PS Kumumanya Calls for Stronger Decentralisation as Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality Charts New Course for Effective Leadership

MAKINDYE SSABAGABO MUNICIPALITY, UGANDA — The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr. Ben Kumumanya, has underscored the importance of effective local governance, saying meaningful development begins where leadership meets accountability.

As Uganda continues implementing its decentralisation policy, local governments remain at the forefront of delivering essential public services, including education, healthcare, road infrastructure, sanitation, water supply and community development.

Against this backdrop, political and technical leaders from Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality convened for an induction workshop on Effective Leadership for Improved Service Delivery on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening governance, improving financial management and accelerating socio-economic transformation.

The induction brought together councillors, technical officers, officials from the Ministry of Local Government, representatives from financial institutions and development partners to equip newly elected leaders with practical knowledge on planning, budgeting, procurement and financial accountability.

Delivering the keynote address, Kumumanya described decentralisation as one of Uganda’s most significant governance reforms, noting that it has established a framework that brings government services closer to the people.

He said decentralisation enables local governments to identify community priorities, prepare development plans and deliver infrastructure and essential social services more effectively.

“Decentralisation empowers local governments to plan and respond directly to the needs of their communities. It provides a clear framework for delivering education, healthcare, water, roads and other essential services while promoting accountability and citizen participation,” Kumumanya said.

He explained that District Service Commissions continue to recruit qualified personnel to strengthen local government institutions and improve public service delivery.

According to Kumumanya, local governments have increasingly attracted professionals with qualifications ranging from the Uganda Certificate of Education to postgraduate degrees, enhancing institutional capacity across the country.

He added that decentralisation has strengthened the stewardship of essential social services, particularly education, healthcare, water supply, road maintenance and environmental management.

The Permanent Secretary reminded leaders that Article 176 of the Constitution of Uganda provides the legal foundation for the country’s decentralised system of governance, empowering local governments to deliver services while remaining accountable to the citizens they serve.

However, he cautioned that effective decentralisation depends on prudent financial management and strict adherence to the law.

“Public resources must be protected. Accountability, transparency and compliance with financial regulations are non-negotiable if local governments are to earn and maintain public trust,” he said.

Kumumanya further called for the consistent enforcement of laws, regulations and financial management guidelines, urging that appropriate sanctions be imposed on public officials found to have breached procurement regulations or mismanaged public resources.

The workshop also heard from Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality Mayor, Mr. John Bosco Sserunkuma Galabuzi, who attributed the municipality’s improving local revenue performance to enhanced public service delivery.

He said residents are increasingly willing to pay taxes when they witness tangible improvements in roads, sanitation, markets and other municipal services.

“Our rising local revenue is a reflection of improving service delivery. When people see results from the taxes they pay, public confidence grows and compliance improves,” Galabuzi said.

The Mayor applauded Kumumanya for personally attending the induction, describing his presence as a demonstration of the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening local governments.

“We are already burning with the desire to serve our people, and we are here to acquire knowledge. This induction has equipped us with practical skills that will help us deliver better services. We are determined to benchmark Makindye Ssabagabo against the best-performing local governments in Uganda,” he said.

Galabuzi added that the municipality has fostered a strong working relationship between political leaders and the technical team, stressing that unity remains essential to achieving sustainable development.

Town Clerk Mr. Moses Otimong challenged councillors to prioritise local revenue mobilisation, noting that municipalities cannot deliver quality services without a strong financial base.

He urged leaders to strengthen planning, budgeting and financial discipline while ensuring public resources are utilised efficiently.

“Development begins with sound planning and responsible financial management. Every resource entrusted to the municipality must translate into visible services for our people,” Otimong said.

Facilitators from the Ministry of Local Government guided participants through the principles of development planning, procurement and programme-based budgeting, explaining that every Local Government Development Plan must align with Uganda Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan.

Participants were reminded that development planning is a participatory process that requires active consultation with communities to identify priorities and allocate resources effectively.

The workshop also highlighted the challenges confronting local governments, chief among them inadequate financing amid expanding service delivery mandates.

Leaders observed that while local governments continue to assume greater responsibility for education, healthcare, water services, road maintenance, sanitation and urban management, financial resources have not increased at the same pace.

Participants recommended increased government funding, stronger local revenue mobilisation, improved financial discipline and expanded partnerships with financial institutions and development partners.

Representatives from Centenary Bank and KCB Bank Uganda encouraged leaders to embrace financial literacy and prudent financial management.

They outlined banking products and financial education programmes designed to strengthen institutional capacity and support local economic development.

Speaking on behalf of the councillors, Ms. Nakito Ester, Direct Councillor for Lubugumu Cell, described the induction as timely and practical.

“The training has strengthened our understanding of planning, budgeting and accountability. As councillors, we now have a clearer appreciation of our oversight responsibilities and our duty to ensure public resources benefit the communities we represent,” she said.

She called for continued collaboration between political leaders, technical officers and development partners to improve service delivery across the municipality.

As the workshop concluded, participants resolved to strengthen transparency, improve financial management, enhance citizen participation and implement the municipality’s Five-Year Development Plan with renewed commitment.

For Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality, the induction represented more than an orientation for newly elected leaders. It marked a renewed commitment to translating policy into action, strengthening local governance and ensuring that decentralisation delivers meaningful improvements in the daily lives of residents.

The consensus emerging from the workshop was clear: effective leadership is measured not by promises made, but by services delivered; not by positions held, but by the lasting impact leaders leave on the communities they are elected to serve.

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