New LC1 Leaders Urged to Revive Original Grassroots Role Through Training

What the report says

Nile Post reports that governance experts and political leaders are urging the Ugandan government to provide induction and civic education for newly elected Local Council I chairpersons, saying the training is needed to restore the village-level system’s role in community participation, dispute resolution and accountability. The report notes that the new leaders are taking office after nearly eight years without LC1 elections, with journalist Solomon Serwanjja among those elected, as chairperson of Bamutakudde village in Mukono.

The article places the call in the history of the Local Council system, first introduced in the late 1980s under the National Resistance Army government as Resistance Councils before later becoming Local Councils. At village level, LC1 leaders were expected to mobilize residents, maintain peace and security, resolve local disputes, promote sanitation, identify local needs and connect communities to higher levels of government.

Dr Arthur Bayinmugisha, executive director of the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, told Nile Post that newly elected leaders need to understand their mandate before taking on their duties, warning that untrained chairpersons could worsen confusion. He also called for wider civic education so citizens can better participate in local governance and demand accountability.

Former Nakawa Mayor Paul Mugambe said the incoming LC1 leaders should rebuild regular village meetings, act impartially in dispute handling and avoid corruption. According to the report, the broader concern is that years of delayed elections, limited resources, political interference and reduced citizen participation have weakened LC1 structures, leaving the new five-year leaders under pressure to restore public trust and improve grassroots service delivery.