Kampala, Uganda – Parliamentarians have criticized the government for failing to support district local governments in relocating to new headquarters or facilitating newly created cities in establishing their administrative offices.
The issue was raised during a parliamentary session where the Committee on Government Assurances highlighted the lack of road equipment in most new cities, making it difficult to maintain and rehabilitate road networks.
The committee noted that much of the movable equipment previously available had been retained by the mother districts, leaving the new cities without the necessary resources.
Further scrutiny revealed that the Ministry of Local Government has not yet provided funding for new cities to develop physical development plans.
Raising the concern on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Abed Bwanika pointed out that in cases where such plans exist, financing had been secured through development partners rather than government support.
Hon. Bwanika reminded Parliament that while the legislative body approved the creation of 15 cities on 28th April 2020, only 10 have been operationalized to date, leaving Entebbe, Moroto, Nakasongola, Kabale, and Wakiso still awaiting full functionality.
Hon. Christine Kaaya of Kiboga District emphasized the urgency of operationalizing these new cities, stressing that delays hinder development and service delivery.
Echoing her sentiments, Hon. Rugumayo E. (Youth MP, Western) underscored the importance of proper development planning, warning that failure to adequately plan for these cities would defeat their original purpose of decongesting Kampala.
In response, the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, defended the government’s efforts, stating that financing for cities has progressively increased over time, leading to higher revenue collection.
However, he acknowledged the need for a more structured approach and requested one month to present a comprehensive action-taken report addressing urban policy, governance structures, and financing mechanisms for the new cities.
The debate highlights growing frustrations over the slow implementation of urban decentralization, with lawmakers urging the government to expedite support for new cities to ensure their effective functioning and contribution to national development.