At least 35 lawmakers in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State have been equipped with new skills aimed at improving ‘participatory’ local government practices at the grassroots.
The lawmakers of the Kajo-Keji Council underwent four days training on key areas on the functions of the local government councils, importance of the media, monitoring and management of community projects as well as social accountability.
“Formally we did not know what to do and we had been moving like a vehicle without grease,” said one lawmaker after the training. “One of the things that we have learnt included good governance, responsibilities and formal obligations of councilors and we are now aware of what to do.”
“Today they have sensitized us a lot whenever there is a project comes to our area of operation, we should be able to monitor projects for the benefit of the common men.”
“We are able to compare expenditures with the actual budgets and also to see whether there is over expenditure or not,” said the workshop participant.
The training was organised by the Centre for Democracy Initiative-South Sudan with financial support from the Open Society Institute for Eastern Africa.