provide proper facilitation for political leaders to monitor and supervise government programs effectively.”
During the meeting, Susan Amero (Amuria DWR) called on the government to impose educational qualifications for local council leaders, citing their limited capacity to supervise government programs like the PDM. She argued that some councilors lack basic literacy skills, making it difficult for them to oversee educated officials such as Parish Chiefs.
“We have councilors who can’t even read or write. How can they supervise a graduate Parish Chief? It’s time we included educational requirements in constitutional amendments,” Amero stated.
She attributed PDM’s poor performance to the lack of qualified councilors, emphasizing, “PDM is struggling because there’s minimal supervision. By the time officials from Kampala intervene, things are already failing at the grassroots.”
Wakabi supported the call for mandatory education qualifications and suggested that aspiring local leaders undergo training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi before assuming office.
“Local leaders are critical in implementing government programs. The Ministry should propose educational requirements for local leaders and mandatory training at NALI for better service delivery,” Wakabi suggested.
Kumumanya further requested UGX22.7Bn for the Ministry to clear outstanding arrears and UGX16.35Bn for constructing office blocks for 139 Sub-Counties displaced after the creation of new Town Councils.
“When a Town Council is created, Sub-Counties often lose market revenue to the Town Council, leaving them without sufficient funding for infrastructure. We need support to construct office blocks to ensure effective operations,” he added.
For the 2025/26 national budget, the Ministry of Local Government has been allocated UGX201.455Bn, including UGX10.489Bn for wages, UGX23.692Bn for non-wage recurrent expenses, UGX4.425Bn for development, and UGX162.848Bn from external financing. This allocation reflects a UGX24.304Bn reduction from the current UGX225.826Bn budget.
By December 2024, UGX49.853Bn (22.1%) of the budget had been released, with UGX24.055Bn spent, reflecting a 48.3% absorption rate.
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