Uganda’s District-lisation Model of service delivery is only Futile!!!!
http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=6759&magazine=400

Uganda had only 16 districts in Uganda in 1959. The number of districts increased in 1974 and 2000 to 37 and 56 respectively. In 2006 there were 80 districts. In 2011 we had 112 districts till Kampala was recentralised or made an independent accounting authority. At 111 districts, Uganda has the highest number of sub-national political units of any country in Africa. Indeed Uganda at 100+ districts surpasses Russia (83 federal states) to become the first country with the largest number of the highest level sub-national administrative units in the world. The Government now has now proposed to increase the number of districts by 25 putting the number at 136 districts.

Government’s vindication for creation is primary for enhancing service delivery and effective administration in tandem with the 179 article of the Uganda constitution of 1995. This however has stirred debate on whether ditrictlisation enhances service delivery. Against the backdrop of the discussion, I highlight a number of reasons as to why this model is only futile.

To start with each district LG structure in Uganda has five political levels: The district (LC 5);the county (LC4);the sub-county (LC 3);the parish (LC 2);the village (LC 1) coupled with a number of administrative positions as well as other political officers Each district has have following standardised 11 cost centres; Chief Administrator’s Office, Finance, Statutory bodies (including Council and its Committees),Production,Health,Education,Works,Natural Resources, Community Based Services, Planning and Internal Audit. This means the creation of a leads to a significant number of new posts at the district level. First, a whole new set of technical and administrative staff must be hired, including a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Resident District Commissioner (RDC), deputy CAO, deputy RDC, and a District Auditor, Clerk (and Assistant Clerk), Community Based Services Manager, Education Officer, Engineer, Extension Coordinator, Finance Officer, Director of Health Services, Information Officer, Inspector of Schools, Land Officer, National Agricultural Advisory Services Officer, Personnel Officer and Planner, among others. A new set of district councillors  representing special interest groups (such as women, the youth and the disabled), averaging out to around 12 per new district, must also go on the payroll. Finally, a new district must also accommodate a district Chairman. This in essence points to fact that starting up a district requires substantial investments most of which in the short run are rather administrative. The Local Government Finance commission has demonstrated that each district requires about 1.2 bn for start-up but Government can only avail 100mn which alone cannot set up a descent administration block.

The uncontrolled expansion is imposing a toll on the national budget especially since the local governments hardly raise any revenues. Eg Palissa has annual revenue of about Ushs. 130 million and is represented by 5 MPs who cost the nation about UShs. 900Million. so do we need all these MPs or least the 900mn can be used to improve services in districts. A district is allocated about 2million for school inspection annually.

On the contrary, despite the number of districts having increased by 39% from 80 districts in 2006 to 111 in 2011, the Local government share of the budget continues to dwindle. (For instance, over the MTEF 2006/07- 2013/14 over 69% of the budget is spent on centre programmes and only 31% on Local Government programmes.) As per FY 2012/13 only 21% of the national budget will be spent at the local government level. Also still most of the local governments depend on 90% central Government transfers. Also notably, despite the increase in the number of districts, services are increasing being centralised e.g. the procurement of drugs by NMS, the 10,000kms taken over by the UNRA, centralisation of Kampala city council by central government into KCCA among others.

An empirical paper by GREEN ELIOTT, “Decentralization and Conflict in Uganda”, London School of Economics in: Conflict, Security and Development 8, 4 (December, 2008) concludes that district creation is a platform for entrenching political patronage by the current regime to win elections. This is a synomyous to process to the old American practice of gerrymandering, whereby sub-national political units are altered in size or shape in order to alter the majority/minority status of certain political, racial or ethnic groups. A case in point arguably is when an opposition district is broken into several units and the ruling party spends our natonal treasury to win over the seats for the created units or least break an NRm district into several units. This districtlisation is the reason we have such a bloated parliament of 365 members, the majority over 70% being NRM members, rendering the pertitent discussions always ending up in favour of the ruling party.

The benefits of creation new districts(most of which are shortterm) with standing, there is limited evidence todate that creation of  districts ehances service delivery. So there is an evident need to evidence based policy rather than the politically driven policies. The latter always may not yield traction.