House blocks new districts over costs

MPs yesterday blocked the creation of 25 proposed new districts until government shows their relevance and how it plans to fund them.
MPs on the Public Service and Local Government Committee yesterday met Local Government minister Adolf Mwesige and objected to the creation of the new administrative units without indicating how it plans to fund them.

The legislators called upon the Executive to also provide a report on the sustainability of existing districts. “We demand to know the rationale and justification of creating more districts when we do not know how they are to be funded,” Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi (NRM) said. “We want a full analysis of the financial implications and an assurance that we are not creating a big problem for this country.”

Shadow Local Government minister Betty Nambooze (Mukono Municipality, DP) accused the government of P. 5
from gerrymandering electoral constituencies with an eye on the 2016 general election.

“That is why more districts are being created towards 2016,” she said.

“The minister should also avail us the status of what is going to remain of the old districts because in essence they are also new. What would be their composition and revenue base and why isn’t government creating more municipalities than districts,” she wondered.

She also pointed out what she said is a regional skew, with the western region getting 12 new districts compared to central (3), east (2) and the north (5).

Government officials say the splitting of districts allows for better service delivery to citizens, an argument Kajara County MP Steven Tashobya (NRM) questioned yesterday.

He asked: “Would the minister tell us how the creation of more districts would facilitate the provision of more services? We have promised more districts yet sub-counties are not meeting due to lack of funds. Why create more when the old ones are limping?”

Quoting the Local Government Finance Commission, Mr Mwesige explained yesterday that at least Shs26.8 billion is required to fund the creation of about 23 districts.

He said the money would be spread out over four financial years.

MPs gave the minister two weeks to prepare and present a full funding plan for the new districts.

Article 179 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to alter boundaries of districts and the creation of more districts. According to the Constitution, any measure for the alteration of or the creation of districts shall be based on the necessity for effective administration and need to bring services closer to the people.

Yesterday’s decision by MPs is likely to delay, rather than stop, the creation of the new districts, which are popular among peasants and politicians alike – the latter often using the process to defend their electoral areas.

However, yesterday’s debate suggests that criticism by the media, public, and civil society of the creation of new districts – which studies have shown does not necessarily increase or improve service delivery – might be helping swing opinion in the House over the matter.

The legislators last year demanded that government tables before Parliament a study on the creation of more districts and whether the move was feasible. Mr Mwesige yesterday appealed to the MPs to approve the motion for the creation of more districts since it is an Executive motion.

Debate on the matter is expected to resume in a fortnight when the matter returns to the committee.

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