Decentralization and citizen participation: a case study of Mubende District Local Government
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Date
2018-09
Authors
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Publisher
Kampala International University.College of Humanities and social science
Abstract
The study assessed the impact of decentralization and citizen pmiicipation in Mubende District
Local Government. The study answered three objectives; to examine the role of
decentralization in promoting citizen participation, establish challenges of decentralization in
promoting citizen pmiicipation and solutions to the challenges of decentralization in promoting
citizen participation in Mubende District Local Government. The study used cross sectional
research design; questionnaires were used to collect data from 45 respondents who participated
in the study.
Concepts of decentralization have been applied to group dynamics and management science in
private businesses and organizations, political science, law and public administration,
economics and technology. The word "centralization" came into use in France in 1794 as the
post-French Revolution French Directory leadership created a new government structure. The
word "decentralization" came into usage in the 1820s."Centralization" entered written English
in the first third of the 1800s; mentions of decentralization also first appear during those years.
In the mid-! 800s Tocqueville would write that the French Revolution began with "a push
towards decentralization [but became,] in the end, an extension of centralization." In 1863
retired French bureaucrat Maurice Block wrote an article called "Decentralization" for a French
journal which reviewed the dynamics of government and bureaucratic centralization and recent
French efforts at decentralization of government functions.
Based on the empirical findings of the research, role of decentralization in promoting citizen
participation involves; provision of opportunities to marginalized sectors, mcrease
effectiveness in service delivery, encourage communities to find solutions to their needs and
make development of projects more sustainable and challenges faced involved; limited
empirical evidence to support decentralization, level of centralized revenue in Uganda,
responsibilities is complex concerning decentralization and mayors have a difficult to manage
the communes and solutions are; effective sensitization and participation of the public in
politics, training of local elected members, institutionalization of communes agent states and
implementation of incentive measures allowing the development of local economic activities
susceptible to improve the potential of taxes the following recommendations have to happen;
there is need to share responsibility by all Ugandans to implement decentralization, and
Strengthen implementation effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery.
Description
Research report submitted to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences as a partial fulfillment for the award of bachelors' degree in Public Administration of Kampala International University
Keywords
Decentralization, Citizen, Participation, Local Government