Govt creates 190 town councils

The government is creating 189 town councils, the last 78 of which are to become operational in July this year in what officials say will help take services closer to the people and create jobs.
These include areas automatically upgraded to town councils on the basis of being the designated headquarters for new districts.

The massive establishment of town councils, which are the urban administrative units immediately below constituency-level municipalities, is in fulfillment of public demand, according to government.
“Yes, there are new town councils that have been created as the ministry is mandated under article 179 (4) of the Constitution. The article mandates the ministry to answer to the demands for creation of the new administrative units,” Local Government ministry permanent secretary Ben Kamumanya said yesterday.

His confirmation contrasted with an earlier denial by junior Local Government minister Jennifer Namuyangu.
“I am not aware of this information and I am hearing it from you. There are no new town councils created for the coming financial year. That is a lie,” Ms Namuyangu told this newspaper last week.
According to the ministry’s Statutory Instruments 2017 (No.48) which Daily Monitor has seen, 111 of the new town councils became operational on July 1, 2017.
The Statutory Instrument dated September 22, 2017 is signed by Local Government minister Tom Butime, who was unavailable to speak on the matter.

422 in total
The changes mean the number of town councils across the county now increases from the current 233 to 422.
A highly-placed government source, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to divulge details of closed-door meetings, said an official from the Finance ministry recently told Local Government ministry counterparts that they had no money to fund new administrative units.
Last year, Finance Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi asked Members of Parliament to stop creating new districts and other politically-lobbied administrative units because they are unviable and there is no central government money to fund them.

The increase in the number of administrative units, which has bloated public expenditure, has caused disquiet among donors and some bureaucrats.
The rising costs of public administration a couple of years ago prompted President Museveni, who had been at the forefront of pushing for districts on the pretext of taking services closer to the population, imposed a moratorium on creation of new districts.

Still, Parliament in September 2015 created 23 new districts whose headquarters automatically under the law become town councils, requiring more resources for recurrent and development expenditure.
New jobs at a town council include assistant town clerk and an elected mayor, who leads technical and political staff that must be paid monthly salaries and allowances against no or inadequate local resources.
However, Mr Kamumanya said the issue of funding should not block the extension of services.
“There will always be issues of money in the operations of government, but these are always resolved during the budgeting process,” he said.

“So, concerns over funding should cannot hinder us from responding to legally lodged demands for administrative units,” he added.
The main considerations under the law for elevation of a place to a new district or urban administrative unit include population, physical area and local revenue and range of economic activities.

Demand
However, President Museveni has on the basis of citizens’ demands during political rallies or electioneering period, agreed to elevation of some areas to district or town council status even when the place do not meet the parameters for elevation.
The newly-created town councils are spread across 44 districts while those that started on July 1, 2017 were created in 54 districts.

Soroti, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Bugiri, Kagadi and Kamuli districts have received three new town councils each.
Districts that have got two new town councils each include Oyam, Alebtong, Maracha, Nwoya, Agago, Katakwi, Kibuku, Namutumba, Namayingo and Busia. Others are Kyegegwa, Kamwenge, Kasese, Masindi, Mukono, Buvuma, Kyankwanzi and Budaka.

LAW SAYS
Section 7(3) of the Local Government Act says; subject to the Town and Country Planning Act (now the Physical Planning Act), the minister may, in consultation with the district with the approval of Cabinet after satisfying himself or herself that the requirements under paragraph 3 of the Third Schedule are met, declare an area to be a town.

List of the new town councils

Town District
1.Bugango Isingiro
2.Kasenda Kabarole
3.Butira Manafwa
4.Bumbo Manafwa
5.Adwari Otuke
6.Kamdini Oyam
7.Loro Oyam
8.Agwata Dokolo
9.Bata Dokolo
10.Etam Amolatar
11.Obongi Moyo
12.Lodonga Yumbe
13.Midigo Yumbe
14.Karu Yumbe
15.Ibaje Apac
16.Inomo Apac
17.Aboke Kole
18.Bala Kole
19.Namukora Kitgum
20.Pajule Pader
21.Atanga Pader
22.Parombo Nebbi
23.Aloi Alebtong
24.Agweg Lira
25.Elegu Amuru
26.Pabbo Amuru
27.Pakele Adjumani
28.Palenga Omoro
29.Mukura Ngora
30.Opot Ngora
31.Nabiganda Butaleja
32.Bufujja-Kachonga Butaleja
33.Busaba Butaleja
34.Namwendwa Kamuli
35.Kisozi Kamuli
36.Mbulamuti Kamuli
37.Iki-Iki Budaka
38.Kamonkoli Budaka
39.Usuk Katakwi
40.Agule Pallisa
41.Tirinyi Kibuku
42.Kadama Kibuku
43.Sipi Kapchorwa
44.Ochero Kaberamaido
45.Otuboi Kaberamaido
46.Bukungu Buyende
47.Irundu Buyende
48.Bwondha Mayuge
49.Bugadde Mayuge
50.Nawaikoke Kaliro
51.Bayuyoga Tororo
52.Pajwenda Tororo
53.Kacheri Kotido
54.Lokitelaebu Kotido
55.Lokiteded Napak
56.Matany Napak
57.Kangole Napak
58.Chepsukunya Kween
59.Nankoma Bugiri
60.Namayemba Bugiri
61.Basowa Bugiri
62.Lumino-Majanji Busia
63.Namungodi Busia
64.Buteraniro-Nyeihanga Mbarara
65.Rubindi-Ruhumba Mbarara
66.Kabura Mbarara
67.Bunagana Kisoro
68.Chyanika Kisoro
69.Kyakatwire Kyenjojo
70.Kisojo Kyenjojo
71.Rwentobo-Rwahi Ntungamo
72.Kafunjo-Mirama Ntungamo
73.Wanseko Buliisa
74.Butiaba Buliisa
75.Nyakaziba Buhwju
76.Kabango Masindi
77.Kyatiri Masindi
78.kitagate Isingiro
79.Kamubeizi Isingiro
80.Katindo Kakumiro
81.Igayaza Kakumiro
82.Rushere Kiruhura
83.Kayabwe Mpigi
84.Buwama Mpigi
85.Kinoni Lwengo
86.Nakifuma-Naggalama Mukono
87.Katosi Mukono
88.Ntenjeru-Kisoga Mukono
89.Ssekanyonyi Mityana
90.Bbanda Mityana
91.Zigoti Mityana
92.Ntuusi Ssembabule
93.Mutukula Kyotera
94.Kasensero Kyotera
95.Busaana Kayunga
96.Nazigo Kayunga
97.Kangulumira Kayunga
98.Maddu Gomba
99.Namwiwa Kaliro
100.Kibibi Butambala
101.Biiso Buliisa
102.Lira Palwo Agago
103.Wol Agago
104.Karuma Kiryandongo
105.Hapuyo Kyegegwa
106.Mpara Kyegegwa
107.Ruhiira Isingiro
108.Kidera Buyende
109.Kibale Butebo
110.Kabwangasi Butebo
111.Rwoho Ntungamo

New town councils for 2018/2019
1.Iceme Oyam
2.Minakulu Oyam
3.Kangai Dokolo
4.Alito Apac
5.Akalo Kole
6.Amugu Alebtong
7.Apala Alebtong
8.Amach Lira
9.Panyimur Pakwach
10.Okokora Maracha
11.Ovujo Maracha
12.Kitgum-Matidi Kitgum
13.Atiak Amuru
14.Acet Omoro
15.Purongo Nwoya
16.Kocj Goma Nwoya
17.Adilang Agago
18.Lai Mutu Agago
19.Balawoli Kamuli
20.Kasambira Kamuli
21.Kachomo Budaka
22.Naboa Budaka
23.Toroma Katakwi
24.Magoro Katakwi
25.Kamuge Pallisa
26Kakoro Butebo
27.Kasasira Kibuku
28.Bulangira Kibuku
29.Kongunga Bukedea
30.Bulumba Kaliro
31.Iyolwa Tororo
32.Bugobi Namutumba
33.Kibale Namutumba
34Buwuni Bugiri
35.Muterere Bugiri
36.Nabukalu Bugiri
37.Mutumba Namayingo
38.Banda Namayingo
39.Tiira Busia
40.Masafu Busia
41.Jewa Mbale
42.Rweibogo Mbarara
43.Kakabara Kyegegwa
44.Kazinga Kyegegwa
45.Kabuga Kamwenge
46.Bigodi Kamwenge
47.Kyarumba Kasese
48.Mubuku Kasese
49.Mabira Kyenjojo
50.Rutookye Mitooma
51.Nyakyera Ntungamo
52.Nyamukana Ntungamo
53.Rwamabondo Ntungamo
54.Nyakashaka Buhweju
55.Kizinda Bushenyi
56.Kyabugyimbi Bushenyi
57.Bitooma Bushenyi
58.Kyaterekera Kagadi
59.Mpeefu ya Sande Kagadi
60.Kyenzige Kagadi
61.Buliima Masindi
62.Kijunjubwa Masindi
63.Buremba Kiruhura
64.Katovu Lwengo
65.Namataba Mukono
66.Kasawo Mukono
67.Kitimbwa Kayunga
68.Lyabana Buvuma
69.Lubya Buvuma
70.Watuba Kyankwanzi
71.Masodde-Karagi Kyankwanzi
72.Kaliiro Lyantonde
73.Kuushu Budaka
74.Kikholo Budaka
75.Nawanyago Kamuli
76.Tubur Soroti
77.Arapai Soroti
78. Amen Soroti

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