Uganda 

Key facts

POPULATION (Census 2002): 24,227,297
AREA: 241,550 sq km
CAPITAL: Kampala
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: 3.5%
CURRENCY: Ugandan shilling (UGX)
HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT:
President Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: republic
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: unicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: English (official) , Swahili
NATIONAL ELECTIONS: last: Feb 2006; next: 2016
LOCAL ELECTIONS: last: Feb 2006; next: 2011

Summary

Uganda is a parliamentary republic with central and local government. The constitution of Uganda provides for a system of local government and the main legislative text is the Local Governments Act 1997. There are five tiers of local authority: district councils, county and municipal councils, sub-county and town councils, parish councils and village (rural) or ward (urban) council. The primary sources of revenue are transfers from central government; however local government can also raise revenue locally including property tax, licences and user fees. Responsibility for transport and environmental protection is shared between central and local government and districts are also responsible for the provision of education, social welfare and public health and are encouraged to devolve some services to the lower tiers. Local economic development is the responsibility of the districts and lower tiers of government.

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