Decentralized Urban Planning Challenges in a City of a Developing Country:The Case of Kampala Capital City, Uganda

Abstract

Decentralized mode of governance has been adopted by many developing countries since mid-1980s, with the objective of bringing decision making closer to the communities, increase public participation and improve the quality in management. This was lauded as a move away from top-down model of governance to that addressing the local needs at grassroots level. This mode has been fast tracked in Uganda since the late 1980s with urban and district authorities. Among the Urban authorities, Kampala City Council, then a Local Government, took the lead in decentralizing urban planning and land management as by the Local Government Act. Cap 243. For instance a change of administrative set up under the Kampala Capital City Authority Act.2011 revamped service delivery including urban planning. However there was de facto recentralization of urban planning to the centre. This move disenchanfrised the population at the grassroots and gone against the spirit of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda on decentralization. Hence this paper examines the constraints that face decentralization and emphasizes that its role cannot be reversed. Consequently, strategies that can be applied to streamline the process of decentralization and make it functional. Keywords. Decentralisation, urban planning, disenchanfrise, Kampala Capital City Authority DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-4-11 Publication date : April 30 th 2019