LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN UGANDA: Democracy, Accountability and Civic Engagement

While the notion of Local Government remains contentious in literature, consensus appears to be that it brings government nearer to the people. The book discusses operations of the Local Government system in Uganda in the context of social accountability as a tool for deepening democracy. Using ACODE's social accountability strategies like local government council scorecards, civic engagement meetings and technology, the book examines roles that citizens and the civil society play in solving capacity problems. The book contends that functional decentralization empowers Local Governments, improves service delivery and fosters citizens' eagerness to demand accountability. ________________ Arthur Bainomugisha holds a Master's degree and a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Bradford. Dr Bainomugisha teaches at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Makerere University and is also the Executive Director of ACODE, a public policy think-tank based in Kampala, which was established in 1999. Kiran Cunningham is Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College (USA) and a Research Associate at ACODE. She is an applied anthropologist with expertise in action research, gender analysis, community development, deliberative democracy, transformative learning and intercultural education. Lillian Muyomba-Tamale specializes in decentralization, local governance and human rights. She holds a Master's degree in Human Rights and a Bachelor's in Social Work and Social Administration from Makerere University. She is a Research Fellow at ACODE managing the Local Governments Councils' Scorecard Initiative Wilson Winstons Muhwezi has a jointly awarded PhD by Karolisnka Institutet, Sweden and Makerere University, Uganda. His experience straddles local governance, managing vulnerability and building resilience. He directs research at ACODE and holds a Professorship position at Makerere University.