Citizen Participation in Local Economic Development Initiatives in Ntungamo District of Uganda

Sammanfattning: This thesis examines Citizen Participation in Local Economic Development (LED) in Ntungamo District of Uganda. The LED approach is increasingly becoming an alternative strategy that aims at achieving the local dimension in the development process. LED identifies with local resource mobilization, allocation and use. As governments adopt the Private sector led development strategy, Public Private Partnerships and Citizen Participation are becoming increasingly crucial in local development. Not much is known about the perceptions on citizen participation from both the implementers and beneficiaries of LED initiatives. Using semi structured interviews and focus group discussions; I explored how local citizens and district officials in Ntungamo district relate to the LED policy of Uganda and the LED process. The study found that the LED approach is used to implement multi sectoral programs in the district over the years. However, not much is about Uganda’s LED policy of 2014.