Press Release

Strengthening Multi-Party Democracy Program Successfully Ends

KAMPALA — U.S. Mission Uganda, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), successfully completed its Strengthening Multi-Party Democracy (SMD) Program in December 2011.  The four-year program encouraged and enabled broad-based, representative and peaceful political competition in Uganda.  The program was implemented by the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute.  Moving forward, USAID will continue to build on the programmatic successes of SMD to promote good governance in Uganda.

To support the 2011 electoral process, SMD trained 4,000 domestic observers and worked with local organizations--DEMGroup and the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy--to set up a hotline, “Uganda Watch 2011.”  This hotline allowed citizens and election observers to send complaints through mobile phones using short messaging system (SMS). The reports were then uploaded to a website and mapped to determine which problems were most prevalent and which parts of the country had the greatest number of incidents.

SMD worked with civil society organizations in seven districts to engage in advocacy, policy and service monitoring.  Through their work, civil society partners collected data from more than 1,700 community members from 40 villages.  More than 1,500 community members participated in advocacy campaigns that resulted in over 120 policy and budget commitments between 2010 and 2011 in Apac, Arua, Bushenyi, Iganga, Kasese, Kumi and Masaka districts.  Already, 50 commitments have been fulfilled by local governments.  

The program also fostered greater participation by youth in the democratic process, and helped establish a new, national youth organization called the Green Light Movement that addresses government accountability and responsiveness. To help women participate meaningfully in civic and political life, SMD held training programs to increase their number and effectiveness.

Commenting on the significance of the SMD program, USAID Deputy Mission Director John Mark Winfield said, "U.S. foreign assistance in Uganda seeks to further the development of a stable democratic state that provides for the basic needs of its citizens. To that end, the SMD program promoted an enabling environment for citizens, political parties, civil society, and others to exercise their rights to participate in the political process. Sustaining these noteworthy achievements depends on the accountability of leaders to their citizens.”

Mr. Winfield underscored USAID's continued support to help Uganda consolidate multi-party democracy and enhance governance and accountability, at the national and sub-national levels.

For additional information, please contact: 

Nanyonga Dorothy, Information Assistant, U.S. Mission Uganda
Tel: +256 414 250 314 x 6104; Cell: +256 772 221 412 or +256 784 846 334
Email:  NanyongaDX@state.gov