Opposition Politics and Urban Service Delivery in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Uganda, like other African countries, has implemented reforms to decentralise political authority to local governments and reintroduce multi-party elections. This combination creates opportunities for national partisan struggles to emerge in local arenas and influence local service delivery. This article examines service provision by Kampala City Council and recent reforms to recentralise control over the city. It finds that partisan politics undermines service delivery in Kampala in several ways, including through financing, tax policy, and even direct interference in the policies and decisions made by the City Council. © 2014 Overseas Development Institute.