ABSTRACT

Uganda's investment in improving specific services overshadows the demoralization of gender consciousness and the link between the “no change” paradigm to poverty, the weak public's ability to demand accountability, and women's derailed politics of gender justice. The burgeoning of districts does little to decentralize political power and vitiate the mentality that good governance of Uganda is endowed to only one man, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The notion of “giving” power to women, freedom to Ugandans, and power through decentralization has increasingly marginalized public opinion and weakened public power to demand accountability. In doing so, Museveni has retained power by legitimizing illegitimate processes of democ-racy, like the “no change paradigm,” at the expense of Ugandans, in disregard of democratic ideals and in the eyes of the international community.