Decades of district proliferation has characterised the NRM regime with an excuse of extending services to the common man and better service delivery.
Uganda has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of districts from 17 in 1962 to 135 in 2024. Oh sorry, 2024 has not yet ended, we may see new districts being unveiled in the remaining few days to the end of the year.
Contrary to the expectations, creation of new districts has bloated bureaucracies, strained the national budget though unnecessary administrative expenses.
Mind you, some districts as thin as a five minutes’ drive are expected to generate sufficient local revenue which tantamount to over reliance on central government funding. Rather than improving it, these pop-up districts have instead fragmented service delivery, leaving the masses confused or even worse off. One last pertinent information we should eagerly seek for as Ugandans is the contribution of these pop-up districts to the national GDP. I bet it would be very insignificant.
To reduce government expenditure and improve administrative efficiency, my first chance in office as President would focus on consolidating the currently 135 districts into 40 larger administrative districts i.e Central (10), Western (10), Eastern (12), and Northern (8). Each of these districts would have a district assembly/parliament where elected District Council Assembly (DCA) representatives from constituencies that make up the larger administrative unit would meet to discuss district specific matters. All the deliberations from district assemblies would then be presented to Parliament through the representative member of Parliament of the larger administrative unit.
This consolidation is capable of creating larger and economically viable districts that can better leverage economies of scale. The goal of this consolidation would be having fewer but stronger districts that can effectively serve their constituents and contribute to national development. Immediate results would be witnessed in reduced administrative overhead costs, improved coordination of development projects, enhanced capacity of local revenue generation and streamlined service delivery.
Of course, resistance from politicians who are currently benefiting from the proliferation of districts will be expected and an argument about loss of jobs at the administrative level will be raised.
However, a step in the right direction will always come at a cost of selfish gains and egocentric personalities.
I know this may raise eyebrows at different levels because it is something that we have not tried out yet. The more we get closer to it, the more we will appreciate it as we learn along the way.
Such a bold move would demonstrate our commitment to enhancing administrative efficiency and fostering sustainable development as a country to the rest of the world.