The District Council is the highest political authority within the area of jurisdiction of the local government and shall have legislative and executive powers to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the Local Government Act (CAP 243)

A person shall not be a member of a local government council unless that person is a citizen of Uganda.

The council has the following composition:
Composition of Council

Council Composition Gender Presentation
Female Male Total
1. Council by sex 11 17 27
2. Executives Members 2 3 5
3. Sectoral Committees 10 17 27
4. Speakers 1 1 2

The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee comprises the chairperson, the vice chairperson and three secretaries representing five sectors. All members are answerable to the chairperson who has the power to reshuffle his cabinet when need be. The vice chairperson is the leader of government business and in charge of all district transactions, projects, and children affairs.

Roles of the executive committee:
– Coordinates council activities.
– Monitor the activities of council in line with the government policy.
– Supervise the departmental activities and report to council.
– Regulate and moderate the government policy.
– Help to identify priority sectors where necessary and coordinate the activities of Central Government and lower councils.
– Initiate sector policies.

Standing Committees
There are five standing committees:
– Finance , Planning , Administration & Investment
– Education, Sports, Health & Sanitation.
– Production, marketing and natural resources
– Works, Water & Roads.
– Community based services
– Each committee is headed by a chairperson, either male or female depending on the mandate of the council. The chairperson plus four or more members form the committee. During meetings, the Head of Department in which the committee falls is the technical advisor. There is a committee clerk who minutes as a secretary, but can delegate such work to any staff in the sector.

Functions of standing committees
Except for minor specific or respective committees or departments, all standing committees are by law required to:
– Review bills for ordinances.
– Scrutinize monthly expenditure return including tender board awards.
– Review sector/departmental budgets.
– Monitor and review sectoral performance of the specific department.
– Review all resolutions.
– Report to council on their sector.
– Suggest policies to be implemented in each specific department and bring to council.

Frequency of meetings
Council meetings are held every two months. During the financial year 2009/2010 the full council met 5 times. We anticipate having the same number of meetings in the current year.
Committee meetings also follow the same frequency. Executive meetings are held once in a month, or more frequently whenever need arises.

Office equipment
The clerk’s office is not well equipped. Moreover, means of transport are a problem and hinder proper function of the council. There is need for a laptop for clerk’s office.

Staff
Staffing is inadequate in terms of number. There are well qualified staffed but it’s an ill-financed office. The office runs on no impress to meet its daily services. There is 1 Clerk to council, 1. Stenographer Secretary, 1 copy typist.

Councillor’s welfare
Except for council meetings which are facilitated promptly, other committees and councillors payments have not been paid in time due to non-availability of finance to council department.

Review of the previous financial year
Despite the limited capacity to formulate policies in the financial year 2010/11 the council tabled and discussed proposed bills of ordinances on road maintenance and legalised the land tribunal. Other achievements were that meetings were regularly held, the budget was passed, District Public Accounts Committee and District Land Board members were appointed, several reports were tabled in council However, and revenue mobilization remains a major challenge up to date.

POCC Analysis
Potential
– Several meetings, trainings and workshops held
– Council has been functioning well in accordance with the constitution and the relevant laws to direct the affairs of the district
– There has been good working relationship and environment between policy makers and implementers, i.e. team work is prevailing
– District Public Accounts Committee and District Land Board members were appointed
– Several reports tabled in council and presented by various sectoral committees and adopted

Opportunities
– Local government structures (political and civil) are in place
– Capacity building opportunities for councillors and technical people
– Relevant laws for local governments in place
– Good policies on governance and decentralisation can help strengthen council
– ULGA support and structures
Constraints
– Poor information flow within the council and among the council members and lack of capacity to formulate bye-laws and ordinances
– Poor supervision of lower local councils by the district council
– Inadequate financial resources

Challenges

– Twenty percent local revenue on collections of previous financial year is not enough to run council activities, hence meetings might not take place