Commonwealth Local Government Forum

CLGF's East Africa regional meeting - in person!

04 February 2022

 

With COVID-19 creating so many challenges to local government, not least the restriction of movement and need for isolation, CLGF is delighted to be holding its first in-person meeting with members since the start of the pandemic. 

Integration agenda 

Working In partnership, CLGF, the EALGA and the EALGF are holding a two-day conference entitled: Leveraging the role of local and county governments to fast-track achievement of the EAC integration agenda in Arusha, Tanzania on 7 and 8 February.

 

This is the seventh meeting of the EALGF and will focus on devolution in the EAC and the role and potential of local government to support regional integration and the implementation of EAC treaty commitments. 

Opportunities

It will provide an important opportunity to discuss how best to:

  • position local government to effectively contribute to, and drive forward the EAC integration and development agenda;
  • identify strategic solutions to common issues facing local government and subnational institutions of service delivery;
  • make progress on setting joint priorities with the East African Community (EAC), as well as recommend key priorities for implementation: and
  • build consensus to supporting more effective decentralisation by devolution in East Africa.

All of this will be done in the context of the COVID19 pandemic and COVID recovery. 

 

The event is being hosted by the Tanzania Ministry of Regional administration and Local Government, Office of the President, and East Africa Local Governments Association and supported by CLGF in the framework of its cross-Commonwealth EU funded programme: Strengthening local government’s role as a partner in development. The current chair of the EALGF is Hon. Innocent Lugha Bashungwa Mkuchika, Tanzania Minister of State, President’s Office Regional Administration & Local Government.

EU funding

Supported through CLGF’s EU funded project Strengthening local government’s role as a partner in development, East Africa is one of the five focal regions for the project which runs from June 2019 to May 2022. This is part of a wider strategic partnership between CLGF and the European Commission to support and strengthen local government as a partner in development.

 

​This meeting will also highlight some of the achievements and outcomes of the project, including support for:

  • the networking of the local government sector (LGAs and Ministries of Local Government and regional associations) to share experience and challenges, foster exchange on localising the SDGs and other key issues of importance at local, national and regional level, including closer engagement with the EC delegations;
  • the East African Local Government Forum (EALGF) itself to facilitate much of this; and
  • the pilot work in Rwanda on localising the SDGs (in partnership with RALGA) and pilot work in Uganda on local economic development as a multi-sector entry point to addressing the SDGs (in partnership with ULGA). 

CLGF Secretary-General, Ms Lucy Slack said: "Whether it be our advocacy, networks, programmes or research assets, CLGF's work has continued and thrived throughout the pandemic, and I would like to thank our members, donors and staff for rising to the enormous challenges. It is very exciting to have the opportunity to hold a face to face event with our colleagues in East Africa and I look forward to a very productive meeting." 

 

 

 

EALGF

The East Africa Local Government Forum (EALGF) was officially launched in 2012 in Arusha, Tanzania by the ministers of local government of the five countries of the EAC, EALGA and its five member associations, in partnership with CLGF, UCLG, EU, and UNDP. The aim to establish a regional forum that brings together actors from local government across East Africa to add benefit to addressing the key challenges facing the sector, and build a stronger relationship between local government and the EAC.

 

The EALGF is not an institution but rather a network of key players and stakeholders from both local and central government, involved in promoting effective decentralisation, empowering local government to deliver development at the local level, and engaging with the EAC and other formal regional structures. The Forum is chaired by Hon. Ministers of Local Governments on an annual rotational basis and co-chaired by the Chairperson of the East African Local Government Association (EALGA).

 

EALGA

The East African Local Governments Association (EALGA) is the umbrella association for the national local government associations in East Africa that include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The Association was inaugurated in 2002 and effectively started operations in 2005. It has its headquarters in Arusha – Tanzania.

 

EALGA was established to contribute to the strategic dynamics of local governments in East Africa in pursuit of democracy and good governance, peaceful co-existence, equitable distribution and sustainable utilisation of resources; and provide political space for local authorities’ participation in regional development by ensuring that regional integration and cooperation and laid down under the East African Community (EAC), is people driven. EALGA currently has an observer status within the EAC.

 

     

     

     

     

       

       

       

       

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