The decision by investigative journalist and former NBS Television news anchor Solomon Serwanjja to contest for the position of Local Council (LC1) chairperson in Bamutakudde Village, Ddundu Parish, Kyampisi Subcounty, Mukono District, has sparked a debate that deserves a closer look.
After a poster announcing his bid emerged online, some people questioned why someone of Serwanjja’s profile would choose to contest for a grassroots leadership position. Others argued that, given his education, experience and public profile, he should be seeking a seat in Parliament or another senior political office.
This reaction reflects a common attitude in Uganda: the belief that leadership positions at the grassroots are somehow beneath educated or accomplished people.
That perception needs to change.
There has also been considerable mockery of the LC1 position, partly because of the small financial reward attached to it. At present, LC1 chairpersons receive a monthly allowance of just Shs10,000, amounting to Shs120,000 a year. President Yoweri Museveni and Parliament have since announced plans to increase the allowance to Shs100,000 per month, although this remains modest considering the responsibilities attached to the office.
But the value of local leadership should never be measured by the size of the allowance.
Many people also underestimate what an LC1 chairperson is expected to do. The position is often reduced to signing land agreements, settling minor disputes and registering new residents. While these are important duties, they represent only a fraction of what effective grassroots leadership can achieve.
At its core, the LC1 office is about community development.
A strong village leader should be able to identify the most urgent needs of the community, bring residents together, build partnerships, mobilise resources and push for projects that improve people’s lives.
A village should have organised systems that allow the community to function effectively and respond to its needs. This is why the foundation of national development must begin at the village level. When villages are organised and well governed, they create stronger parishes, sub-counties and districts, ultimately contributing to a stronger country.
Instead of asking why an educated and experienced person would contest for LC1 chairperson, perhaps we should be asking why more capable Ugandans are not interested in grassroots leadership.
Imagine the difference that could be made if people with degrees, master’s qualifications and PhDs in management, administration, development and other fields chose to serve their communities at the grassroots.
Their education, professional experience, networks and exposure could help villages improve planning, strengthen accountability, attract development partners, mobilise investment and establish projects that continue benefiting communities long after their terms of office end.
Uganda does not necessarily need more people competing for the same limited positions at the top. Our higher political offices are already crowded, yet many citizens continue to struggle with challenges that are best addressed at the local level.
Perhaps it is time to rethink what we consider important leadership.
There is nothing small about serving one’s community. In fact, choosing to lead at the grassroots could be one of the most meaningful forms of public service.
So, rather than viewing Solomon Serwanjja’s decision to contest for LC1 as a downgrade, perhaps we should see it as a reminder that meaningful leadership does not always begin in Parliament. Sometimes, it begins in the village.
