TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................. i
APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURE .......................................................................................................................... ix
LIST OFT ABLE ............................................................................................................................. x
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of the study ............................................................................................................ I
1.2 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 4
l .3General Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 5
1.5.1 Content scope ......................................................................................................................... 5
1.5.2 Geographical scope ................................................................................................................. 5
1.6 Significance of the study ........................................................................................................... 5
I. 7 Conceptual Framework .............................................................................................................. 6
1.8 Definition of Keys terms ........................................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 8
LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 8
2.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Theory of the concept decentralization ..................................................................................... 8
2.2 The role of decentralization in promoting citizen participation .............................................. 22
2.3 The challenges of decentralization in promoting citizen participation .................................... 23
2.4 The solutions to the challenges of decentralization in promoting citizen participation .......... 27
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CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 31
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 31
3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 31
3.1 Research Design ...................................................................................................................... 31
3.2 Study population ...................................................................................................................... 31
3.3 Sample size .............................................................................................................................. 31
3.5 Data Collection Sources ........................................................................................................ 32
3.5.1 Primary Data ......................................................................................................................... 32
3.5.2 Secondary Data ..................................................................................................................... 32
3.6 Data Collection Methods ......................................................................................................... 33
3.7 Ethical consideration ............................................................................................................... 35
3.8 Validity and Reliability ........................................................................................................... 35
3.8.1 Validity ................................................................................................................................. 35
3.8.2 Reliability ............................................................................................................................. 35
3.9 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 36
3.10 Limitations to the study ......................................................................................................... 36
CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................... 37
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS ........... 37
4.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 37
4.1 Socio Demographic characteristics ofrespondents ................................................................. 37
4.1.1 Distribution ofrespondents according to Age in Mubende district.. .................................... 37
4.1.2 Distribution of Respondents according to marital status ...................................................... 38
4.1 .4 Distribution ofrespondents according to education level .................................................... 39
4.2 The role of decentralization in promoting citizen participation in Mubende district.. ............ 39
4.2.1 Decentralization provides opportunities to marginalized sectors a role in citizen
participation ................................................................................................................................... 40
4.2.2 Decentralization increases effectiveness in service delivery ............................................... .40
4.2.3 Decentralization encourages communities to find solutions to their needs .......................... 41
4.2.4 Decentralization makes development of projects more sustainable ..................................... 42
4.3 Challenges of decentralization in promoting citizen participation in Mubende district.. ........ 42
4.3.1 Limited empirical evidence to support decentralization ....................................................... 43
4.3.2 The level of centralized revenue in Uganda ........................................................................ .44
4.3.3 Responsibility is complex concerning the decentralization ................................................ .44
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4.3.4 Mayors have a difficulty to manage the communes ............................................................ .45
4.4 Solutions to the challenges of decentralization in Mubende district. ...................................... 46
4.4.1 Effective sensitization and participation of the public in politics ....................................... .46
4.4.2 Training of the local elected members ................................................................................. 47
4.4.3 Institutionalization of the communes' agent states .............................................................. .47
4.4.4 Implementation of incentive measures allowing the development of local economic
activities susceptible to improve the potential of taxes ................................................................ .48
CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................................... 49
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................. 49
5.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 49
5.1 Summary of Findings .............................................................................................................. 49
5.1.1 Summary of findings on roles of decentralization in Mubende district. ............................. .49
5.1.2 Summary of findings on challenges facing decentralization in Mubende district. ............. .49
5.1.3 Summary of findings on solutions to the challenges of decentralization in Mubende
district. ........................................................................................................................................... 50
5.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 50
5.3 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 51
5.4 Suggested Further Research .................................................................................................... 52
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 53
APPENDIX A: Questionnaire for respondents ............................................................................. 56
WORKPLAN ................................................................................................................................ 61
BUDGET ESTIMATES ................................................................................................................ 62
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.