Cabinet gives green light for MMDCEs to be elected; amendments to be laid in Parliament before end of 2026

Cabinet has approved sweeping reforms to Ghana’s decentralisation framework, including plans to replace the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) with a system that allows citizens to elect them directly on a non-partisan basis.

The reforms, which form part of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework (2026–2030), are aimed at deepening democratic governance, strengthening citizen participation and improving service delivery at the local level.

Speaking in an interview, Dr Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation, disclosed that the current batch of MMDCEs appointed by John Dramani Mahama could be the last to serve under the existing constitutional arrangement.

According to Dr Hoedoafia, the proposed reforms will remove provisions that allow the President to appoint district chief executives, replacing them with a system where local leaders are elected directly by residents.

He explained that extensive consultations conducted nationwide revealed strong public support for electing MMDCEs, provided the process remains non-partisan and free from party political influence.

To facilitate the reforms, constitutional amendments, referenda and related legislative processes have been scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Findings from public consultations and Afrobarometer surveys also indicate broad support for the proposed changes.

As part of the reform agenda, the government is reviewing the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), with a new bill expected to be presented to Parliament before the end of 2026.

Dr Hoedoafia said the review has become necessary after nearly a decade of implementation exposed weaknesses in the current legislation. The Legislative Review Committee of IMCCoD is leading the process before the proposed law is submitted to the Ministry of Local Government, Cabinet and Parliament.

A key component of the reforms will be the integration of spatial planning and development planning functions at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA) level. The move is expected to improve coordination, streamline planning processes and address challenges related to zoning, permitting and land-use management.

The reforms also seek to strengthen accountability at the grassroots level. A new local accountability platform, similar to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, will be established to enable MMDCEs and other public officials to account for the use of public resources.

Additionally, stricter requirements will be introduced for the appointment of the 30 per cent government nominees to district assemblies to ensure the positions are filled based on technical competence rather than political considerations.

Dr Hoedoafia further revealed that the policy proposes increasing the constitutional minimum allocation to the District Assemblies Common Fund from five per cent to 7.5 per cent. While the Constitutional Review Commission previously recommended a 10 per cent allocation, government has opted for a gradual increase as part of efforts to strengthen local governance and improve development outcomes across the country.