Budgets allocated to local governments in the East African Community member states will determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the decentralisation system or policy, the East African Local Government Association (EALGA) has said.This was one of the major concerns members of EALGA, who met in Kigali last Friday, raised as a factor that is posing a  threat to the operations of local governments in the EAC countries."We cannot talk about effective decentralisation system when there is no capacity to ensure that the power people have can be transformed into actions. Yet at the end of it all, we shall be blamed for being incompetent to utilise the power we hold,” said Fredrick Gume Ngobi, the president of Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA). The meeting is an annual and rotational initiative that the regional association came up with so as to bring members together to discuss challenges and way forward to ensure that local governments serve effectively,  according to EALGA Secretary General Dr. Patrick Isingoma.He said although regional countries are at different levels of decentralisation, the coming together has enabled the association to intervene where necessary. In the two-day general assembly, members had interactive discussions on mechanisms to strengthen local government operations and sharing of information and experience which participants said aimed at empowering countries to solve similar challenges.Exemplary practices The vice chairperson of Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA), Christine Niwemugeni, said the meeting was a great opportunity for countries to learn from best practices to move at the same pace and promote good governance.Meanwhile, during the meeting, the governing council elected new Executive Committee members. Fredrick Gume was elected chairperson of the committee, while Dr. Didas John Massaburi, from Tanzania, was elected the vice chairman.

Other committee members include Remy Barampama, Valentin Nahimana, Caritas Ndayihereje from Burundi, Daniel Abraham Okoka, and Theresia Mahongo and Dewji Gulam from Tanzania. Others are Justus Kangwagye, Dr. Jeanne Nyirahabimana, Janvier Gasasira, Silver Mwesigwa and Dr. Juma Nyende, from Uganda.