Regional Tier Versus Multi-level Governance- The Uganda Scenario

Multi-level Governance would work better than Regional Tier

The regional tier federal system being proposed by the Uganda government, looks like a basket mix of apples and tomatoes, although these two are similar in shape, one is a fruit and the other a vegetable.

Ugandans will benefit greatly by considering a third option on top of the current system and the regional tier, this would be what Shakespeare called the 'third way'. This third way is what is in use in European Union Politics and is called Multi-level Governance (MLG).

MLG is a theoretical perspective on the organization of modern states that acknowledges flexible structures of overlapping jurisdictions, both above and below the national government as well as in a lateral relationship to it. The increasing fluidity of political power is an issue for scholars of politics and government

The transfer of competencies upwards to supra-national organizations such as the East African Community, sideways to quasi-autonomous actors like Inspector General of Government, and downwards to sub-national authorities like districts, has arguably transformed both the structure and capacity of national governments. It is within this context that the concept of multi-level governance emerges as an approach to understanding the dynamic inter-relationship within and between different levels of governance and government. Multi-level governance is a novel analytical framework that refines traditionally dominant approaches.

In the case of European Union politics, regions such as England, Scotland, Bavaria, and Flanders, Catalonia are considered to be on the same level which is overlapping with European Cities such as London and Antwerp. Each of these levels contributes to European legislation separately but where their interests merge, they can put up a common position, this common position increases the power of sub-national actors.

Unlike the regional tier which suggests that MPs, counsellors and cultural leaders from the same should have a common assembly, in MLG you never find a situation where the European Parliament, the British Parliament, the Scottish parliament and Queen Elizabeth's representative debate policy together. Each level is considered as a special interest group and will only meet that arm of government that is concerned with those interests.

This creates space for all actors in a democracy to contribute to the law making process. Kingdoms, although apolitical, would unite to pursue and defend their interests to the appropriate organ of government or Parliamentary committee, businesses will unite under an umbrella such as the Chamber of commerce to lobby the Parliament committee on trade, schools and universities will unite and lobby the Parliamentary committee on education et cetera. Another major advantage of MLG is that it creates a breathing space for nations trapped within states, in this context, regional cooperation would allow Buganda to cooperate with Rift valley province of Kenya or Kampala to have direct Cooperation with Kigali.

Therefore the Parliament of the republic of Uganda should consider adopting multi-level governance (MLG) as it will give more power to the people, more power to our parliament and more legitimacy to the state.