In this paper the purpose for public participation in public expenditure
governance is established within the road sector. It further discusses its implications for decision making and then draws on the rationale for using local labour not only to develop strong economies and reduce unemployment but also as a citizen participation-generating tool. It considers how labour-based methods can better be institutionalized in not only small-scale rural maintenance projects but also major infrastructure programmes in the road sector. The paper recommends that government needs to strengthen beneficiary participation by adopting initiatives that allow citizens to be better informed about projects and available public resources to ensure ownership, accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. Whereas, examples from different countries have shown that Labour-based techniques can be successfully applied to most maintenance activities on the entire road network, Labour-based methods in Uganda are confined to maintenance of Community and Access Roads.
