After a successful opening day of the East Africa Local Government Forum, the second day began with feedback from the participants on the key outcomes that had emerged.

The first plenary of the day was entitled Effective partnerships for development cooperation – priorities for future work in East Africa. Moderated by Jenifer Bukokhe Wakhungu of  UNCDF, participants heard, firstly, about UNCDF and financing developmental local government. Mr Jocelin Cornet, Head of Infrastructure & Regional Corporation, EUD Tanzania, (the EU Delegation to Tanzania) spoke about development priorities for East Africa and about programming support to good governance, post-COVID economic recovery and local economic development for strong EAC sub-national institutions of county and local government.

Next it was the turn of VNG International, the partnerships and development section of the Dutch national local government association; Mr Ejibua Sam Anguzu, Resident Programme Manager, talked about their experience of providing support to strengthening institutions of local government for inclusive development. The final presentation was from Ms Jamidah Namuyanja, Communication & Documentation Specialist, CLGF-LED Project, Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) – the local government association of Uganda - on how LED has been used to achieve the targets of the SDGs.  

The next session looked to the future with partner perspectives on the way forward, comprising of working groups on:

• Working with the EAC legislative assemblies and national governments
• Working with Donor Development Partners and Sub National /LGs
• Working with Civil Society and Private Sector engagement

Delegates came together for the final plenary session of the day with a discussion about the opportunities and events that lay ahead in 2022.

As the wider audience went off to site visits, or held bilateral meetings, EALGA members met with the EAC Secretary-General, Dr Peter Mathuki, at EAC headquarters to cement their ties further and discuss areas of cooperation in supporting the integration agenda.

It was then time for a closed session, as the new members of the EALGA Executive Committee who were sworn in earlier in the day, convened their first Executive Committee Meeting.

As well as allowing some very successful discussions and exchanges about key issues for the whole region, there was great energy among the participants; helped by the Forum being one of the first, large-scale, in-person events, but also, the continuing success of the East Africa Local Government Forum. Since the official launch in 2012 in Arusha, Tanzania, the EALGF has been very successful in meeting its original targets - namely: bringing together diverse actors from local government across East Africa to add benefit to addressing the key challenges facing the sector, and building a stronger relationship between local government and the EAC. Not an institution, but a very effective network, working closely with the East Africa Local Government Association (EALGA) bringing together not just local government, but also the key figures that play an important role in defining the future and making development possible.

Read the final Declaration of this important and historic meeting.