A Political Economy Analysis of Domestic Resource Mobilization in Uganda

Domestic resource mobilization is increasingly regarded as a central element in financing social development as well as broader development goals in the Global South, and for good reasons. As an alternative and complement to aid, the mobilization of domestic resources can bridge critical funding gaps, enhance national ownership, and strengthen citizen influence on the spending priorities of governments, all factors that have the potential to improve social development.

This paper draws on the analyses and findings from four UNRISD working papers conducted by colleagues and ourselves. We rely primarily on analyses of Uganda’s political economy; available policy documents, including national budgets over time and parliamentary debates; and interviews carried out in connection with this research, and as part of our own previous research on policy reform and productive sector initiatives in Uganda undertaken between 2008 and 2014. Interviews were conducted with key policy actors in the central ministries—such as the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED) and the URA—Members of Parliament (MPs), representatives of civil society groups, representatives from International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and political experts in Uganda during repeated stays in the country.

At the time of their collaboration, Anne Mette Kjaer was Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. Marianne S. Ulriksen was research affiliate, Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Jalia Kangave was an Project Research Director of the East African School of Taxation, Uganda. Mesharch W. Katusiimeh was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Leadership and Governance at the Makerere University Business School.