Urban Government Autonomy and Good Governance in Ethiopia: The Case of Hawassa City

Abstract

This article investigates the structure and practical operation of Hawassa City’s government institutions using universally accepted yardsticks of good governance as an analytical framework. The analysis of the relevant regional laws has been complemented by fieldwork conducted in the city. The research reveals that Hawassa City has been legally endowed with important powers and responsibilities, the autonomous exercise of which, guided by the principles of good governance, should bring about all-round societal development. Yet the research also finds that the quality of governance in the city is negatively affected by a number of factors, one of which is the dominance of the Sidama people in city government institutions. Another important factor is the lack of effective mechanisms of checks and balances, both at horizontal (intra-city) and vertical (city-regional government) level. The research finds that inadequacies in the legal framework, along with aspects of the city’s political context, have contributed to this situation. Hence, the study’s main recommendations highlight the need for better management of the city’s ethnic diversity as well as for strengthening and clarifying horizontal and vertical mechanisms of checks and balance.