Local Government Councils’ Performance and Public Service Delivery in Uganda: Mbarara District Council Score-Card Report 2012/2013
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Date
2014
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ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series
Abstract
This is the second Local Government Scorecard assessment report for Mbarara District Local Government. Using the scorecard, ACODE assesses the performance of the District Council, the Speaker and individual Councilors who are vested with powers and responsibilities to ensure effective service delivery and good governance of the respective local governments as stipulated in the Local Governments Act. The scorecard is intended to build the capacities of local leaders to deliver on their mandates and empower citizens to demand for accountability from their elected leaders. This report provides information and analysis based on the assessment conducted during Financial Year 2012/13. The report is based on a comprehensive review of existing literature on: planning and budgeting, service delivery monitoring, and Mbarara District Local Government performance reports. A review of minutes of sectoral committees and council sittings was also undertaken to inform the report, particularly about the performance of the Council, the Chairperson and individual Councilors. Face-to-face interviews with the targeted leaders, key informant interviews at service delivery points and focus group discussions with the electorate further enriched the assessment process. Mbarara District Local Government is largely dependent on Central Government transfers which account for 96% of the total budget funding; with local revenue and donor support contributing 2% each.The education sector was allocated the highest share of the budget to the tune of 60.3%. Regarding service delivery outcomes in the primary education sub-sector, 18.2%, 58.5%, 11.65% and 5.2% of the pupils in the district passed in divisions I, II, III, and IV respectively. In the water and sanitation sector, safe water coverage level was at 62%. During the FY 2012/13, 26 districts across the country were assessed. In Mbarara District, the assessment covered 31 councilors, of whom 14 are female while 17 are male. In terms of score-card performance, the District Council scored a total of 65 out 100 possible points. The District Chairperson scored 75 out of 100 points. The District Speaker scored 64 out of 100 points. The total average score for councilors was 47.4 out of 100 possible points, an improvement from 40 points attained in FY 2011/12. The best male councilor was Hon. Tom Karuhanga with 64 points out of 100 points allotted for all the assessed parameters, while the best female councilors were Hon. Jennipher Tumuhairwe and Hon. Juliet Kamushana with 60 points each. Overall, the best performed parameter was the legislative role where, on average, councilors scored 16 out of the 25 possible points. The worst performed parameter was participation in the lower local government where, on average, councilors scored 2 out of the 10 possible points. It should be noted that internal political wrangles; poor record keeping; poor monitoring of government projects; and, low civic awareness, contributed immensely to councilors’ low level of performance. The report makes recommendations on: mandatory individual monitoring reports by Councilors; strengthening of the citizens’ forums (barazas); and, the need to review the existing budget architecture, among others.
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Bainomugisha, A., et.al., (2014). Local Government Councils’ Performance and Public Service Delivery in Uganda: Mbarara District Council Score-Card Report 2012/13. ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.32, 2014. Kampala.