Uganda, like many African countries in the 1990s, adopted decentralisation as a state reform measure after many years of civil strife and political conflicts, by transferring powers and functions to district councils. The decision to transfer powers and functions to district councils was, in the main, linked to the quest for democracy and development within the broader context of the nation state. This book’s broader aim is to examine whether the legal and policy framework of decentralisation produces a system of governance that better serves the greater objectives of local democracy, local development and accommodation of ethnicity. Specifically, the book pursues one main aim: to examine whether indeed the existing legal framework ensures the smooth devolution process that is needed for decentralised governance to succeed. In so doing, the book seeks, overall, to offer lessons that are critically important not only for Uganda but any other developing nation that has adopted decentralisation as a state-restructuring strategy. The book uses a desk-top research method by reviewing Uganda’s decentralisation legal and policy frameworks.

This Local Integrity System (LIS) Assessment is one of five pilots undertaken by Transparency International (TI) national chapters from Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East to test the relevance and applicability of the LIS Assessment approach in different national and local contexts. The pilots took place between September and December 2013. In Kenya, the assesment was conducted in Kwale and Kisumu Counties between September and December 2013.

This paper looks into the role of non-state actors in enhancing participatory governance and local economic development under the African Local Government Action Forum, with a main theme of: Enhancing Participatory Governance in Local Development; and a sub-theme of Linking participatory governance to local economic development and poverty reduction.

This resource guide provides practical guidance for designing, implementing and evaluating decentralisation reforms and local government practices to ensure they are as effective as possible. It also synthesises and presents current debates on the impact of decentralisation and local government on poverty reduction, service delivery and conflict as well as providing links to cutting-edge research and recent case studies.