The Balkanisation of Uganda into many small sized districts is a curse rather than a blessing. To the citizens of this country, Though such a motive by the NRM government was aimed at efficient and effective local administration.
Of the nation,and bringing of social services closer to the people, all the above have not been realised. Instead this has increased public expenditure (administrative costs), corruption, tribalism by creating regional tribal blocks in form of Districts thereby exercabating disunity and lack of patriotism.
Besides,it has made the POWER CENTRE/central government use patronage in executing and consolidating its rule. Also many districts benefits the NRM govt since new constituencies have been created and the new MPs swear allegiance to State house. Its a conditionality attached to the creation of a new district. Does the common.person benefit from such detachment from the more developing district? Do they get water services, medical services, good housing, paved roads, affordable education, viable economic projects to help in poverty alleviation programme? NOOO!!
The fact is this is a divide and rule tactic used by the NRM regime to perpetuate its rule by having many QUACK NRM leaning MPs in parliament Why would H.E M7 a reknown Pan Africanist agitating for the political Union of EAC by encorporating new members such as Somalia of recent, DRC, Butundi, South Sudan and Rwanda in order to have a big common market then, have Uganda divided into fiefdoms in form of many small districts?
Why divide the people, create boundaries with in such a small nation? There was no need to create such local governance, since the post independence local government set up was fine.
National economic planning for sustainable Development doesn’t envisage such a scenario, otherwise big African countries such as Algeria, Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, DRC would curve hundreds of such Ugandan like districts. The NRM should re-invent itself, have strategies aimed at bettering the lives and living standards of the people if its goal is to continue being politically relevant to the ordinary citizens.
Rather than splitting the country into chiefdom like districts, big economically viable districts should be re-created regardless of the tribe/ethnicity of the inhabitants in them. This shall lead to unity, patriotism and internal economic cohesion and growth with China being a very good example. I would suggest that PROVINCES should be the best option with districts being inside the provinces.
This shall reduce the economic burden of administration of some of these many poor districts,contributing zero percent to the National Treasury. Budget made doesn’t, reach its final destination because of bureaucracy and Corruption embedded in most civil servants and politicians with survival for the fittest turning into.a national philosophical slogan.
