Uganda is set to become the 7th largest Parliament in Africa if Government’s proposal to create more Constituencies is approved by the 10th Parliament.
The development will see the number of MPs increase from the cureent 461 to 481.
Tom Butiime, Minister of Local Government is set to table a set of motions seeking Parliamentary approval to alter boundaries of a number of districts, which plan if approved will see a total of twenty constituencies created.
Details of the planned constituencies indicate that Arua will be subdivide into Arua Central and Ayivu Divisions, while Jinja will have four constituencies, with new ones; Jinja North and Jinja South joining the current Jinja East and Jinja West.
Mbarara district will have Mbarara North and Mbarara South Divisions to boost the four constituencies in existence, while Kabarole district that had three MPs will see Fort Portal Central and Fort Portal North Divisions come on board.
Mbale will have new MP slots in Mbale Industrial and Northern Divisions, Masaka; Kimanya-Kabonero and Nyendo-Mukungwe Divisions will be created, while Hoima will have Hoima East and Hoima West Divisions.
Entebbe will have Entebbe Central and Entebbe North Divisions.
Gulu district will have Laroo-Pece and Bardege Layibi Divisions, while Lira will have Lira West and Lira East Divisions.
If approved, Uganda will have the seventh largest Parliament in Africa.
Countries with largest number of MPs in Africa include Morocco (665), Ethiopia (655), Democratic Republic of Congo (608), Algeria (606), Sudan (500) and Egypt (596).
Minister Butime in his motion is seeking to alter the boundaries of Arua saying that Arua District Council at the Extra Ordinary Sitting held on 1st December, 2016 resolved to create a new District called Terego.
Terego District shall comprise of two Counties namely; Terego County East and Terego County West with its Headquarters at Leju Trading Centre in Aiivu Sub-County and set to take effect on 1st July 2020.
Butime also highlighted that although Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality was created by Parliament and took effect on 1st July 2010, the District Council of Bushenyi in November 2018 resolved that Ntungamo Parish joins Bushenyi- Ishaka Municipality from Kyeizooba Sub-County because the town has grown beyond the existing boundaries and the District Council has expressed willingness to expand the Municipality Boundaries.
The other boundaries Government is seeking to alter are those of Kapchorwa Municipality after the District Council expressed willingness to remove Kwoti Sub County from the East Division of the Municipality.
In the same ploy, Minister Butime is seeking Parliamentary approval to expand the boundaries of Moroto Municipality and include some villages noting, “Moroto Municipality is one of the Smallest Municipalities in Uganda and set to attain City status in 2023 of which the expansion would facilitate the process in line with the National Urban policy that recommends a sizable area size and Population size.”
Minister Butime wants Villages of Nachogoram, Apetaoi, Lokwakwa, Natapar, Kocuc, Kalopwanya, Kanakomol and Awoimuju from Nadunget Sub-County and Mount Moroto Village of Katikekile Sub County be transferred to the Municipality to be part of South Municipal Division.
The Minister said that the District Council resolved to have the Villages of; Nachele, Nabokat, Namijimij, Kaloi west and Katanga of Nadunget Sub county; the villages of Acholi-Inn, Army Barracks, Natopojo, Kwamong, Kalukalet, Kidepo, Natumkskou and Kaloi East from Rupa Sub-County; the Villages of Singila and Nabuin from Katikekile Sub-County be transferred to the Municipality to be part of North Municipal Division.
It should be noted that there have been concerns over the ever bloating public expenditure without necessarily increasing service delivery.
For example, given the huge size of Parliament, many MPs don’t contribute not only during plenary, but also in Committees, thus ‘eating’ taxpayers money almost for no work done.
Uganda has also in recent past created more districts that can barely sustain themselves.
